A state audit shows a former University of Iowa Hospitals I-T employee defrauded her employer of more than $272,000 over a decade. Jennifer Whitmore-Meier was hired by U-of-I Hospitals to oversee the Orthopedics and Rehabilitation Department’s information technology services.
The audit shows Whitmore-Meier used hospital funds to purchase 852 technology items that she subsequently sold on eBay for more than $200,000. Whitmore-Meier also used hospital funds to purchase more than $34,000 worth of iPods, cameras, Xbox games and other items, the audit found.
In addition, the audit found Whitmore-Meier gave herself more than $20,000 in “exceptional performance bonuses.” The 206-page report has been turned over to the Johnson County attorney’s office and the Iowa Attorney General’s Office.
The state audit includes a list of recommendations for the department to avoid future fraud, including tighter controls over purchases made with department money.