Akram Boutros, MD, former CEO of Cleveland-based MetroHealth, filed a motion to withdraw his lawsuit against the hospital's board due to health issues, Signal Cleveland reported Dec. 8.
Jason Bristol, one of Dr. Boutros' attorneys, said in the court filing the ex-CEO is "experiencing a serious health issue that requires intensive treatment, including week-long inpatient admissions every three weeks." Dr. Boutros' medical team advised him that he is not able to fully participate in pretrial or trial proceedings. The trial was scheduled to begin Feb. 12.
Mr. Bristol said in the filing that Dr. Boutros intends to refile the case as soon as his treatment is completed.
Dr. Boutros was fired in November 2022 after MetroHealth board members said that between 2018 and 2022, he 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. In a lawsuit filed against the health system, he argues that his termination and the subsequent statement released by MetroHealth destroyed his reputation and eliminated his future employment prospects.
E. Harry Walker, MD, MetroHealth board president, told Signal Cleveland, "The filing by Dr. Boutros speaks for itself. We wish him a speedy return to health."