Airica Steed has been terminated from her role as CEO of MetroHealth System, the hospital system's Board of Trustees announced at a special meeting Friday afternoon.
The board said it did not make its decision hastily, but had lost confidence in Steed's leadership.
"We have been working to address our concerns about Dr. Steed's performance since her initial evaluation. For that reason, the board is now prepared to consider taking formal action concerning Dr. Steed's continued employment as president and chief executive officer of this institution," said Dr. E. Harry Walker, the board's chair. "A resolution has been prepared for the board's consideration to exercise this right under Dr. Steed's employment agreement to terminate the employment relationship and the agreement immediately and without cause as defined in the agreement, based upon the board's determination that doing so is in the best interest of the system."
In a news release, Walker added Steed did not see eye to eye.
“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 Walker.
Steed was on medical leave and was set to return later this month.
Dr. Christine Alexander-Rager, the system's chief medical officer, was appointed acting CEO by the board last week. Dorsena Koonce, a spokesperson for the system, said Alexander-Rager remains in the role.
The board and Steed are negotiating the final terms of her separation agreement, Koonce said.
Steed was the system's first Black person, first woman and first nurse to lead the health system in its 187-year history. She was previously the executive vice president and chief operating officer of Sinai Chicago Health System and president of Mount Sinai and Sinai Children’s Hospital.
She was hired in 2022 to replace retiring CEO Dr. Akram Boutros. She joined the system a month early to replace Boutros after the board fired him for distributing bonuses to himself and others that the board alleges it didn't agree to.
When Steed joined, she promised to eradicate health disparities in Cleveland, tackle chronic illnesses and address the mental health crisis.
"I want to make a big splash, and the big splash is not for me," Steed said in an interview with Ideastream Public Media in 2023. "I want to make a profound impact and difference in the community at large."
MetroHealth also announced cost-cutting measures this week due to missed financial targets.
