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Following an investigation, Multnomah County has fired the leader of its large network of community health clinics. That leader, Anirudh Padmala, tells WW he is being made a “scapegoat” in a “power struggle,” after having endured months of harassment.
Padmala has spent the past year as interim executive director of the Multnomah County Community Health Center, the state’s largest Federally Qualified Health Center. His departure marks worsening tumult in the top leadership overseeing the network of 19 federally-funded Portland-area clinics, which collectively serve tens of thousands of residents annually.
A Multnomah County spokesperson said Monday was Padmala’s last day as a county employee. The spokesperson says Padmala was “the subject of an investigation before his dismissal,” and that he has been on paid administrative leave since May 28.
The spokesperson said the county does not comment on individual personnel matters, and that it is not legally permitted to release the findings of its investigation.
In text messages to WW Tuesday, Padmala described the firing as unjust, and tied to a power struggle between the Multnomah County Community Health Center board—which has authority over the budget and the executive director position—and Health Department Director Rachael Banks, who works within the county’s organizational structure.
Padmala said he did not see the full investigative report, but he provided WW with a copy of a summary of the investigation into his conduct. The document, produced by an outside law firm, says the investigation was initiated in response to concerns raised in an anonymous “Good Government Hotline Complaint.” It found that Padmala’s “actions have resulted in the erosion of employee morale, at least in part by cultivating distrust in the workplace.”
But Padmala said there was a bigger picture. He said the employee who filed the complaint behind that investigation acknowledged having done so after having been concerned Padmala was going to place them on a performance improvement plan.
And Padmala said he worked hard in recent months to create a healthy workplace, against considerable headwinds and despite receiving little help from the county’s human resources department.
“I left no stone unturned, even when I was being subjected to bullying, harassment, constant maligning of my name, and discrimination,” Padmala tells WW. “I have even taken executive coaching and worked really hard to ensure everyone was being treated respectfully and that I was addressing any trust deficit that existed.”
In a response to Padmala’s remarks, a county spokesperson said the county “takes the stewardship of all our publicly funded community health services, the environment in which all our staff work and the preservation of patient protection and integrity with the highest level of regard.”
It is a top priority for the County, the spokesperson wrote, “to support the Community Health Center Board in hiring an experienced and qualified permanent executive director with a proven record of ensuring access to health care for some of the most vulnerable communities in our County in a time when national changes threaten access to health care.”
Padmala is a known figure in the local health care world. The Oregon Primary Care Association lists him as a member, representing the Multnomah County Health Department. And he has worked in leadership roles at the county for several years, including, for a period, chief information officer at the community health center network. County records indicate he began as interim executive director of that network around May 2025.
With a largely federally-funded budget of more than $200 million, the Multnomah County Community Health Center network includes seven clinics with medical, dental and pharmacy services, nine student health centers, a dental-only clinic, and a clinic that specializes in care for people living with HIV.
But the large operation’s leadership has lately been in considerable flux. Padmala, a county employee, was overseen by a board of outside volunteers made up, per federal law, of a mix of clinic patients and other members of the public.
As The Oregonian reported last fall, this board has been hampered by resignations amid bullying complaints against the previous board chair, who in turn argued that what was actually happening was Multnomah County staff were attacking the board’s independence.
The drama carried on. In April, WW reported, the new board chair sought to impeach three other board members, but instead got impeached herself. Recent weeks have seen further departures on the board, which as of the last posted meeting agenda, had six members, down from 10 just months ago.
Current board chair Darrell Wade did not respond to a call Tuesday. Reached by phone, Vice-Chair Dani Slyman said she did not have time to comment.
Padmala says the health department director has “consistently undermined the board’s authority, including stopping projects that the board has authority over.”
He added, “I have been a standout employee since October 2020, and it seems my only mistake is my ambition to be the FQHC Director.”
He sent copies of messages of support he received from ex-colleagues since they found out he was fired, and he noted the harm and challenges he faced on the job. “I’m not only confused about this outcome, I’m hurt,” he said. “I poured my heart and soul into this job, even missed anniversaries and birthdays, and this is the end result.”
