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Qiana Williams, the head of human resources who said that Oregon Health & Science University had a “culture of complaint” and hired most of her senior staff from Ohio, is leaving OHSU on Monday.
Hired as “chief people officer” in October 2022 after eight years at OhioHealth, Williams was a top adviser to president Danny Jacobs. She earned $550,000 a year.
“As we embrace a significant moment of change and growth, I want to share some important news about our chief people officer, Qiana Williams,” Jacobs said in an email obtained by WW. “After considerable reflection, Ms. Williams has decided to transition from her role at OHSU. Her last day will be Monday, June 3. The timeline between this announcement and Ms. Williams’ last day is notably short, reflecting her desire to facilitate a seamless and nimble transition.”
OHSU confirmed Williams’ departure.
Williams came to the university in the wake of the “TikTok Doc” scandal, named for Dr. Jason Campbell, who sexually harassed a co-worker. A report on that incident by former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said OHSU’s human resources department was “devalued and marginalized.” Holder recommended OHSU conduct a “rigorous, competitive, and nationwide search for a highly qualified” head of HR.
Williams was that person. But instead of solving the university’s HR problem, Williams made waves—and enemies. She hired much of her senior staff from OhioHealth, many of whom worked remotely from the Buckeye State.
Earlier this month, she told the Culture + Climate Advisory Group, something she set up, that the university had a whining problem. “A culture of complaint is pervasive at OHSU,” she said on a recording obtained by WW.
Williams’ greatest gaffe may have been her handling of the case of Dr. Daniel Marks, the doctor who allegedly took surreptitious pictures of women in a classroom. Marks resigned under pressure, but he collected a President’s Recognition Award bonus on his way out, irking staff members.
OHSU hired Schneider Education & Employment Law to investigate OHSU’s response to the Marks scandal. The 87-page report describes a dispute between Williams and Dr. David Jacoby, then dean of the medical school, over who had the authority to pay the bonus to Marks.
Williams said she met with Jacoby, one on one, and that OHSU shouldn’t pay the bonus, according to the report. Jacoby, who was fired as dean of the medical school in Feburary because of the scandal, “adamantly denied that any conversation with Williams regarding OHSU paying Dr. Marks the award took place, describing it as a ‘complete fabrication,’” the report says.
The Schneider firm seemingly sided with Jacoby on the matter.
“There is scant evidence (outside of Williams’ assertion) that such a meeting between Williams and Dr. Jacoby about the award took place,” the report says. “There is no email discussing this purported meeting about the award with Dr. Jacoby or contemporary calendar invite for the meeting. The pair had a recurring meeting which occurred on the second Wednesday of every month, and on October 11, 2023, the best documentary evidence the firm has is that their meeting lasted approximately less than three minutes.”
OHSU chief administrative officer Connie Seeley will lead human resources until a new person is hired, Jacobs said in his email. “Ms. Williams’ tenure as chief people officer came at a time of transformative growth for our organization, and she leaves OHSU on a path to continue advancing our missions and transforming our culture.”