The MetroHealth System is hiring an independent audit firm to review policies, practices and issues related to bonuses paid to former CEO Akram Boutros, MD.
The Cleveland-based health system announced the hiring Dec. 8.
Auditors will provide findings to new MetroHealth President and CEO Airica Steed, EdD, RN, and the Tucker Ellis law firm, which led an internal investigation of Dr. Boutros' bonuses, according to a health system news release.
Dr. Boutros was terminated Nov. 21 after MetroHealth board members say that between 2018 and 2022, Dr. Boutros set goals for himself, evaluated himself against those goals and 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 and denies wrongdoing. 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 Dr. Steed.
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 Dec. 5.
In the MetroHealth release, Dr. Steed said the audit firm has orders to "investigate how [the alleged unauthorized bonuses] happened and why it wasn't discovered earlier. We are determined to learn from this and put appropriate controls in place to help prevent anything similar from happening again."
She said the audit findings will be released publicly and shared with county officials.
"This report will help put to bed some of the unfortunate conjecture about the actions and motives of MetroHealth board members and employees," Dr. Steed said.
Meanwhile, Vanessa Whiting, chair of the MetroHealth board, said in the health system's news release that MetroHealth CEO's annual bonus or incentive payment must now be the subject of a separate board resolution and will be audited. She also said compensation consultants must now verify details of the CEO's pay and benefits with MetroHealth human resources.