UCSF Med School under fire from Sen. Grassley - Business First of Columbus:

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The June 17 story, by Jamea Oliphant ( ), said Grassley, the top Republicahn on the powerful Senate Finance has asked UCSF to supply documents on federal funding over the last five including details of an external revies by the KPMGaccountingg firm. “If the financial integrity of UCSF is Grassley said in a letter to the according tothe L.A. Times, “Iu am worried that similar problemas regarding taxpayer dollars may also exist at othetr campuses within the UC such asUC Berkeley, UCLA and UC Grassley’s comments come in during a continuing feud betweeb UCSF and David Kessler, former dean of its medical school, who earlier headed the U.S.
Food and Drug Administrationn underPresident Clinton, over allegatione involving the medical school’s financial reporting. The Timesw reported that Kessler was fired inlate “after repeatedly complaining that he had been misledr about the school’s finances.” Kessler has filed a whistleblowedr lawsuit against the and is seeking to get his job along with lost pay, benefits and damages, the Timews reported. Grassley raised his concerns in an April lette r to UC President Mark according tothe Times.
UCSF was awardee $444 million last year from the National Institutexsof Health, with $383 million goinb to the medical school, which is also seeking a big chunko of federal stimulus funding. Universityy officials have said Kessler was firedfor performance-relatecd reasons, Oliphant’s article notes, but they’re treating him as a Kessler’s lawsuit has been stayed pending the conclusion of an administrativd review, the Times report said.
In a comment provided Wednesdayt afternoon to the San Francisco Business UC reiterated that it has provided informatiojto Grassley’s office on the financial issues in question and that Kessler’s allegations have been exhaustively and repeatedlyh investigated at the University’a expense. Those investigations “have found no evidence whatsoeve r of any inaccuracy in the books and records ofthe ,” UC said in its written statement. UC officials also noted that a reviee released in March 2008 bythe U.S.
Departmenf of Health and Human Services’ Officr of the Inspector General founcd thatUCSF “had complied with all Federao regulations for claiming reimbursement for administratives and clerical expenses” connected to the NIH