After R. Bowen Loftin, PhD, left his position as Chancellor of the University of Missouri in Columbia, EHR vendor Cerner raised concern regarding a proposed transition plan for Mr. Loftin that included a job affiliated with Cerner. A Columbia Missourian report now indicates Mr. Loftin never took the job in question.
Last fall, Dr. Loftin left the chancellor position after complaints the school administration had not adequately responded to reports of racism on campus. Tim Wolfe, president of the University of Missouri System, also stepped down from his role.
Dr. Loftin's transition plan included an administrative role at the Tiger Institute for Health Innovation, a collaboration between the university and Cerner developing tools and technologies to improve care delivery.
Initially, Cerner had concerns with this appointment and asked for any reference of Cerner or the Tiger Institute to be removed from Dr. Loftin's transition agreement until the institute's governing body could fully review the agreement.
Dan Smith, spokesman for Cerner, and Christian Basi, spokesman for the university, told Columbia Missourian Dr. Loftin never worked for the Cerner or the institute.
"Dr. Loftin's terms of transition agreement provided that the position with the Tiger Institute would come about with the concurrence of Cerner," Mr. Basi told Columbia Missourian. "That concurrence did not occur and the position turned out not to be feasible, so Dr. Loftin did not assume a position with Tiger Institute."
Mr. Smith told Columbia Missourian the Tiger Institute's board of governors never received a position proposal for Dr. Loftin.
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