From The Dilenschneider Group: Former MetroHealth CEO Dr. Akram Boutros Refiles Civil Damages Case

CLEVELAND--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Former MetroHealth CEO, Dr. Akram Boutros has refiled his lawsuit against The MetroHealth System and its Board of Trustees for breach of contract, promissory estoppel (an unfulfilled promise enforceable by law), and defamation. Dr. Boutros voluntarily dismissed his original lawsuit in December 2023 after receiving a cancer diagnosis that required inpatient admissions and other treatments over the past year. A copy of the actual filing will be available later in the day from the media contact listed on the release.

“Over Dr. Boutros’s tenure of nearly a decade, he led the transformation of MetroHealth from a troubled county hospital into a multi-billion-dollar enterprise. Rather than celebrating his accomplishments, the MetroHealth Board orchestrated his discharge just weeks before expiration of his contract based on a disagreement over the System’s compensation policies,” said Jason R. Bristol of Cohen Rosenthal & Kramer LLP.

“The Board publicly condemned and vilified Dr. Boutros, attacking him as a criminal and a villain for receiving bonus payments that were allegedly unauthorized. This campaign extinguished Dr. Boutros’s future employment opportunities and destroyed his reputation,” adding that “we’ve made multiple requests to resolve the dispute amicably, all of which have been rebuffed by the Board.”

After his firing, the Ohio State Auditor commenced an investigation into the appropriateness of Dr. Boutros’s compensation. In a report issued on November 12, 2024, the Auditor announced its finding that notwithstanding the Board’s pronouncements to the contrary:

• Dr. Boutros had committed no crimes in connection with the compensation dispute
• He did not conceal the information from the System or its outside consultants
• His interpretation of his employment agreement was not unreasonable and
• The MetroHealth Board of Trustees failed in its oversight function.

On November 14, 2024, Dr. Airica Steed, who succeeded Dr. Boutros as MetroHealth CEO and was recently terminated, issued a press release reacting to the Auditor’s report. Dr. Steed reported “the alleged unlawful destruction of public records by MetroHealth staff under the direction of the legal department to cover up knowledge of Dr. Boutros’ participation in the SPBVC [bonus] program” – the very knowledge and authorization the Board had publicly denied.

“The County Executive and County Council should move swiftly to correct the lawlessness at MetroHealth and should urge the current leadership to remedy the inequitable treatment that destroyed Dr. Boutros’s reputation, career, and health,” Bristol said. Dr. Boutros added, “Due to the MetroHealth Board’s persistent failure to understand their own compensation policies and legal delegations of authority, we unfortunately have been forced to refile our lawsuit. At the same time, I will continue to remember my 10 years at MetroHealth as the most gratifying of my career. I love the staff and patients and am honored to have served the residents of Cuyahoga County, particularly the most under-served ones.”