Late News: Tri-City Medical board fires CEO after investigation findings

The board of Tri-City Medical Center in Oceanside, Calif., fired CEO Larry Anderson, citing a need to “take corrective action.” Anderson had been on paid leave since Sept. 5. Board Chairman Larry Schallock, reading from a prepared statement during an Oct. 18 board meeting, said the board concluded it was “in the best interests of the district to sever our relationship with Mr. Anderson.” According to an account in the San Diego Union-Tribune, Schallock said an investigation of a whistle-blower's allegations of “improprieties” raised questions about some of Anderson's decisions. He declined to provide details. “The results of the investigation are a matter of attorney-client privilege and cannot be released for the protection of the hospital's interests,” Schallock said. Anderson joined the public hospital in 2009 and soon launched a failed legal attack on competitor Scripps Health, alleging the San Diego-based system was illegally compelling its affiliated physicians to steer patients to bypass Tri-City and travel inordinate distances to seek care at Scripps facilities. The hospital's board decided to drop the lawsuit a few weeks after placing Anderson on leave.