Fired MetroHealth CEO ‘stunned’ by termination
Editor’s Note: The video above is about the firing of MetroHealth’s previous CEO.
CLEVELAND (WJW) – The president and CEO of MetroHealth has been fired, according to a press release from the MetroHealth Board of Trustees.
Dr. Airica Steed has been with MetroHealth since Jan.1, 2023.
Drug trafficking busts among largest in state history, Ohio attorney general says
She came on after the board fired the previous CEO and president, Dr. Akram Boutros, which was in November of 2022.
“Dr. Steed’s capabilities, character and experience are a perfect match for the qualities we wanted in our next CEO,” MetroHealth Board Chair Vanessa Whiting said in the press release at the time of her hiring.
Dr. Steed came to MetroHealth from Sinai Chicago Health System.
According to a new press release, the board said of Steed, “We had high expectations when she arrived in 2022 and are sorry those expectations have not been met.”
“It has become clear that the Board and Dr. Steed fundamentally disagree about the priorities and performance standards needed from our CEO for MetroHealth to fulfill its mission,” said E. Harry Walker, MD, chair of the Board of Trustees. “We believe Dr. Steed’s performance is not meeting the needs of MetroHealth. As a result, we have lost confidence in her ability to lead the organization going forward and believe it would not be in the best interest of the System for her to continue in her position. Therefore, we are exercising our right to terminate her at-will contract.”
Suspects running from local police crash into pole
The termination was effective as of Friday, August 9.
Dr. Steed is being represented by Sherman Boseman Legal Group.
According to a letter from their office, Dr. Steed learned of her termination through media reports while on approved FMLA leave.
The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) allows eligible employees to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave per year for certain family and medical reasons.
“Consistent with her communications with MetroHealth, Dr. Steed planned to return to MetroHealth on Friday, August 16, 2024. The Board voiced no objection or resistance to this plan. Since she has been on FMLA Leave, no one at MetroHealth has communicated any performance concerns or other issues to her that would support a termination decision,” Steed’s attorneys say in a press release.
Her attorneys go on to point out that the termination letter sent to Steed says she is being terminated “without cause” and mentions no performance issues.
“Based on what we know, we have good reason to believe that the Board’s decision today is a direct response to Dr. Steed engaging in protected activity. The obvious difference between the official letter sent to Dr. Steed and the public statement issued to the media demonstrates overt animus and an intent to irreparably harm Dr. Steed’s superb reputation and standing in the medical community,” her attorneys wrote in a press release.
Her attorneys also included details about Steed’s most recent performance review.
Swimmers fall ill after Olympic races in the Seine River
“In her March 1, 2024, Performance Review, the Board acknowledged this fact by stating that Dr. Steed ‘met or exceeded expectations’ for ‘Financial Management’ and had ‘done [a] commendable job in [her] first year leading [MetroHealth] during a challenging time.’”
Steed’s attorneys say since that performance review, she has voiced concerns about discrimination in the workplace, “as well as other ethical and legal issues.”
Dr. Steed is exploring legal action, her attorneys say.
“Dr. Steed, who is the first female and African American CEO of MetroHealth, is extremely disappointed in the actions of MetroHealth’s Board of Trustees (‘Board’) and is stunned that the Board has taken action that directly conflicts with prior representations made publicly as well as to Dr. Steed privately,” Steed’s attorneys said.
MetroHealth was sued for wrongful termination by their previous president and CEO.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to Fox 8 Cleveland WJW.
