What are we doing that is more significant than we are?
In an interview with the Portland Business Journal, Dr. Brian Druker asked that question, which contributes to the explanation of the globally recognized researcher’s decision to step down as the head of OHSU’s Knight Cancer Institute. Druker’s innovative research produced a miraculous cure for a particular kind of leukemia. He has personal experience with the strength of fortitude, creativity, and vision. The testimonials and images from patients who are leading fulfilling lives as a result of the medication he helped create serve as a reminder of why he and others carry out their work.
However, he has come to the conclusion that the organization where he has worked for almost 30 years no longer supports such aspirations. Although he will stay at OHSU for the foreseeable future, he has openly expressed his desire to leave, informing colleagues that he can no longer accomplish his objectives of furthering cancer research and enhancing patient care at OHSU. In an email published by The Lund Report, he stated, “We have forgotten our mission and lost sight of what is crucial.” Druker’s judgment is so sharp that even his subtle wording cannot conceal it.
Druker is the only researcher at OHSU who is as synonymous with invention. OHSU leaders should be alarmed by his statement and departure. Instead, OHSU seemed to approach the transition as a ho-hum shift in their public announcement of his resignation, reflecting the ignorance that Druker is criticizing. In an email to The Oregonian/OregonLive Editorial Board on Friday, OHSU officials provided a more forceful reply, but the university has been slow to acknowledge the symbolic importance of Druker’s resignation to the larger community.
The shocking revelation highlights OHSU once more, which has recently made news for all the wrong reasons. The leading public research university and medical institution in Oregon has experienced severe internal conflict, hundreds of layoffs, and financial difficulties during the last two years. News reports have detailed low morale and department heads’ lack of trust in then-president Danny Jacobs; unrest following student reports that a professor had secretly taken their photos; claims of retaliation by top leaders over the way administrators handled those allegations, which ultimately resulted in the former medical school dean suing OHSU; and, lastly, Jacobs’ sudden resignation in October. Controversy even surrounded the embattled president’s resignation, as the board attempted to circumvent any significant procedure and promptly replace Jacobs with the incumbent dean of the medical school before Gov. Tina Kotek took over. The difficulties OHSU faces in attempting to secure legislative approval of a potential merger with Legacy Health System are not even included in that lengthy list.
Today’s issues at OHSU create a very different picture of the university than it did ten years ago. In response to philanthropists Phil and Penny Knight’s challenge in 2013 to match their $500 million commitment, OHSU mobilized in-state and international contributors to increase their portion in just two years. The Knight Cancer Institute’s Cancer Early identification Advanced Research Center was established as a result of that enormous haul, which assisted in bringing in experts from a wide range of disciplines to concentrate on the early identification and treatment of deadly tumors. Beyond that successful fundraising effort, OHSU, which is situated atop Marquam Hill and is expanding down the riverbank, has both literally and symbolically been a lighthouse for Oregon in its aspirations to become a cutting-edge leader in research while staying true to its public service purpose to Oregonians.
However, Druker has contended that as OHSU has had to deal with budget deficits and implement cost-cutting strategies, the emphasis has changed. The financial strategy must be based on a clear strategic vision for what OHSU is and will be, even if that vision is more limited than in the past. This is in addition to the board and top leaders of OHSU continuing to work to reduce operating losses, which are estimated to be $25 million for the current fiscal year.
This is especially crucial for OHSU if it wants to make a compelling case to the community, workers, and regulators that a merger with Legacy benefits Oregon as a whole, not simply OHSU’s financial position. In a recent blog post, former Governor John Kitzhaber expressed his worries about the proposal, despite OHSU’s claims that a combined organization would be able to offer patients better access to care, shorter wait times, and higher quality health care for everyone. According to him, there hasn’t been a clear explanation of why this deal will benefit the public at large, not just Oregon consumers, but also the state’s health care system as a whole. These issues include the rising costs of premiums and deductibles, the lack of access to behavioral health services, and the primary care crisis.
Leaders at OHSU are now retaliating against Druker’s statement, stating that although Druker’s resignation is a great loss, they vehemently disagree with the claim that the university has forgotten its purpose. OHSU Board Chair Chad Paulson and interim president Steve Stadum emphasized in a communication to the editorial board that no one person is the foundation of this university’s present or future success. Our accomplished, committed members will keep pushing the boundaries of science, training the next generation of medical professionals for Oregon and beyond, and delivering first-rate patient care. Stadum also cited record funding for research, further contributions, and other efforts that demonstrate OHSU’s ongoing dedication to its primary purpose.
However, Kotek and other state leaders, as well as the board members of OHSU, should not overlook the importance of this moment or the need for a well-articulated future vision. With dwindling staff support and the loss of a well-known brand, the institution is at a crossroads as it seeks a large merger in a volatile industry. The board’s original plan to fill the position with the existing dean of the medical school right away in order to maintain stability overlooked the importance of choosing the next president. Stability is important, but the board should also give preference to someone who can unite a disjointed institution and inspire others with a compelling future vision.
Druker struggled with what he could be doing that was greater than himself when he resigned from his position. That same question must remain at the forefront of OHSU’s leadership.
-The Editorial Board of Oregonian/OregonLive
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