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Doctors at Oregon Health & Science University have begun a letter-writing campaign urging Gov. Tina Kotek to oppose any continued service by OHSU board chair Wayne Monfries and president Dr. Danny Jacobs.
A suggested template for the letters says Monfries should no longer be chair because he strong-armed the board to extend Jacobs’ contract and increased his retirement package by $700,000 during a budget crunch that will ultimately cost more than 400 workers their jobs. Many employees, in turn, blame Jacobs for poor performance and low morale at OHSU.
“I am writing to you as a concerned Oregonian and member of the OHSU community to urge you not to extend the tenures of the OHSU board chair Wayne Monfries and the president Danny Jacobs,” the suggested template for the letters to Kotek reads. “Like many of here at OHSU, I believe that their leadership failure has cost the trust of the community and jeopardized the reputation and mission of OHSU.”
The request goes beyond Kotek’s authority. She appoints board members at OHSU, with Oregon Senate approval. The board, in turn, appoints a chair and is in charge of selecting the university president. Monfries, a former Nike executive who is now senior vice president for tax at Visa, joined the OHSU board in 2016 and has served two terms. He became board chair in 2018 and oversaw the hiring of Jacobs that same year.
Oregon statute says OHSU board members can serve one term, with one reappointment. That means Monfries’ tenure will end Sept. 30, when his second term is over. Today, an OHSU spokeswoman confirmed that he plans to step down as chair on that date.
“Chair Monfries has already advised his colleagues that he plans to step down as chair of the board effective Oct. 1,” OSHU spokeswoman Sara Hottman said in an email. “The board will elect a new chair at the September meeting.”
Monfries may, however, remain a regular board member beyond Sept. 30, depending on when Kotek replaces him, Hottman said.
The change in board leadership comes at a delicate time for OHSU. The academic medical center is in the midst of taking over Legacy Health to create what would be the largest employer in the Portland metro area. The combination is expected to face scrutiny by the Oregon Health Authority’s Health Care Market Oversight unit and federal regulators.
Under Monfries and Jacobs, OHSU has strayed from its three-part mission of healing, teaching and discovery, says Dr. Jeff Jensen, vice chair of research in obstetrics and gynecology, who supports the letter-writing campaign.
“I’m not sure what OHSU’s mission is anymore,” Jensen said in an interview.
Jensen says he submitted a letter to Kotek through her official website months ago but has heard nothing since. A spokeswoman for Kotek didn’t immediately return a message seeking comment on the letter-writing campaign.
According to letter writers, many faculty turned against Monfries in April 2023, when he persuaded the OHSU board to pass a resolution giving him sole authority to negotiate a new contract with Jacobs after his old one expired in June 2024. Jacobs became president in 2018, and Monfries wanted to extend his tenure through June 2026, even though an internal poll showed that 26 out of 27 department chairs at the OHSU School of Medicine opposed such a move.
During that board meeting, vice chair Ruth Beyer said the process seemed “rushed” because Jacobs had almost a year left on his contract, plenty of time to deliberate. Board member Steve Zika agreed.
“While this was publicized through local media, Mr. Monfries rejected a request by a board member to receive input from OHSU community and pushed through a resolution despite apparent concerns from other board members,” the letter says.
Others became disillusioned with Monfries when they learned through public records obtained by WW that Monfries granted Jacobs an extra $700,000 in retirement payments over two years starting July 1 while looking for cost cuts elsewhere. OHSU is in the midst of cutting about 500 full-time positions, not all of them filled.
“These layoffs are taking place in the most unusual fashion—bypassing departmental leadership, forcing supervisors to lay off excellent employees without the opportunity to discuss things further,” the letter says.
“While this letter will not address other examples of failed leadership in well-publicized scandals, it is clear to many of us that the OHSU Board is ineffective under Mr. Monfries’ leadership,” the letter to Kotek says. “We strongly urge you to let Mr. Monfries’ term expire no later than October 2024, the planned date. OHSU was a rising star, with international leadership in research, innovative patient care, and teaching. The low morale and egregious disempowerment at OHSU mean that we are unable to attract the best and the brightest to provide the best health care for Oregonians. You are the only one able to reverse this course.”