Dive Brief:
- Gary Fingethut, executive dirctor of Cleveland Clinic Innovations, Inc. (CCI), has parted ways with the company after the FBI informed Clinic officials that Fingerhut had violated the health system's internal financial policies.
- It is unclear whether Fingerhut was fired or if he voluntarily stepped down.
- Cleveland Clinic is not being investigated by the FBI, and an FBI spokesperson declined to comment on whether or not Fingerhut is still being investigated.
Dive Insight:
A Cleveland Clinic spokesperson said the FBI contacted the clinic about the alleged policy violations. "We were recently notified by a government agency regarding certain financial transactions involving one of our spin-off companies," the spokeswoman said in an e-mailed statement. "The information led to the identification of violations in Cleveland Clinic policy and appropriate actions were taken. Cleveland Clinic was not a part of this inquiry. The Chairman of Innovations will conduct a search for a new executive director."
CCI turns breakthrough Cleveland Clinic employee inventions into commercial medical products. Fingerhut has been with the company since 2011; he became its executive director in 2013. Dr. Thomas Graham is filling in as the interim executive director until the Clinic can find a replacement for Fingerhut.