The recently announced selection for Tahoe Forest Health System’s (TFHS) president and CEO has caused some concern among staff and community members. Allegations of a criminal investigation related to Contra Costa Health have followed Anna Roth to her new position, which she’s expected to start March 10.
TFHS maintains it’s aware of the investigation claims and “believes them to be false,” according to a statement shared with Moonshine on Feb. 12.
Over the course of three stories that started May 2024 and span to present day, an investigative team at NBC Bay Area reported on a whistleblower situation at Contra Costa Health, where Roth, for the time being, serves as CEO. The health system is the largest department within Contra Costa County.
The whistleblower, former Contra Costa County Public Nurse Manager Irene Graham, informed NBC Bay Area of patient medical needs being ignored, caseload inflations, and harm to patients. A 2023 Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) audit for Contra Costa Health found some patients didn’t receive appropriate services, which could lead to a lack of medical screening information for identifying and preventing illness.
A December 2024 story by NBC alleged that in reaction to Graham’s claims and the DHCS audit, the California Department of Justice’s Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse Unit began conducting a criminal investigation into Contra Costa County.
In reaction to the December story, counsel for Contra Costa County sent NBC reporter Candice Nguyen a cautionary email (linked here), stating the county’s health services department was unaware of such a criminal investigation being conducted by the state on the matter.
The California DOJ did not respond to Moonshine Ink’s request for confirmation of whether it’s leading such an investigation by time of publication. Nguyen confirmed with Moonshine Ink that NBC Bay Area stands behind its reporting on the matter.
Roth, RN, MS, MPH, was identified as a candidate for TFHS president and CEO during a nationwide search led by consulting firm WittKieffer after former CEO Harry Weis left last May.
“Early in that process, Ms. Roth voluntarily disclosed the existence of a ‘whistleblower’ complaint related to Contra Costa Health during her tenure,” TFHS’s statement said. “A comprehensive review that included Contra Costa County, WittKieffer, and the TFHS Board of Directors found no evidence of wrongdoing by Ms. Roth or reason to disqualify her as a candidate … As of today, there is no indication, explicit or implicit, that the State of California is conducting a criminal investigation into this matter.”
Even without clear indication of criminal wrongdoing, a current TFHS staff member, who requested to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation, said news of Roth’s history is “disheartening,” particularly considering the health system’s two previous CEOs left amid staff mistrust and burnout.
“We’ve had a troubled past with our CEOs and our administration is kind of failing right now,” this person continued. “We also feel our board that governs us hasn’t been doing their job whatsoever. Look what happened with [former CEO] Harry Weis … and you’re putting someone in charge of a place that’s already in enough trouble.”
