Business News: Renown Complaints Continue In Wake Of CEO Firing – This Is Reno

Officials with Renown Regional Medical Center are painting a rosy picture of the hospital. A press call two weeks ago with the hospital’s interim CEO and board chair revealed little, however, of last month’s “for-cause” firing of CEO Tony Slonim. 

Renown board chair Adam Kramer said during a virtual press conference hospital officials would not comment on Slonim or the circumstances surrounding his firing. 

“I’m really proud at where the system as a whole is heading,” Kramer said. “Renown Health is in a phenomenal position.”

The hospital, in the wake of Slonim’s ouster, swiftly launched talking points about how the hospital is a wonderful place and is moving forward.

“As we continue to make strides forward, it’s remarkable to reflect on the progress we’ve made and the obstacles we’ve overcome,” said Thomas Graf, Renown’s interim CEO, in an email just days after Slonim was fired.

The positive talking points were repeated during the press call.

Graf said the hospital is focused on quality.

“We’re excited about where the future is going,” he said. “We’re going to be focused on quality and what I call programmatic innovation.”

Renown would not make Graf and Kramer available for interviews with This Is Reno. 

Workplace called a snake pit

Numerous sources contacted This Is Reno before and after Slonim’s firing. Most would not speak on the record, as some were former Renown employees who had signed non-disparagement agreements after being fired under Slonim’s reign. 

Renown, also, will not identify its own spokespeople in statements released to the news media.

Sources said the hospital is a snake pit.

“Everything was extremely ego driven: ‘I did this, I did that,’” a former employee said, speaking only on the condition of anonymity. “People took credit for other people’s work – a lot of gaslighting. There’s a true intimidation factor. They can fire you for anything. Many had to go into therapy.”

Employees said they filed complaints internally in hopes of seeking resolutions to myriad concerns. 

“I tried to go through normal channels,” a former employee said. “That’s when I started getting pointed toward the door. They did not want to hear what I had to say. HR said it was me.”

Award met with laugh-fest

In what reads like a paid article on News Channel 2, the hospital claims it is recognized as “Top Place To Work” in 2022 by Ragan Communications. 

Ragan Communications is a “resource and publisher of information about corporate communications.” It runs awards programs for businesses and organizations that pay to enter to get such accolades, a point not mentioned in the KTVN article. The article, at the end, notes, “Renown Health assisted with this story” [sic].

Comments below the article on Facebook were critical. More than 125 people hit the laugh reaction button in response to the post.

“Worked there for 5 years, wouldn’t have my worst enemy work there,” a former employee, Tyler, wrote in response to the article on Facebook. 

Another said it is “hard to be a top place to work when you do multiple rounds of layoffs every couple years.”

who won’t respond to local media, told Ragan in December the hospital’s “strategy is ‘always to create raving fans of Renown Health.’ To gauge messaging success, Hendery ‘loves seeing numbers,’ such as how many employees attend virtual meetings, the number of comments or questions on intranet posts, or the phone calls and emails received from employees.”

Another employee described working for Renown like being thrown into a “lion’s den. It was the absolute worst job I ever had. Management was the absolute worst and had zero solutions to offer.”

Doctor fired after filing harassment complaint

One local doctor contacted This Is Reno just after Slonim was fired. The doctor, who is female, filed in 2019 a complaint against another doctor, a male, alleging serial instances of sexual harassment by the male doctor.

She complained to Renown’s human resources department about the allegations but was terminated after sounding the alarm. The alleged sexually harassing doctor is still working at the hospital.

The doctor who made the complaint was subsequently fired “without cause,” meaning the hospital had no reason to fire her.  

Legal documents appear to substantiate her claims. She would only speak to This Is Reno on the condition her name would not be disclosed publicly, citing her standing in the community.

“There are strong indications that the termination was in retaliation for [the doctor’s] role in elevating to Renown Human Resources … a set of serious reports that she had received of sexual misconduct by one of her male … partners,” an attorney wrote to Renown. “These reports were made to [her] by five separate members of the Renown staff.”’

She said she felt, as a mandated reporter, she had to raise the concerns to Renown’s human resources department. Less than two months after filing the complaint, however, the doctor was placed on suspension. She was then summoned to a meeting with hospital officials. 

“At that meeting, [she] was first advised that Renown had reviewed her emails and was placing her on suspension pending an investigation,” the attorney wrote. “No explanation was given as to what event or events precipitated this unprecedented and invasive email review, or who had directed it to occur.”

The doctor was fired the day after the meeting. The legal letter was crafted shortly thereafter. 

“I kept my medical staff privileges,” she said. “I never got rehired but I got my provider badge back.” That allows her to keep treating patients at Renown. 

She also said Renown’s board of directors was aware of her situation.

“That to me was the issue,” she said. “They are our community board, and this board was asleep at the wheel.”

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Business news briefs

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Bob Conrad is publisher, editor and co-founder of This Is Reno. He has served in communications positions for various state agencies and earned a doctorate in educational leadership from the University of Nevada, Reno in 2011. In addition to managing This Is Reno, he holds a part-time appointment for the Mineral County University of Nevada Extension office.