Dr. Airica Steed Sets the Record Straight: Leadership Excellence and Efforts to Address Governance Concerns and Ethical Misconduct at MetroHealth

, /PRNewswire/ -- Dr. Airica Steed, the former CEO of MetroHealth, is addressing recent media coverage of her wrongful termination based on her lawsuit alleging defamation, whistleblower retaliation, FMLA retaliation, breach of contract, and multiple violations of public policy. While some reports have emphasized allegations of discrimination, Dr. Steed seeks to clarify that her unlawful termination directly resulted from her efforts to raise concerns regarding governance practices within the Board of Trustees and ethical and legal misconduct issues, as well as unlawful retaliation for taking approved FMLA leave.

Shortly after she became CEO, Dr. Steed learned that years of MetroHealth documents were deleted from MetroHealth records at the instruction of MetroHealth's in-house general counsel. After learning about this potential felonious conduct, Dr. Steed oversaw an internal audit risk assessment by Ernst & Young. The firm raised significant concerns regarding governance practices, missing public records, and ethical violations within MetroHealth. Based on these findings, Ernst & Yong recommended a comprehensive forensic investigation. The MetroHealth Board interfered with and obstructed this forensic investigation, preventing further investigation from uncovering which records were intentionally deleted and why.

"I initially learned about ethical and legal misconduct issues through my conversations with MetroHealth's CFO, which were then validated by the Ernst & Young internal risk assessment audit. This triggered a forensic investigation into potential legal violations, including evidence tampering and the destruction of public records at the direction of MetroHealth's in-house legal counsel. Unfortunately, these efforts were impeded by the Board's interference."

"The request for a forensic investigation was critical to ensuring MetroHealth's integrity and transparency," Dr. Steed explained. "The internal audit risk assessment, coupled with other reports, revealed serious concerns, and I acted to protect the organization. Unfortunately, the Board resisted these efforts, interfered with the investigation, and prevented it from moving forward."

Dr. Steed's lawsuit asserts that her termination was retaliatory following her attempts to expose this potential criminal activity and governance misconduct. It also claims that the Board's actions directly and maliciously attacked her career and reputation, rooted in her protected whistleblowing activity, and retaliated against Dr. Steed for taking approved FMLA leave.

Dr. Steed, recruited as MetroHealth's first African American, first female, and first nurse CEO, made a significant impact during her tenure. She launched bold initiatives to eradicate health disparities, enhance safety outcomes, and improve the organization's financial sustainability. Under her leadership, MetroHealth saw a $300 million revenue increase, growing from $1.6 billion to $2 billion in net revenue while driving critical community health initiatives focused on maternal health, mental health, and addressing the opioid crisis.

"From the moment I took on the role of CEO, I was committed to improving the health of our community, advocating for health equity, and building a strong, people-first culture at MetroHealth," Dr. Steed said. "I led efforts to eradicate healthcare disparities, expand partnerships, and achieve financial and operational sustainability."

Despite the challenges, Dr. Steed achieved significant success at MetroHealth, with a 121% performance- based bonus in April 2024 and national recognition as one of Modern Healthcare's "Top Women Leaders" in Healthcare. In her March 2024 review, Dr. Steed's performance was described by the Board as "commendable" and rated highly across financial, community engagement, and operational areas. Yet, the Board cited a "lack of confidence" as the reason for her dismissal.

"Despite my success in leading MetroHealth through a financial turnaround and building strong community partnerships, I faced resistance from the Board and its legal team as I worked to ensure the organization remained ethical and transparent," Dr. Steed explained. "The performance allegations are baseless, and the truth is clear: my separation was retaliation for my efforts to expose wrongdoing."

Dr. Steed's lawsuit seeks damages exceeding $25,000 to be proven at trial, reinstatement, and a public retraction of defamatory statements regarding her performance, as well as other economic and noneconomic damages. Dr. Steed is represented by the law firm Thrasher, Dinsmore & Dolan.

"I want the record to reflect the true story of my leadership at MetroHealth. I am committed to ensuring MetroHealth's true impact is recognized and that those responsible for this injustice are held accountable," Dr. Steed concluded.

Learn more about Dr. Steed's prestigious career at her LinkedIn page.

For further inquiries or to schedule an interview with Dr. Steed, please contact [email protected] or 440-876-0039.

About Dr. Airica Steed

Dr. Airica Steed, Ed.D, MBA, RN, CSSMBB, FACHE, FAAN, is a nationally recognized healthcare executive with over 25 years of leadership experience. Known for her commitment to health equity, innovation, and operational excellence, Dr. Steed made history as the first woman, Black person, and nurse to lead MetroHealth System in Cleveland. She spearheaded transformational changes at MetroHealth, growing over $300M in net revenue, achieving top-decile quality and safety outcomes, and advancing initiatives to eradicate healthcare disparities. Dr. Steed's previous leadership roles at Sinai Chicago Health System, University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System, and Advocate Healthcare reflect her extensive operational efficiency and community impact expertise.

Dr. Steed's leadership has earned her widespread recognition, including Modern Healthcare's "100 Most Influential People in Healthcare," "Top Women Leaders," "Top 25 Minority Leaders," and "Top 25 Innovators." She was also named to Diversity MBA Magazine's "Top 100 Executive Leaders Under 50" and Becker's Hospital Review's "Top 130 Female Healthcare Leaders to Know" and "Black Healthcare Leaders to Know." An expert in Lean Six Sigma and large-scale organizational transformations, Dr. Steed continues to inspire healthcare leaders and drive innovation through her work in health equity, operational improvement, and leadership development.

SOURCE Dr. Airica Steed