November 22, 2022 12:01 PM

After the late night announcement on Monday, Nov. 21, that the MetroHealth board of trustees had fired Dr. Akram Boutros, the health center machine’s president and CEO, Boutros has responded that he believes the choice is vindicative and that he plans to “settle loyal motion.”‘

In an announcement issued by his attorney, Jason R. Bristol, Boutros said the assertion by the health center’s board changed into “full of misinformation and outright lies.”

“The MetroHealth Board’s actions the day prior to this are the most smartly-liked of a chain of retaliatory acts against Dr. Boutros after he raised the screech of the unauthorized hiring of the unique CEO,” the assertion, issued Tuesday, Nov. 22, learn.

The assertion went on to inform that Boutros “uncovered that the board individuals had been participating in serial deliberation outdoor of public conferences and that the chair signed agreements and certified funds with out board approval. The chair led a retaliatory payment against him for blowing the whistle on these practices. She centered him for receiving bonuses that had been also obtained by all eligible workers.”

Boutros changed into terminated, in line with an announcement from MetroHealth board chair Vanessa Whiting, attributable to additional compensation of more than $1.9 million that Boutros permitted for himself between 2018 and 2022. The additional compensation changed into dropped on the board’s attention by outdoor counsel for the length of the preparation for Boutros’ departure as CEO.

Boutros intended to retire on the cease of the year. He’s going to be succeeded by Airica Steed, at display an executive in the Sinai Chicago Well being Intention.

In the Monday night assertion, the MetroHealth board said Boutros “established particular metrics, conducted self-assessments of his efficiency below those metrics, and certified rate to himself of more than $1,900,000 in supplemental bonuses in line with those self-critiques between.”

“Each person knows of no group allowing its CEO to self-review and pick their entitlement to an additional bonus and at what amount, as Dr. Boutros has executed,” the assertion learn.

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Boutros repaid the health center machine more than $2.1 million on Oct. 31, which incorporated interest on the bonus money. He reported the violation to the Ohio Ethics Commission on Nov. 1.

The “ask” for compensation, in line with the assertion from Boutros’ attorney, “is evidence of the board’s discriminatory medication as he’s the handiest worker forced to repay bonuses. The board of trustees took this motion to divert attention from their very own tiresome negligence.”

The MetroHealth funds is scheduled to include a listening to in front of the Cuyahoga County Council on Tuesday, in line with the council agenda.

A spokesperson from County Executive Armond Budish said that in the wake of Boutros’ assertion threatening loyal motion, Budish had no touch upon the subject.

Dr. Nabil Chehade will assist as intervening time MetroHealth CEO except Steed assumes the job on Dec. 5.

This epic first regarded in our sister e-newsletter, Crain’s Cleveland Alternate.