Fired state health employee sues, says she raised billing concerns

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A former state health worker has sued the department and its director, claiming she was fired after raising concerns that some workers were illegally misusing federal money.

Employee Rebecca Mankin, 34, of Russellville, said in her lawsuit that she was fired in July but given no reason. She claims she was fired because she told the state auditor in late May that some Health Department employees were misusing federal grants. She said she was placed on administrative leave the next day. She also said she shared concerns within the agency and with the attorney general's office.

This week, Health Department director Julie Eckstein abruptly resigned, and Gov. Matt Blunt quickly replaced her Tuesday with his top lawyer.

His office said only that she was "pursuing other opportunities," and Eckstein hasn't returned calls seeking comment.

In early October, Eckstein warned that a small-scale review uncovered potential problems with the agency's billing practices and said a broader review was being conducted.

Mankin filed her lawsuit in Cole County Circuit Court in late August, alleging the firing was in retaliation for her reporting on misuse of money in the department, in violation of Missouri law and the state and federal constitutions. Defendants include the state, the department, Eckstein and Bret Fischer, who runs the department's administration division.

The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages and her job back. When she was fired, Mankin was deputy director for the administration division, she said. She previously ran the SenioRx program, which helped seniors with prescription drug costs.

Mankin referred questions Wednesday to her attorney Carla Holste, who did not immediately return calls seeking comment. Holste is the wife of Scott Holste, the spokesman for Attorney General Jay Nixon.

Mankin also alleges in the lawsuit that Fischer said he wanted "to hide the mismanagement of the federal grant funds rather than reporting the findings of (Mankin)."

A Health Department spokeswoman said Wednesday that she couldn't discuss personnel matters or pending litigation.

Fischer did not immediately return a call seeking comment.

The governor's office has said Eckstein wasn't asked to resign and that her departure had no connection to the investigation into billing problems or the lawsuit.

The department's initial review included a sampling of projects using both state and federal funds. Potential problems include funds being used for the wrong things, questionable equipment expenses, and employees charging work to funding for projects other than theirs, the department said in October. Eckstein said then that the issues could need correction and some employees could face disciplinary action.

The department has said the problems became known during a May to July review of its information technology program but that it was unclear whether the errors were bookkeeping mistakes or intentional wrongdoing. The department said it would share the results of the broad review once it's done.

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On the Net:

Health Department: http://www.dhss.mo.gov