CLEVELAND —  Dr. Airica Steed is a trailblazer. She’s the first black woman and nurse to serve as MetroHealth’s president and CEO.

What You Need To Know

• Dr. Airica Steed is the new president and CEO for MetroHealth


• The transition to Dr. Steed has been marred by lawsuits and investigations into former head Dr. Akram Boutros


• Dr. Steed comes to Cleveland from Chicago and is a fourth-generation nurse with a personal connection to health disparities

“I’m demonstrating what’s possible for my children," said Dr. Steed. "I’m trying to encourage. I’m trying to inspire. I’m trying to motivate. And I’m trying to loosen any type of barrier."

The mother of four comes to Cleveland from Chicago. She’s a fourth-generation nurse and has a personal connection to health disparities. She lost her mother, both grandmothers and her sister to cancer and misdiagnoses. She said those experiences fuel her passion to heal the healthcare system.

“I had to change and reverse centuries of inequity, centuries of inequality, centuries of poor outcomes, centuries of misdiagnosis and late and delayed care and treatment," she said.

She’s been leading MetroHealth since December, one month earlier than originally planned.

“I hit the ground sprinting in roller-skates," she said.

Dr. Steed stepped in as MetroHealth’s leader in a time of turmoil. Former President and CEO Dr. Akram Boutros was fired in November after the board said he self-authorized $1.9 million in bonuses. Dr. Boutros has since filed two lawsuits against the health system he led for nearly 10 years.

“It certainly wasn’t fair to me. Certainly wasn’t fair to MetroHealth. Certainly wasn’t fair to the community we serve," she said.

Dr. Steed said the board made the right call by letting him go. MetroHealth hired an independent auditor to investigate and plans to make the results public. She said the comprehensive review will take time.

“Look deeply under the hood of the organization. Really identify our processes and make fundamental adjustments so the same issue doesn’t happen again," said Dr. Steed. “Pretty much building the plane and flying it at the same time as it relates to that. But we’re doing the right thing.”

Restoring trust in MetroHealth is a top priority for Dr. Steed.

"MetroHealth is not a reflection of one person," said Dr. Steed. "MetroHealth is not a reflection of a poor decision. So, at the end of the day, that is how we're going to restore trust. By shining the light on the great people who do the hard work every single day, continue to provide and deliver high quality care with outcomes that we can tout and shout through the rooftops."

Her main focuses are community and patient-centered care, health equity and innovation. Dr. Steed plans to make MetroHealth a national leader.

“I want to be a role model for how we’re slashing chronic disease, how we’re preventing healthcare challenges, how we’re improving accessibility, how we’re eradicating healthcare disparities," said Dr. Steed.