Henry Ford Health System CEO Wright Lassiter III Wednesday pulled the plug on affiliation talks after several weeks of public acrimony among the eight-member Wayne State board of governors.

The news came in a letter from Lassiter to WSU President M. Roy Wilson, M.D., that halted the talks on a wide-ranging affiliation agreement that would have bolstered both organizations' national standing.

In an email Thursday at 3:26 p.m. to Henry Ford employees and doctors, Lassiter said the "volatility between the university's administration and its board of governors continues to persist, as evidenced by the most recent public board meeting and subsequent media reports. This has made constructive negotiations impossible."

Lassiter said he informed Wilson Wednesday of Henry Ford's decision.

"I deeply regret having to take this course of action," he said. "We negotiated in good faith and firmly believe we had made considerable progress toward agreements which would have had a transformational impact on the health of our communities, as well as the economic success and national recognition for our region."

But Lassiter made it clear that it was the actions of three of the board members who caused Henry Ford to rethink the wisdom of engaging Wayne State at this time.

Last week, three WSU board members — Michael Busuito, M.D.; Sandra Hughes O'Brien; and Dana Thompson — read statements that publicly blasted Wilson's handling of the affiliation talks. Thompson called Wilson "unfit to serve as president."

After the meeting, WSU board members told Crain's they had agreed to restart talks with Henry Ford. There was to be a meeting during the first week of April to come up with a new game plan.

Wilson left the March 20 meeting without talking with the press. However, several days later he wrote a letter to Wayne State employees and faculty and stated he would not resign.

Talks with six-hospital Henry Ford were suspended in early February by four board members, including new member Anil Kumar, M.D., who expressed concerns that Wayne State would be giving up control and authority to a private hospital system, concerns that four other board members told Crain's they don't share.

"Should the dynamic between the board and the university leadership change, we are open to revisiting the discussions," Lassiter said. "Meantime, we will continue to honor our existing relationship with WSU and keep you informed of any new developments."