Saturday 14 May 2011

Hot! Embattled Former Kansas Bioscience Chief Tom Thornton Lands At Cleveland Clinic Wichita Eagle

BY DION LEFLER The Wichita Eagle Photos

John Hanna/AP

Tom Thornton, that a short while ago resigned below spice as being the head in the Kansas Bioscience Authority, has obtained organization having a enterprise incubation class involved considering the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, a new spokesman regarding the particular clinic system claimed today.

Tom Thornton, that reconciled underneath hearth 7 days ago for the reason that brain with the Kansas Bioscience Authority, has taken organization which includes a company incubation party on the Cleveland Clinic throughout Ohio, a spokesman for your doctor's procedure said Friday.

One Kansas senator stated she plans that will explore ties somewhere between that Cleveland Clinic and also the KBA to determine regardless of whether they have a very impact on Thornton's employment switch. Another senator wishes to study this KBA's investments to make sure Thornton didn't give the state with extreme risk.

Brian Kolonick, a spokesman for Cleveland Clinic, said Thornton will be functioning within the hospital system's Innovations division, mostly using entities aiming to commercialize fresh medicines along with health treatments.

"He's also been the following just about all week," Kolonick mentioned of Thornton, exactly who reconciled through the KBA a new week ago.

At which time, KBA officials claimed Thornton have discovered yet another job, nonetheless would not express where they was going.

A secretary with the Cleveland Clinic explained Thornton had been unavailable to get comment Friday morning, and also this individual wouldn't gain your meaning looking for comment.

Tom Graham, the particular us president involving Cleveland Clinic Innovations, and its executive director, Chris Coburn, were beyond your office and unavailable to get comment Friday, Kolonick said.

Thornton's resignation within Kansas came right after it absolutely was revealed how the KBA can be below analysis because of the Johnson County District Attorney's office.

The reason for of which probe will not be openly disclosed, but KBA officials include suffered challenging asking from quite a few associates from the Senate Commerce Committee over their earnings structure, vacation spending, out-of-state assets plus different issues.

Kolonick rejected to help touch upon the Kansas issues.

Ties to help clinic

The KBA includes a minimum of a couple of scarves towards Cleveland Clinic.

Bill R. Sanford, founder and president from the Florida-based technological know-how commercialization along with company progression group Symark LLC, will serve for the forums from the KBA plus the Cleveland Clinic.

In addition, Baiju Shah, the chief executive as well as CEO regarding Cleveland-based BioEnterprise Corp., has did wonders as being a manager towards the KBA previously it is a fellow member of the advisory board to be able to your KBA's Heartland BioVentures division.

BioEnterprise, a charity company working to be able to bring technology investment in order to Ohio, will be a venture from the Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals involving Cleveland, Case Western Reserve University, Summa Health System as well as BioInnovation Institute in Akron.

Shah's business received $200,000 in contacting service fees from the KBA to get your ex to assist build Heartland BioVentures under a now-expired contract, as outlined by documents presented to the Kansas Senate Commerce Committee.

Committee Chair Sen. Susan Wagle, R-Wichita, claimed the lady blueprints to further discover the particular KBA-Ohio connection.

"The highway to Ohio may just be made with our taxpayers' dollars, plus we can be looking into it," Wagle said. "It's definitely tough intended for me to trust this Tom's wheeling and working (at the actual KBA) don't wide open doors" to get his or her brand new job.

Wagle can be gonna telephone your reading shortly after your Senate profits to program about Wednesday.

Reach Dion Lefler at 316-268-6527.

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