Medical dean survives review

Kelley is chosen toKelley is chosen toserve a second termKelley is chosen toserve a second termas C.E.O. of the U.Kelley is chosen toserve a second termas C.E.O. of the U.Health System Medical Dean William Kelley has been recommended for another term, according to a statement released by University President Judith Rodin and Provost Stanley Chodorow. The reappointment also means that Kelley will continue as chief executive officer of the University's Health System. The system, which was created through a 1993 task force Kelley engineered, is made up of the Medical Center -- the school of medicine and the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, the Clinical Practices of the University of Pennsylvania -- made up of the medical center's physicians, Clinical Care Associates -- a primary care provider network, the Presbyterian Medical Center, four affiliated community hospitals and other non-University research facilities. Rodin and Chodorow praised Kelley's work with the medical school in a memo to the school's faculty. "We are confident that under [Kelley's] leadership the School of Medicine will continue to strengthen its research and professional programs," they wrote. "We look forward to working with him in the achievement of these goals in the years ahead." Kelley came under review in late December when his seven year term as dean began to draw to a close. According to Nancy Nowicki, Chodorow's external affairs assistant, all deans come under review during their sixth year, if they agree to be considered for reappointment. Kelley is now eligible to serve for five more years, after which he must step down and let a new dean take over. The committee examine issues such as long-term handling of the school, student and faculty scholarship quality increase and financial management and development. Kelley, known as "Neutron Bill" by friends and co-workers for his "take-no-prisoners" attitude, has brought about major changes in the University Medical Center and Health System. Aside from the actual creation of the system, more than eight new centers and institutes have developed under Kelley's leadership, including the Institute for Human Gene Therapy and the Center for Bioethics. In December of 1995, Kelley told The Daily Pennsylvanian he felt some of his greatest accomplishments at the University were "virtually eliminating serious trouble in the school and filling open chair positions," many of which had been left open for up to ten years. However, at the same time Kelley came under review, so did then Health System. The Federal Medicare Program announced an audit of the billing processes of CPUP physicians. The audit ended in a $30 million settlement with the federal government in response to claims that physicians overbilled Medicare for patient treatment. Kelley denied any wrongdoing on the part of the physicians, and the system cited the discrepancies to a misinterpretation of the Medicare billing code. The settlement agreement also included a corrective action plan for the system to implement, but Kelley said the ongoing reform in the system is not solely a part of the required plan. "Even before the audit began, we had an intensive program to enhance the reliability of CPUP's billing systems to ensure compliance with billing requirements," he said in a statement released at the time by the system's Department of News and Public Affairs. Regardless of the audit, the University Health System seems to have pulled through the worst, and Chief Public Affairs Officer said it is now being held as a model for other organizations looking to improve their present systems. And "Neutron Bill" still holds the reins.