In a unanimous decision by its Board of Trustees, the MetroHealth System has appointed Christine Alexander-Rager, MD, as its new President and CEO through 2025, effective Oct. 8. Dr. Alexander-Rager, a staple at the Cleveland-based health system for nearly three decades, escalated from acting CEO to take the reins permanently after her predecessor, Dr. Airica Steed, was ousted in August amid performance concerns, Cleveland19 reports.
Since taking on the acting CEO role on July 26, Alexander-Rager navigated the health system through choppy waters, initially stepping in for Dr. Steed, who was on medical leave before being formally dismissed. Before assuming the role of interim chief physician and clinical executive, Alexander-Rager chaired family medicine for 14 years and founded MetroHealth's nationally recognized School Health Program, which brings healthcare services directly to students within the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, WKYC details.
Dr. Alexander-Rager expressed gratitude for her team, noting there's "no group of caregivers more devoted, more caring and more committed to patients and to our community than MetroHealth’s 9,000 caregivers," according to a statement cited by WKYC. E. Harry Walker, MD, Chair of the Board of Trustees, echoed this sentiment, highlighting Dr. Alexander-Rager's deep commitment to the institution and her patient-first philosophy.
Alexander-Rager assumes the leadership role at an institution still shadowed by the controversy surrounding her predecessors' departures. Dr. Steed's lawyers described her termination as "unlawful" and retaliation for raising concerns about discrimination and other ethical issues within MetroHealth in a statement obtained by Cleveland19. Meanwhile, Dr. Akram Boutros, who preceded Steed, was terminated over allegations of improper bonuses. Steed, who had achieved her financial and operational goals for 2023 according to a March review, plans to explore legal action against MetroHealth, her attorneys stated.
