Dr. Akram Boutros awarded honorary Doctor of Public Service Degree from Baldwin Wallace University
Delivers keynote speech to the graduates
Baldwin Wallace University held its 2019 college graduation on Saturday, May 4 in the Lou Higgins Center.
Dr. Akram Boutros, M.D., FACHE, president and CEO of The MetroHealth System gave the keynote address. The speech centered on the idea of "choices" that can make all the difference in life.
"As the wise and lovable Professor Dumbledore told Harry Potter,
'It is our choices that show what we truly are …
“Far more than our abilities.'
Your future is in your choices."
He encouraged the graduates to choose to "stop listening to the voice that says you're not good enough" and to "stand up to the those doubts."
Boutros also urged them to "choose your comrades in life wisely. They will shape your life in profound ways."
Finally, he advised grads to "choose to follow your heart" when it comes to career and avoid climbing the ladder without being focused on values and work that is a "higher calling."
“You don’t make a difference because you have a corner office or a fancy title,” Boutros said. “You make a difference because you love what you’re doing.”
"Choose as if your life depended on it," Boutros advised in closing. "Because it does."
"If you don’t believe me or Dumbledore, maybe you’ll believe my favorite author, who wrote,
'You have brains in your head,
“You have feet in your shoes.
“You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.
“You’re on your own, and you know what you know.
“You are the person who’ll decide where you go.'
That’s Dr. Seuss."
Following his address he was presented with an Honorary Doctor of Public Service degree in recognition of his visionary work to transform MetroHealth's main campus and revitalization efforts of the surrounding community.
The ceremony also marked the graduation of 10 students representing the inaugural class of BW's Master of Public Health program, offered in partnership with MetroHealth.
Founded in 1837, MetroHealth is leading the way to a healthier you and a healthier community through service, teaching, discovery, and teamwork. Cuyahoga County’s public, safety-net hospital system, MetroHealth meets people where they are, providing care through five hospitals, four emergency departments and more than 20 health centers. Each day, our nearly 9,000 employees focus on providing our community with equitable healthcare — through patient-focused research, access to care, and support services — that seeks to eradicate health disparities rooted in systematic barriers. For more information, visit metrohealth.org.
