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The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
ADMINISTRATION
UMHS president and 'U' chief financial officer step down
After serving five
years as head of
health system,
Pescovitz moves on
By IAN DILLINGHAM
Daily News Editor
MARCH 17,2014 - OraPesco-
vitz, CEO of the University of
Michigan Health System and
executive vice president for med-
ical affairs, announced in a blog
post Monday morning that she
will step down after her five-year
term ends on June 1.
Pescovitz, the first woman to
serve as the head of the health
system, has worked in her cur-
rent position since her 2009
appointment.
"I want to express my deep
appreciation to Dr. Pescovitz
for her commitment to Michi-
gan and for ensuring that the
Health System remains sound
and strong, which is an enor-
mous accomplishment given our
complex environment and the
changing national health care
landscape," Coleman wrote in
an e-mail to faculty and staff on
Monday.
As EVPMA, Pescovitz oversaw
the University's medical opera-
tions - three maino enitels .n
outpatient locations and more
than 120 clinics around the state
- as well as the Medical School,
School of Nursing and various
research initiatives throughvari-
ous departments and institutes.
Under Pescovitz's tenure,
UMHS has implemented major
renovation projects, most nota-
bly the construction of the $754
million C.S. Mott Children's
Hospital and Women's Hospi-
tal, completed in 2011. She also
oversaw the transfer of several
research departments from the
medical campus to the North
Campus Research Complex after
the University purchased the for-
mer Pfizer property in 2009 at a
cost of $108 million.
In a communication to the
University's Board of Regents,
University President Mary Sue
Coleman recommended Michael
Johns, professor of otolaryngol-
ogy and health policy at Emory
University, to serve as interim
EVPMA effective June 2.
A Detroit native, Johns gradu-
ated from the University's medi-
cal school in 1969 after obtaining
a bachelor's and graduate degree
in biology from Wayne State Uni-
versity.
"I look forward to the leader-
ship, depth of experience, and
vision that Dr. Johns will bring
to the University," Coleman
wrote. "I appreciate his willing-
ness to serve his alma mater and
his home state in this important
way."
Johns formerly served as dean
of the Johns Hopkins School of
Medicine and vice president of
Medical Faculty from 1990 to
1996. He later became the execu-
tive vice president for health
affairs at Emory before serving
as chancellor from 2007 to 2012.
The recommendation will go
before the Regents for approval
at their next meeting this Thurs-
day.
In recent years, the Health
System faced scrutiny because
of a series of internal controver-
sies. In 2012, Stephen Jenson, a
medical resident, was charged
for possession of child pornogra-
phy, which was found on a thumb
drive plugged into a Health Sys-
tem computer. Slow response
to the incident prompted the
restructuring of the University's
Department of Public Safety,
Housing Security and Hospitals
& Health Centers Security into
the Division of Public Safety and
Security. Jenson was later sen-
tenced to three years in prison.
Later in 2012, the U.S. Securi-
ties and Exchanges Commission
sued Neurology Prof. Sidney
Gilman in regards to a poten-
tial insider-trading scheme. The
commission alleged that infor-
mation provided by Gilman
allowed Matthew Martoma, a
portfolio manager at CR Intrinsic
Investors, to profit $276 million.
Gilman later admitted in court
that he had provided information
regarding an Alzheimer's drug
trial to Martoma before it was
released to the public.
More recently, financial pres-
sures from sequestration and
expansion projects have caused
the Health System to explore cost
cutting measures, while steadily
increasing patient demand has
kept the majority of the health
system operating at capacity.
Despite the pressure, Coleman
See PESCOVITZ, Page 7C
VP Tim Slottow
appointed Univ. of
Phoenix president
By JENNIFER CALFAS
and SAM GRINGLAS
Managing News Editor and
Daily News Editor
APRIL 1, 2014 -Tim Slot-
tow, executive vice president
and chief financial officer,
announced Tuesday that he
will step down from his role to
serve as the seventh presidentof
the University of Phoenix. Slot- The unive
tow will leave the University Slottow.
on June 19 and assume his new ters, to t
position on June 20. TheL
"As you can imagine, this has a for-pr
been a tough decision for me, educatio
because I love doing what I do Phoenix
for this University, and I love tion gr
working with all of you to 'Make ciate,n
Blue Go' each day," Slottow said degrees,
in a statement. and on
University President Mary more th
Sue Coleman lauded Slottow's the cour
work in his pivotal role in Theu
maintaining and enhancing the in 1976
University's endowment in a ing wor
statement released Tuesday. a degre
"He has played an integral offered
role in the University's growth nearbyc
and financial stability through- versityo
out the recession, ensuring for-prof
our academic excellence as he educatio
worked in partnership with our Slotto
academic and university lead- recently
ers," Coleman said. "His fiscal lo, outgo
acumen has served U-M excep- nix pres
tionally well, and I thank him." the posi
Coleman will recommend In a1
the Board of Regents approve Lewis E
Douglas L. Strong, chief execu- versity
tive officer of the University's trustees
Hospitals and Health Centers, ence at
to serve as interim CFO at their him an
next meeting on April 10. Ora position
Pescovitz, executive vice presi- "Tim
dent for medical affairs, will at the t
recommend Anthony Denton, amplifie
executive director and chief through
operating officer of the Univer- career:
sity's Hospitals and Health Cen- results1
I
4
TODD NEEDLE/Daily
ersity's former executive vice president and chief financial officer Tim
he board.
University of Phoenix is
ofit institution of higher
n, headquartered in
, Arizona. The institu-
ants bachelor's, asso-
master's and doctoral
, through both online
-campus programs at
an 100 locations across
ntry.
university was founded
with the aim of serv-
king adults who desire
e in higher education
through flexible and
classes. Today, the Uni-
of Phoenix is the largest
it institution of higher
n in the country.
w will fill the role
vacated by Bill Pepicel-
oing University of Phoe-
ident, who has served in
tion since 1995.
press release, Marrilee
ngel, chair of the Uni-
of Phoenix board of
, said Slottow's experi-
the University makes
ideal candidate for the
.
Slottow's leadership
University of Michigan
s what he has done
out his accomplished
delivering measurable
to public and private
organizations as they embrace
the principle of continuous
advancement and transition to
reach ambitious goals," Engel
said.
Greg Cappelli, a member of
the University of Phoenix board
of trustees and the chief execu-
tive officer of Apollo Education
Group, the university's parent
company, discussed Slottow's
qualifications in an e-mail sent
to employees Tuesday.
"What stood out during our
interviews was Tim's personal
passion for our mission to pro-
vide the opportunities for stu-
dents to advance in their lives
- andintheir careers-through
high-quality, accessible, higher
education programs," he wrote.
"He is determined to make edu-
cation work for working stu-
dents, and we're so incredibly
pleased that he chose us to fur-
ther his efforts."
Traditionally, the position of
University provost has been the
stepping-stone to the presiden-
cy of another university. Former
University provosts Phil Han-
lon and Teresa Sullivan were
selected to lead other institu-
tions - Dartmouth University
and the University of Virginia,
respectively - during their ten-
ures as provost.
See SLOTTOW, Page 10C
p
I
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