University of Iowa consultant's rate higher at part time

IOWA CITY - The University of Iowa is paying a former senior administrator $15,000 a month to serve as a medical affairs adviser and special projects leader on the medical campus.

Gordon Williams, 66, has moved from the full-time position of chief of operations at UI Health Care to a 0.365 position as “confidential adviser” to Dr. Jean Robillard, the vice president for medical affairs, according to a May 10 employment contract obtained through an Open Records request.

The 90-day contract, effective July 1, provides Williams $15,047 a month in pay, but no benefits. The deal can be extended in three-month increments at mutual agreement.

“We are extremely fortunate to have a person of Gordon's quality at Iowa,” Robillard said Friday. “He has been a tremendous asset here.”

Williams will be paid at a greater rate as a part-time employee than he was in his full-time job. Williams' UI salary for the year that ended June 30 was $395,760, which breaks down to a monthly rate of $32,980. If Williams had only worked 0.365 time in his previous job, he would have been paid $12,037 a month.

Rather than hiring a full-time employee with benefits, Robillard said the part-time position makes sense financially.

“This saves money at the institution,” he said.

Williams, an Iowa City native, came to the UI in 2007 after working as executive vice dean and chief operating officer and vice chancellor for operations at the Duke University School of Medicine and Health System. Before Duke, Williams served in leadership roles in the medical enterprises at the University of Pennsylvania and Northwestern University.

He originally accepted a job as Robillard's adviser in 2007, but agreed to become interim CEO of UI Hospitals and Clinics after Donna Katen-Bahensky resigned in December 2007. He served in that position for 10 months before becoming chief of operations.

During his time as CEO, Williams dealt with the 2008 floods, finding ways to get doctors and patients to UI Hospitals for important procedures and treatments.

Williams also had the idea of taking 35 hospital employees to Orlando for a $130,000 training session at the Disney Institute. Iowa legislators decried the expense and the UI eventually brought Disney trainers to Iowa City at one-tenth the cost.

Williams told Robillard this spring that he planned to retire at the end of July, Williams said Friday. But he decided to accept the part-time job and expects to work two days a week.

“If I can help, that's great,” Williams said.

Williams will continue to oversee the Ponseti International Association and other international programs, as well as serve as an adviser to Dr. Rami Boutros, new executive medical director for Off-site Ambulatory Care Programs, the employment contract states. Williams also will assist with the development of the Pappajohn Biomedical Institute as well as “carry out special projects as assigned by the VPMA.”

Williams will maintain an office, parking space and oversee one employee, the agreement states.

Williams was raised in Iowa City and earned a zoology degree at the UI. He served in the U.S. Air Force and the Army National Guard.

Williams and his wife bought a condo in Iowa City in 1990 so their son could live there while attending school at UI, Williams said. They visited regularly and decided to make it their home because it was near their two sons and four grandchildren. Williams “commuted” to Durham, N.C., while he worked at Duke, coming back to Iowa every other weekend, he said.