Grady Hospital interim CEO Pamela Stephenson has not earned all the degrees listed on her résumé and in hospital-issued summaries of her achievements, college and university records show.

In a statement Friday, she apologized and blamed a "word processing error" for a hospital news release last week that claimed she had a doctor of philosophy and a law degree from the University of Michigan. She does not.

Hyosub Shin/hshin@ajc.com (ENLARGE)

Grady Memorial Hospital is expected to get new leadership next week when the hospital board votes to hire a full-time CEO.

Marcus Yam/myam@ajc.com (ENLARGE)

Pamela Stephenson. the embattled interim CEO of Grady Memorial Hospital, speaks at a press conference at New Piney Grove Baptist Church in Decatur last week.

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But other discrepancies — including questions about her Atlanta law degree — remain unanswered.

Last week's news release, titled "Pamela Stephenson is Good for Grady," said the embattled CEO held two master's degrees, a Ph.D. and a law degree from the University of Michigan. Her résumé, obtained by the newspaper, lists a master of science in social planning and a master of social work from Michigan.

But university system registrars this week could only confirm that she earned a single master of social work in 1975.

The release, and a biography on Grady's Web site, said Stephenson, 57, also has a law degree from the now-defunct Woodrow Wilson College of Law in Atlanta. Her résumé says she earned a Juris Doctor in Atlanta.

Yet a student transcript in Woodrow Wilson records — which are in the care of Oglethorpe University — shows only that Stephenson attended the school from 1976 to 1979. It does not list a degree or say she graduated, according to the registrar's office.

On Thursday, Stephenson said in a telephone interview that she graduated from law school.

"Obviously I graduated; I'm a member of the bar," she said.

She said she would provide verification of the Wilson law degree and the two Michigan master's degrees. She did not say when.

On Friday, a Grady spokeswoman issued the statement from Stephenson just before 6 p.m. It did not provide verification of the other degrees.

Stephenson, who is also a Democratic state legislator from DeKalb County, objected to what she called "daily harassment" from the newspaper.

The questions about Stephenson's academic background come as she is embroiled in a major contract dispute with the financially ailing public hospital's new leadership.

The old Grady board made Stephenson, who served as their chairwoman, CEO in January. Last week, the newspaper obtained her contract, which promised her a $600,000-a-year salary for two years — even if the new board taking over hospital management replaced her as CEO.

The new board expects to vote on its choice for CEO Monday. Stephenson is not a finalist. New chairman Pete Correll is negotiating a settlement with Stephenson. The lucrative contract surfaced as the hospital struggles to pull itself out of years of staggering debt.

Of the degrees listed, Stephenson's law degree is most significant to her work. She was admitted to the Georgia bar in 1994 and has been a practicing attorney.

Some rules have changed over the years, but lawyers need to earn a degree from an accredited law school — and pass the bar exam — to practice law in Georgia, said Sally Lockwood, director of admissions with the Georgia Office of Bar Admissions.

Applicants for the state bar exam must submit official proof of a law degree, such as a transcript or a letter from a dean or registrar confirming the candidate graduated. Lockwood said she did not know what specific documentation her office required in 1994, but that it was likely similar.

She said her office has already destroyed the documentation in Stephenson's file as part of its record retention schedule.

Cliff Brashier, executive director of the Georgia bar, said that if a lawyer's transcript did not reflect a degree, a clerical error could be to blame.

But, he said, his office would investigate an allegation that an attorney had represented clients without a law degree.

"We would be showing them as a member in good standing, but really they shouldn't be practicing law," he said.

In Friday's statement, Stephenson said she worked hard for her law degree.

Woodrow Wilson closed in 1987. On Thursday, Stephenson said the bar has the details on her law school education, which they required evidence of before allowing her to sit for the exam. "They go through all this stuff," she said, "It is absolutely gold."

— Staff reporter Craig Schneider contributed to this report.

NOT ON THE SAME PAGE

CEO Pamela Stephenson's résumé, a Grady Health System news release and records from schools in Georgia and Michigan provide conflicting accounts of her academics.

Schools' registrars

Attended Woodrow Wilson College of Law in Atlanta, 1976-79

Eastern Michigan University, bachelor of science (sociology), 1972

University of Michigan, master's degree in social work, 1975

Grady news release (July 9)

University of Michigan

• Master's degree in social work
• Master's of science
• Doctor of philosophy
• Law degree

Woodrow Wilson College of Law (closed in 1987)

Juris Doctorate

Her résumé

Eastern Michigan

• Bachelor's of science, sociology and psychology

University of Michigan

• Master's of science in social planning
• Master's of social work

Juris Doctor, Atlanta