A member of the MetroHealth board of trustees has resigned after Akram Boutros, MD, was fired as the Cleveland-based health system's president and CEO, The Plain Dealer reported Dec. 7.
MetroHealth confirmed to Becker's Dec. 8 that Terry Monnolly, co-founder of DiGioia-Suburban Excavating, resigned from the board. The health system did not provide a reason for the departure.
Board members are appointed or reappointed for six-year terms. Mr. Monnolly was first appointed to the 10-member MetroHealth board in 2005. He was reappointed earlier this year, and his latest term was slated to end in March 2028. His bio is no longer on the health system's website.
"I am sorry that Terry has decided to resign from the board," MetroHealth said in a statement shared with Becker's. "All of us appreciate his lengthy and valuable service to the board and to MetroHealth. We wish him nothing but the best."
Mr. Monnolly's resignation comes after Dr. Boutros was terminated Nov. 21. At the time of his firing, MetroHealth board members said that between 2018 and 2022, Dr. Boutros authorized more than $1.9 million in supplemental bonuses for himself, without disclosure to the board. Dr. Boutros, who planned to retire at the end of 2022, alleges board retaliation. He sued MetroHealth over alleged violations of Ohio's Open Meetings Act and the board bylaws. He specifically accuses the board of violating the law in its hiring of the health system's next president and CEO.
Airica Steed, EdD, RN, replaces Dr. Boutros. MetroHealth named Dr. Steed the health system's next president and CEO in September. Dr. Steed, who was executive vice president and system COO of Sinai Chicago Health System, took the helm of MetroHealth on Dec. 5.
Meanwhile, amid the investigation into allegations related to Dr. Boutros, the Cuyahoga County Council is altering its plan for release of MetroHealth's levy allocation for 2023. The 11-member legislative body of Cuyahoga County government, which approves board nominations, did not amend the levy allocation amount — which was set in the biennial budget resolution that passed last year. However, the council did amend the plan for releasing the funding. More information is available here.