CLEVELAND — Amid controversy involving her predecessor, new MetroHealth CEO Dr. Airica Steed sat for a one-on-one interview with 3News' Senior Health Correspondent Monica Robins on Friday.
Steed, who started at MetroHealth last month, comes to Cleveland after serving as Executive Vice President/System Chief Operating Officer of Sinai Chicago Health System and President of Mount Sinai and Sinai Children’s Hospital. She was selected for the CEO position at MetroHealth following a nationwide search.
"I consider this to be the privilege of a lifetime to serve the communities at large in Northeast Ohio," Steed told Robins during their interview. "I'm here to partner. I'm here to listen. I'm here to learn. I'm here to make a difference. That's what I'm all about."
Steed was set to start in Cleveland on Jan. 1, but the timetable was moved up by a month after the unexpected firing of former MetroHealth CEO Dr. Akram Boutros in November. Boutros is claimed to have authorized more than $1.9 million in bonus payments to himself over a four-year period beginning in 2018, without disclosing those payments to MetroHealth's Board of Trustees.
Watch Monica Robins' full interview with MetroHealth CEO Dr. Airica Steed below:
Steed told Robins she has "heightened degree of confidence" in MetroHealth's Board of Trustees as she assumes her role as CEO. "The board sounded the alarm. They jumped forward with a lot of courage. As a result of that, yes, everyone is under the microscope, everyone is being evaluated and we're doing the right thing by opening ourselves up."
An investigation from attorney John McCaffrey of Tucker Ellis LLP claims Boutros' bonus payments came from self-assessments based on metrics he himself designed. Furthermore, the report further states the board did not delegate its own authority to authorize compensation and that Boutros did not disclose his metrics to the board, nor did he acknowledge the payments themselves "at other points in time in which such a disclosure would be relevant."
"This evidence, at a minimum, establishes the Board’s right to terminate Boutros's employment for Cause, as defined in the employment agreement," McCaffrey wrote. "And at worse, this evidence suggests that Boutros may face potential criminal liability for Ohio ethics violations, theft in office, and other related statutes."
MetroHealth has retained an independent audit firm to review "the unauthorized bonuses" that were paid to the former CEO. The auditors will release their report to Steed.
Boutros believed the bonus payments fell in line with company policy, and has filed three lawsuits against MetroHealth. The first lawsuit against Metro's board accuses its members of "wildly reckless, illegal, and damaging actions."
In addition, Boutros filed an 84-page lawsuit claiming that MetroHealth's board has cost him $8 million in lost compensation, another $20 million in future job prospects, plus tens of millions for anguish. A third lawsuit is appealing the decision to fire him.
While the Boutros audit and lawsuits play themselves out, Steed is looking to bring her urban healthcare leadership to Cleveland. She told Robins that ending healthcare disparity is a personal mission.
"I am a representative sample what healthcare disparities actually look like. I've lost my mother, both of my grandmothers, and more recently a year ago, I lost my baby sister to healthcare disparities, so it fuels my passion for disrupting the brokenness of the system," Steed said.
In her first month at MetroHealth, Steed spent the first month learning and listening from community and staff. She says her priorities are in lifesaving. "I'm gonna wrap my heart and soul around all of those those key factors like infant mortality and the higher rates of of mortality in the black and brown communities."
Steed comes to Cleveland at a time when just 15% of hospital CEOs in the U.S. are women. Of the top 100 health systems in the nation, only 6% of CEOs are Black. She knows her job is more than just leading Metro.
"I represent a sense of hope. I represent a sense of inspiration that other women, other minorities can absolutely do this. I'm not gonna say that it is going to be a straight road without adversity and challenge but I can tell you that I'm smoothing the way," Steed added.
Learn more about Dr. Steed here.