MACOMB, IL – The McDonough District Hospital (MDH) Board of Directors agreed last night (Dec 2) that CEO Brian Dietz will remain suspended with pay through February 5th as numerous allegations sent via letter to the MDH board members are investigated.
On December 28th, an open session was held to discuss these concerns and was summarily followed by a nearly two-hour closed-door session. Following these sessions, a vote was held which resulted in a 7-1 decision to suspend Dietz. A vote was also held that unanimously named MDH Chief Financial Officer Bill Murdock as the acting and interim CEO as the investigation into the claims against Dietz is conducted by Board Chair Jere Greuel and Board Member Dan O’Neill, with assistance provided by the hospital’s legal counsel.
“The Board of Directors take all allegations against this hospital seriously, as shown by the unanimous vote Tuesday night related to the process of the investigation. We want to be thorough and will do our due diligence throughout this process,” said MDH Board Chairman Jere Greuel. “Since this will be an on-going review of a personnel matter we will have no further comment until the conclusion of our investigation.”
Dietz, who began his tenure as the CEO for MDH in 2018, came under fire recently as numerous anonymous letters were sent to board members and civic leaders including Macomb Mayor Mike Inman and McDonough County Board Chairperson Scott Schwerer, outlining concerns of employee morale at the hospital and the departure of many long-time employees. Many of the letters cited an untenable and toxic work environment, reckless hospital spending, and a sudden 41% increase in premiums for hospital employees. The letters remained anonymous due to fear of retaliation by Dietz. Since the announcement of Dietz’s suspension was released, it has been reported that employee morale has risen.
Says interim CEO Murdock, “I thank the Board of Directors in their confidence in me to lead our great organization as their interim Chief Executive Officer. We will continue to provide excellent patient care as we continue to support our staff, community, patients and providers. As the Chief Financial Officer, I always practiced having an open door policy with my direct reports and colleagues. As the interim CEO I will continue to have that open door policy with every one of our MDH colleagues, providers and make myself available to members of the community.”
