McCurtain Memorial Hospital CEO Brian Whitfield is under criminal investigation, this newspaper has confirmed.
Whitfield had asked that District Attorney Mark Matloff request the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation to investigate (him and the hospital), but the district attorney didn’t do that.
Instead, Matloff requested a sheriff’s investigation.
The difference could be important, as an OSBI investigation would seal all records – even from the hospital board – while a sheriff’s investigation does not do that.
The sheriff’s office has been issued and has executed three search warrants so far for examination of certain hospital records.
Because the sheriff’s office is conducting the investigation, the hospital board may examine those records itself as the investigation moves forward.
The board of McCurtain Memorial Medical Management has its regular meeting scheduled for Oct. 22. Presumably it will include an executive session so board members can consider the criminal probe into their CEO.
Whitfield reportedly does not work as an employee of the hospital, but since January 2024 has been an independent contractor.
He says his initial job interview was with former CEO Brad Morse and with Kendra Gross, then chairman of the medical management board.
Whitfield claims he was honest with them about his background, and it was also on his employment application.
He said his hospital background check returned “clean.”
Whitfield said he presented no degrees to either Morse and Gross, and further, that there were no “fake degrees.”
The hospital has audits done each year for the management board to review, but there have been no forensic audits done. That type of audit specifically looks for criminal activity.
