Trummell Valdera, the vice president of human resources for Jackson Health System, is under investigation for alleged improprieties in her job, including allegations she gave a do-little job to an old buddy.

``I'm concerned'' about the allegations, said Martin Zilber, head of the Human Resources Committee of the Public Health Trust, which governs Jackson. But ``as a lawyer, I'm aware these are only accusations, nothing more.'' He's waiting for more information from the Jackson administration. ``I would like to have some clarity.''

Zilber, Jackson Chief Executive Eneida Roldan, the Ethics Commission and this reporter have all received e-mails from an anonymous source claiming to be a group of concerned HR employees.

The e-mails made highly detailed accusations about Valdera. One charged she had her housekeeper paid through the Jackson payroll for June, July, August and September 2008, allegedly with the assistance of two HR managers that Valdera had promoted.

The accusations come at time when the 12,000-employee Jackson system is facing massive layoffs and cuts to deal with a projected deficit this year of more than $200 million.

Spokesman Robert Alonso says Jackson Health System ``does not comment on personnel matters,'' but it's been revealed that both the Miami-Dade Ethics Commission and Jackson have investigations under way about Valdera's behavior.

Martha Baker, a longtime Valdera foe as president of SEIU Local 1991, said she had heard that Valdera had been suspended. Several other Jackson employees and ex-employees, all requesting anonymity, told The Miami Herald via phone and e-mail that they also heard she was suspended.

Jim Malone, who worked as a consultant at Jackson last year, said he found Valdera to be ``upright and straight forward.'' If the allegations were true, ``I'd be very surprised, but I'm not surprised there are those who would create a problem for her. She has systematically taken a very tough stance on union issues and personnel issues.''

According to HR Magazine, Valdera was brought in as a vice president in 2004 by then-Chief Executive Marvin O'Quinn after stints at The Children's Hospital in Philadelphia and Johns Hopkins Hospital System.

Valdera, 56, did not respond to a Herald phone call to her office or a message sent to her Jackson e-mail. She did not immediately respond to a call to her home phone.

One anonymous e-mail charged that, ``Trummell has Deborah DiNicolantonio aka Dinik on Jackson payroll for several years now earning six figures $100,000.00 + salary for doing much of nothing while she lives permanently in Philadelphia and works another full-time job. Is this because she is a personal drinking buddy/friend of Trummells?''

The Herald made a public records request about DiNicolantonio. Jackson first responded that the internal audit department said the information could not be provided because it had been requested by the Ethics Commission as part of an investigation and would be available only after the commission's investigation was finished.

When a Herald reporter sent an e-mail to Jackson citing court rulings that an investigation was not a reason for denying access to a public document, Jackson produced records showing it had paid DiNicolantonio $412,596 in the past five years, the amount varying widely by year. Her biggest year was 2009, when she received $111,692.

Jackson lists her job description as supporting ``leadership initiatives, organizational goals, and organizational transformation by providing consultation through planning, writing, editing, and project management in developing and managing internal communications strategies, processes, and implementation tactics.''

DiNicolantonio could not be located for comment.

John Petrov, a former talent acquisition manager in human resources during 2007 and 2008, told The Miami Herald that DiNicolantonio used to be an administrative assistant for Valdera when she worked at Johns Hopkins in Maryland.

``She earned over six figures'' at Jackson, Petrov said. ``She worked from time to time part-time on projects. She was up in the Northeast. She'd travel down and stay,'' with Jackson paying expenses, ``as a temporary relief employee. She worked once in a blue moon on a project. It just wasn't right.''

Petrov, who now works in the Houston area, echoed the anonymous complaints in the e-mails. He called Jackson's human resources ``a hostile work environment,'' with Valdera doing ``a lot of screaming and yelling'' and  `folks that would be rewarded for nothing that has to do with results or performance.'' He didn't want to comment on the housekeeper allegation.