Update: Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina Board of Trustees asked for Patrick Conway’s resignation as President and CEO. A spokesperson for the health insurer says Conway accepted the request and has issued his resignation effective immediately.
Here's the full statement:
"Immediately following Dr. Conway’s accident, the BlueCross NC Board of Trustees began reviewing and monitoring the situation, with the help of outside counsel and other experts. As a part of its work, the specially convened committee of the Board reviewed public records and officer affidavits regarding the accident and arrest. However, new details have come to light, particularly notes from the arresting officers and contents from their investigative files of which the board was unaware. Based on this, the Board of Trustees gathered today to reexamine the situation and determine a course of action. The BlueCross NC Board of Trustees has asked Dr. Conway for his resignation. Dr. Conway accepted the request and has issued his resignation effective immediately.
As a mission-driven organization, BlueCross NC is committed to doing business with honesty, integrity and fairness. The details that recently emerged related to Dr. Conway’s arrest depict behavior that falls short of our standards. Despite Dr. Conway’s many successes during his tenure at BlueCross NC, we feel that our constituents are best served by naming an interim CEO and beginning a formal search for a permanent replacement.
As such, Chief Operating Officer Gerald Petkau will be the interim Chief Executive Officer of BlueCross NC, effective immediately. We are confident that the transition will be smooth, and that Gerald Petkau will continue to lead the fight to improve the quality of health services, lower costs, and deliver an overall exceptional experience for our members.
We hope that this action begins to rebuild a trusting relationship with our regulators and customers."
On Thursday, WFMY News 2 received this statement from Dr. Conway:
"Throughout my life, I have been dedicated to one thing: helping people live longer, happier and better lives through access to affordable healthcare. Today, I am ashamed, embarrassed and sorry about my actions on June 22nd. I am especially sorry for the pain I have caused my family, friends and colleagues. I have never had an incident like this before and it is not consistent with who I am as a father, husband and community member. Following the incident, I immediately disclosed what happened to the Blue Cross North Carolina Board, stepped down from my daily duties and voluntarily and successfully completed 30 days of inpatient substance use treatment. However, I also understand that I must continue to work hard to earn back the trust I’ve lost based on my actions. I therefore am resigning my position as CEO of Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina, and will continue to respect and honor the legal process. In time, I look forward to continuing my work ensuring everyone has access to high quality, affordable healthcare."
ARCHDALE. N.C.-- On Wednesday, the North Carolina Insurance Commissioner, Mike Causey, called for the resignation of the CEO of Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC, following an arrest in June.
Patrick Conway was charged with Driving While Impaired, Misdemeanor Child Abuse, Reckless Driving and Failure to Maintain Lane Control on June 22. Archdale Police responded to a crash on I-85 South, near mile marker 110. Dispatchers received multiple calls from witnesses who noticed a black Cadillac Escalade driving erratically for several miles, before crashing into a tractor-trailer.
Officers responding to the scene identified Patrick Conway as the driver. He had his two young daughters in the backseat of the car. According to the police report, he told the officer he was on his way from Raleigh to Lake James.
In the report, the officer noticed "Conway's eyes to be bloodshot red and glassy," and wrote that Conway struggled to exit the car, losing his balance a few times. The officer also wrote that he "observed Conway's speech to be slurred" and that he was "swaying" while talking to him.
The officer reported that he then asked Conway how much alcohol he'd consumed, and Conway responded with "a beer," followed by "I've had two beers." He states, at this point, "Conway's whole demeanor and behavior changed" and that "he became very nervous and began talking about how he just wanted to go home and that he didn't do anything wrong."
After a couple impairment tests, the officer wrote he placed Conway under arrest for DWI. He wrote, "once handcuffed, Conway stated numerous times 'you had a choice, you made the wrong one. I haven't done anything wrong. You should feel disappointed."
Conway was then taken to the Archdale Police Department for processing, where the officer writes he refused to sign for drug or alcohol testing, and refused a breath sample.
The officer notes in the report that "Conway's behavior during this time was absolutely belligerent" and that he would "yell then cry, then cuss me and other officers." Police put him in a holding cell, but Conway "had to be shackled to deter him from kicking the holding cell door."
Officers transported Conway from the police department, to the Randolph County Jail, and during the ride, "Conway repeatedly threatened [the officer] by saying the following: 'you had a choice, you could have let me go. You don't know who I am. I am a doctor, a CO of a company. I'll call Governor Cooper and get you in trouble."
Conway went before a judge on August 22nd. His next court date is scheduled to be in October at the Randolph County Courthouse in Asheboro.
Causey says he called for Conway to resign for his lack of leadership and professionalism and for the insurance giant’s cover-up of Conway’s June arrest.
"I can deal with the criminal charges, even as disturbing as they are; what I cannot accept is the cover-up, the misrepresentation of facts, the lack of respect for oversight and regulation of the company and lack of respect for law enforcement officers who are only doing their duty," Causey said in a statement.