The OHSU Board will appoint an interim president and begin a national search for a long-term leader.

Oregon Health & Science University’s board voted Monday to appoint an interim president while it conducts a national search for a permanent leader, reversing its previous plan to promote from within.

The vote was a concession to Gov. Tina Kotek, who wanted the OHSU board to delay naming a permanent replacement for Dr. Danny Jacobs, the health system’s president, who last month announced plans to retire for “personal reasons”.

Kotek’s office will also play a role in finding Jacobs’ permanent replacement. On Friday, Kotek and OHSU Announce National Recruiting Campaign will be led by a search committee that will include the governor’s executive nominating team.

Steve Stadum, the university’s former general counsel who also previously served as chief operating officer of the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute, will begin serving as interim president on Tuesday.

He will lead the institution at a time when OHSU faces an uncertain financial future and years of internal discord that have strained relationships with faculty and staff.

He will also have to work to complete the high-profile acquisition of Legacy Health, a merger partner that has its own financial problems.

Stadum’s confirmation follows a turbulent period under Jacobs’ leadership. During his tenure, Jacobs led the institution through the COVID-19 pandemic and negotiated a plan to purchase Legacy, but faced ongoing criticism for his handling of complaints of sexual harassment and friction with the institution’s medical school faculty.

The announcement of Jacobs’ plan to step down from the top job came on the same day that Dr. David Jacoby, the former dean of the medical school. sued the university claiming Jacobs unfairly accused him of mishandling a high-profile stalking case.

The board initially intended to name Dr. Nate Selden, a pediatric neurosurgeon who was named dean of OHSU’s medical school about five months ago, as the new president, citing a need for stability. The board was set to appoint Selden to a three-year term as university president the day after Jacobs announced his plans to retire.

Kotek, who appoints OHSU’s board members, publicly criticized the plan, saying OHSU needs to approach the transition with “due diligence.” The board delayed making a decision, and on Friday Kotek and OHSU jointly announced plans to conduct a national search.

The governor’s involvement in choosing Stadum to lead OHSU interim has caused at least one state legislator some concern. Rep. Duane Younker, R-Grants Pass, who serves on the House Behavioral Health and Public Health Committee, said the move “raises concerns about undue influence” from outside political agendas.

“While I understand the need for leadership stability, I am concerned about the emergence of political tension influencing board decision-making, potentially distracting OHSU from its core mission of improving health care for all Oregonians,” Younker wrote in a letter sent to OHSU. board last Friday.

Younker also pointed out the “possible conflicts of interest” presented by Stadum’s daughter, who previously worked as a Title IX coordinator for OHSU’s Equal Opportunity Office, a department that was criticized in independent review earlier this year for improper consideration of a student’s complaint against the leading doctorThis omission is partly due to staffing shortages. (She currently works as the Associate Director of Privacy in OHSU’s Office of Privacy and Information Security.)

The OHSU board’s vote to appoint Steve Stadum as interim president was unanimous. Chairman Chad Paulson said Monday that OHSU is “working to identify a search firm” to assist it in its search for a permanent president.

— Christine de Leon covers stories of consumer, retail, small business and information technology. Contact her at [email protected].

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