COLUMBUS, Ohio — The CEO for the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center is stepping down in October to take a position at another university.
Dr. Harold Paz, who is also the executive vice president and chancellor for health affairs at Ohio State, is leaving to become the executive vice president for health sciences at Stony Brook University in New York.
Ohio State president made the announcement in a letter to students on Wednesday, saying Dr. Paz has been part of the university team leading through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The announcement comes a month after the Ohio Nurses Association took out an ad on a billboard on State Route 315 attacking the medical center for paying large bonuses to Paz and its COO, but none to frontline workers.
The billboard claimed Paz received a $788,000 bonus.
The medical center responded saying they were disappointed with the nurses union's decision to "spread false information" and claimed they spent more than $11 million in the last fiscal year on staff bonuses, pandemic leave and other circumstances.
The nurse's union responded saying the information was provided by Ohio State in the salaries section of its website.
Paz's last day with Ohio State is on Oct. 3.
The university will share more information about an interim leader at a later date.