Dr. Karen Ratliff will no longer be associated with Wilcox Health as of next week, according to Lani Yukimura, public relations officer for Wilcox Health, which includes Wilcox Memorial Hospital and its sibling organization Kauai Medical Clinic. Yukimura would neither
Dr. Karen Ratliff will no longer be associated with Wilcox Health as of next week, according to Lani Yukimura, public relations officer for Wilcox Health, which includes Wilcox Memorial Hospital and its sibling organization Kauai Medical Clinic.
Yukimura would neither confirm nor deny whether Ratliff had been fired, nor would she elaborate on any cause or process involving Ratliff’s departure.
Ratliff, a long-time Kaua‘i physician, did not return phone calls seeking comment on this story.
In a prepared statement Yukimura wrote, “Dr. Karen Ratliff will be leaving Kauai Medical Clinic effective July 15th. At Wilcox Health, we respect the privacy of our employees, and it is our policy to keep information about their employment and termination confidential between employee and employer.”
According to the Wilcox Health Web site, Ratliff was among many cited in a list of “generous contributions donors have made to Wilcox Health Foundation from July, 2003, through June 30, 2004, supporting programs and services of Wilcox Health.”
Ratliff was among those listed under contributors toward equipment for the Diagnostic Center.
“What we can share is that the Kauai Medical Clinic exercised its contractual right to not renew Dr. Ratliff’s contract,” Yukimura said.
“In keeping with our commitment to patients, and to ensure continuity of care, the clinic sent letters on May 6 to Dr. Ratliff’s patients, informing them she would be leaving Kauai Medical Clinic effective July 15, 2005.”
According to Yukimura, the letter also provided Ratliff’s patients with information on how to obtain a new primary-care physician with Kauai Medical Clinic.
Yukimura did not specifically address the question as to whether or not Ratliff was prevented from sending out a “thank you” or farewell-type of letter to her patients.
Ratliff joins a list of physicians who have departed Wilcox Health during the recent past due to a number of reasons.
- Andy Gross, business editor, may be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 251) or agross@pulitzer.net.
