UMMS President Takes Leave: Report

BALTIMORE, MD — As information comes out about connections between board members at the University of Maryland Medical System and contracts made by the institution, President and CEO Robert A. Chrencik has reportedly been asked to take a leave of absence. The University of Maryland Medical System's board of directors requested the measure, according to The Daily Record.

The leave of absence will take effect on Monday, March 25, according to a statement shared by Baltimore magazine, which stated the board's vote was unanimous that Chrencik should step aside while an independent firm is selected to review the board and its contractual relationships at the University of Maryland Medical System (UMMS).

John Ashworth, who is senior vice president of network development for UMMS and associate dean at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, will act as the interim president and CEO, the statement said.

"The board and I are fully committed to evolving our governance principles and operating with even more transparency," UMMS Board Chair Stephen A. Burch said in a statement.

Three board members (Mayor Catherine Pugh, John Dillon and Robert Pevenstein) have resigned and four board members have taken leave (August Chiasera, Francis Kelly, James Soltesz and Walter Tilley Jr.) since mid March, according to The Baltimore Sun, which published an expose on the issuing of no-bid contracts by UMMS to companies connected to its board members.