Jonathan Bush, CEO of athenahealth
While athenahealth considers a buyout offer, Jonathan Bush has stepped down from his positions of president, CEO and a member of the board of directors. The change is effective immediately.
His exit comes as numerous aspects of his past have recently resurfaced.
In late May, The Daily Mail reported on court documents that said Bush had physically and verbally assaulted his first wife, Sarah Seldon. The article said he slammed his fist into her sternum and once gave her a black eye.
Bush admitted to attacking Seldon and apologized, noting in a statement to the Mail: “I take complete responsibility for all these regrettable incidents involving my dear former wife. They occurred during a particularly difficult personal time in my life. I have worked very hard since then to demonstrate my remorse.”
Then earlier this week, Bloomberg brought to light allegations about Bush’s behavior in the work environment. A video clip seen by Bloomberg of Bush at a healthcare event shows him saying he wants to “jump down on” one of his female employees and “do inappropriate things.”
The publication also pointed to a 2007 complaint filed by a female athenahealth employee. In the complaint, the woman said Bush “engaged in highly inappropriate conduct regarding a female employee at an awards banquet in or around early 2005.”
A Deep-dive Into Specialty Pharma
A specialty drug is a class of prescription medications used to treat complex, chronic or rare medical conditions. Although this classification was originally intended to define the treatment of rare, also termed “orphan” diseases, affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the US, more recently, specialty drugs have emerged as the cornerstone of treatment for chronic and complex diseases such as cancer, autoimmune conditions, diabetes, hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS.
In 2009, another woman filed a complaint, noting she left athenahealth in part because of the “sexually hostile environment which I was forced to work in.” She said Bush stared at her breasts, made sexual comments and talked openly about his sex life. The case was later settled, according to Bloomberg.
In a statement regarding his departure, Bush, who co-founded the Watertown, Massachusetts company in 1997, said:
I believe that working for something larger than yourself is the greatest thing a human can do. A family, a cause, a company, a country — these things give shape and purpose to an otherwise mechanical and brief human existence. Athenahealth is a near once in a life time example of such a thing. With that lens on, it’s easy for me to see that the very things that made me useful to the Company and cause in these past twenty-one years, are now exactly the things that are in the way. I cannot imagine a single organization more loaded with potential to transform healthcare.
The athenahealth board has launched a search for a new CEO.
Meanwhile, the company is mulling over a nearly $7 billion takeover offer from Elliott Management. The activist investor has been pushy, sending multiple letters urging the EHR vendor to carefully consider the sale.
But athenahealth has remained steadfast in taking its time. Together with the news of Bush’s exit, the company said its board is still considering a sale, merger, other transaction or continuing to operate as an independent company.
“There can be no assurance that the review being undertaken will result in a merger, sale or other business combination involving the company,” reads a news release. “Athenahealth does not intend to make further announcements regarding the review unless and until the board has approved a specific transaction or other course of action requiring disclosure.”
Photo: athenahealth
