UCSF Med School under fire from Sen. Grassley - Triangle Business Journal:

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The June 17 story, by James Oliphantg ( ), said Grassley, the top Republica n on the powerful SenateFinance Committee, has asked UCSF to supplg documents on federal fundinb over the last five years, includin details of an external review by the KPMG accountinfg firm. “If the financial integrity of UCSFis questionable,” Grassleuy said in a letter to the university, according to the L.A. “I am worried that similar probleme regarding taxpayer dollars may also exist at otherf campuses within theUC system, such as UC Berkeley, UCLA and UC Grassley’s comments come in durinb a continuing feud between UCSF and Davie Kessler, former dean of its medical school, who earlier headedc the U.
S. Food and Drug Administration underfPresident Clinton, over allegations involving the medica school’s financial reporting. The Times reported that Kesslee was fired inlate 2007, “afted repeatedly complaining that he had been misled about the school’s finances.” Kessler has filed a whistlebloweer lawsuit against the and is seeking to get his job along with lost pay, benefits and damages, the Times Grassley raised his concerns in an April letter to UC President Mark according to the Times.
UCSF was awardede $444 million last year from the Nationalo Institutesof Health, with $383 millio going to the medical which is also seeking a big chunk of federalk stimulus funding. University officialx have said Kessler was firedfor performance-relate reasons, Oliphant’s article notes, but they’re treating him as a Kessler’s lawsuit has been stayed pending the conclusion of an administrativse review, the Times report In a comment provided Wednesday afternoo n to the San Francisco Business Times, UC reiterated that it has provided information to Grassley’s office on the financial issues in question and that Kessler’s allegations have been exhaustivelgy and repeatedly investigated at the University’s expense.
Thosde investigations “have found no evidence whatsoever of any inaccuracy in the books and records ofthe ,” UC said in its written UC officials also noted that a review releasex in March 2008 by the U.S. Departmentr of Health and Humanb Services’ Office of the Inspector General founsd thatUCSF “had complied with all Federapl regulations for claiming reimbursement for administrative and clerica l expenses” connected to the NIH