ROSS COUNTY, Ohio — In a shocking revelation that has sent waves through the healthcare and legal community, Adena Health System, under the leadership of CEO Jeff Graham, is now facing a scathing three-count civil lawsuit for engaging in a malicious campaign to tarnish the reputation of Dr. James Manazer, a dedicated Chief of Surgery and vascular surgeon, who was mercilessly terminated by the institution earlier this year, according to filings obtained by the Guardian.
The lawsuit, filed by renowned law firms Leeseberg Tuttle and The Friedmann Firm, alleges that Adena, under the direction of its administrators, deliberately propagated false and defamatory statements about Dr. Manazer to all Adena Medical Group physicians, medical providers, and management team members. This smear campaign was initiated just hours after Dr. Manazer’s termination in May 2023, leaving no doubt about the institution’s sinister intentions, the suit alleges.
According to the damning complaint lodged in the Ross County Court of Common Pleas on Thursday, Adena’s administrators, including the culpable CEO, CIO Jamie Smith, and Chief Human Resources Officer Heather Sprague, shamelessly peddled a web of lies about Dr. Manazer. They baselessly accused him of admitting to providing false and defamatory information to NBC4, as well as actively contributing to fabricated stories on the dubious “Blimp Arms” Facebook account and the Guardian, all in a despicable attempt to besmirch Adena and deflect blame from their own gross incompetence.
The events leading up to Dr. Manazer’s unjust termination paint a grim picture of the callousness that runs rampant within Adena’s corridors of power, his lawsuit alleges. The healthcare system’s abhorrent disregard for patient safety came to light in April 2023, when NBC4’s investigative report exposed that three patients had undergone cardiac surgery performed by a doctor without proper credentials to perform the crucial TAVR procedure; the story was shared by the Guardian.
“On April 13, 2023, ‘Blimp Arms’ shared an investigative story published by NBC4 in Columbus relating to three patients undergoing cardiac surgery performed by a doctor who was not properly credentialed to perform a procedure known as a transcatheter aortic valve replacement (“TAVR”),” said Craig S. Tuttle, one of the lead lawyers representing Dr. Manazer. “The first TAVR procedures at Adena were performed in March of 2022 by Dr. Atiq Rehman and Dr. Jarrod Betz. At the time of the first TAVR procedures at Adena, Dr. Betz was not yet approved by Adena to perform such procedures.”
In the aftermath of the damning exposé, the State Medical Board initiated an investigation into Dr. Betz’s credentials for performing the TAVR procedure. When Dr. Manazer, acting ethically and responsibly, informed Dr. Betz about the investigation, Adena’s negligent HR department erroneously misconstrued the situation, leading to the unnecessary escalation that ultimately cost Dr. Manazer his career, his lawsuit reads.
Disturbingly, instead of taking accountability for their glaring oversight and institutional failures, Adena’s administrators resorted to heinous tactics, attempting to coerce Dr. Manazer into spreading falsehoods to the media in a desperate bid to salvage the health system’s reputation, his lawyers said. Dr. Manazer stood firm, refusing to participate in the calculated deception orchestrated by Adena’s top brass.
Adding insult to injury, Smith subjected Dr. Manazer to an intrusive witch hunt, demanding access to his personal cell phone in a futile quest to find a connection to the “Blimp Arms” Facebook account. Despite finding nothing incriminating, the ruthless decision to terminate Dr. Manazer was ruthlessly executed, leaving him without a job and depriving his patients of the exceptional care they rightfully deserved.
In a display of unprofessionalism and deception, Graham wasted no time in sending out a venomous email to Adena Medical Group members, containing a litany of lies and slander about Dr. Manazer. Within a couple of hours of Dr. Manazer’s termination, Graham sent an email to all present and former Adena Medical Group physicians, medical providers, and its management team, regarding the termination. The subject of the email was “Urgent Announcement”, and it stated, in part, as follows:
Effective this afternoon, Dr. James Manazer is no longer with the organization. Dr. Manazer admitted to providing an interview to NBC4 that relayed false and defamatory information about Adena and its physicians. Further, evidence shows he contributed heavily to publishing false and defamatory information on Blimp Arms and that was relayed on the Scioto Valley Guardian. We are deeply disappointed by his actions, but as everyone is well aware, we must continue to put Adena and our physicians, caregivers, and patients first.
Jeff Graham’s email
As the suit claims, this email includes numerous statements which are false and defamatory and were solely made with the intent to harm Dr. Manazer. Adena’s false statements reflect upon Dr. Manazer’s character in a manner that has and will forever cause him professional and reputational damage,” said Tuttle.
The repercussions of Adena’s malevolent actions have been catastrophic, Dr. Manazer’s lawyers contend. His career has been irreparably damaged, and his patients are now left to suffer due to Adena’s callous negligence and unethical behavior.
A spokesman for Adena and their legal counsel did not return a request for comment about the lawsuit.
Leeseberg Tuttle is a Columbus-based law firm advocating for the rights of victims of medical malpractice and the negligence or wrongdoing of others. The firm is responsible for numerous record-setting verdicts throughout Ohio, including a verdict of $44.5 Million in Franklin County In 2018, the largest in Ohio history for an individual personal injury case.
The Friedmann Firm is a Central Ohio law firm advocating for the rights of employees who are treated unfairly and illegally by their employers. The Friedmann Firm recently secured a $4 million settlement for employees of OSU Wexner Medical Center as a result of unpaid overtime.
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