A Mayo Clinic investigation into Dr. Michael Joyner’s behavior took center stage during the sixth day of a jury trial in Olmsted County. The investigation was led by radiologist Dr. Matthew Callstrom, who testified that it was “a completely independent investigation” with no pressure from Mayo Clinic CEO Gianrico Farrugia for a specific outcome.
The 2020 investigation examined reports that Joyner had threatened to stop researching treatments for COVID-19 unless Mayo Clinic leaders guaranteed to pay him millions of dollars within 48 hours. Callstrom testified that during his interview with Joyner, “He apologized for what was done, but during the same conversation, he stated that he still thought it was a valid request to be compensated. There was essentially no remorse or acknowledgment that was wrong.” Mayo Clinic officials believed Joyner was asking for an upfront payment for the Expanded Access Program (EAP) for Convalescent Plasma, funded by a $54 million grant from the Center for the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority. Joyner claimed he wanted payment for a for-profit project called IMIG, or Project Sangria, and later apologized, citing the stress of working 16- to 17-hour days during the pandemic.
In 2023, Joyner filed suit against Mayo Clinic, claiming the disciplinary actions were retaliation for speaking out as a “whistleblower” about MITRE Corp. attempting to access private patient data. Mayo Clinic denies retaliation, citing unprofessional behavior and “problematic” statements in media outlets about transgender athletes and NIH guidelines. A second disciplinary action in 2023 addressed what Mayo Clinic characterized as bullying behavior toward communications staff.
Sharon Theimer, a communications staff member who worked with Joyner, testified that he often acted unprofessionally and used a “bullying” tone. She described an incident where Joyner demanded an explanation via text after his requested wording did not appear in a media article, causing a staff member to become “unhappy and crying.” Theimer said, “It is not normal for us to feel uncomfortable with physicians.” The trial is ongoing with additional motions pending from the judge.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.postbulletin.com/business/mayo-clinics-investigation-takes-center-stage-in-joyner-trial