Federal investigators said leaders of the Clinicas del Camino Real countywide health system illegally fired its chief financial officer in an act of whistleblower retaliation two years ago.
A U.S. Department of Health and Human Services investigative report obtained by the Ventura County Star linked the termination to payback for the employee's complaints to company leaders that Clinicas’ board of directors violated federal and internal financial guidelines by actions that included bypassing the bidding process and awarding contracts to friends and colleagues.
“Clinicas committed an unlawful act of reprisal,” the report says of a private nonprofit health system that received about $14.5 million in federal funding last year to provide care to under-served populations.
The finding from the federal agency's Office of Inspector General was submitted to Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra who has the final call in determining if whistleblower retaliation happened and action against Clinicas should be taken.
Dr. Gagan Pawar, Clinicas CEO and a pivotal player in the investigative report, said the health system is waiting to hear from the agency and has cooperated with the investigation. She declined comment on specific findings because they involve legal or personnel matters but denied the accusations.
“We do not accept any allegations of Clinicas wronging contained in this...
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