MetroHealth CEO Named Among 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare
MetroHealth President & CEO Airica Steed, Ed.D, RN, MBA, FACHE, has been recognized by Modern Healthcare as one of the 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare of 2023. This prestigious recognition acknowledges and honors individuals who are deemed by their peers and senior editors of Modern Healthcare to be the most influential figures in the industry in terms of leadership and impact.
“The 2023 honorees on our 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare reflect the providers, insurers, technology firms, government leaders, investors and others who have made oversized contributions to the industry in the past year,” said Mary Ellen Podmolik, editor-in-chief of Modern Healthcare. “Our ranked list honors the C-suite decision-makers using their clout and influence to lead their organizations and make sweeping changes that affect patient care.”
Dr. Steed joined MetroHealth in December 2022 and is the first woman, first Black person and first nurse to serve as its chief executive in the health system’s almost 200-year history. Throughout her trailblazing career, Dr. Steed has made it her mission to ensure every person has equal access to good health care.
Dr. Steed’s passion to address health equities is borne of personal pain: She lost both her grandmothers, her mother, and younger sister due to inadequate care, misdiagnoses, and being denied access to timely screenings that may have saved their lives. She also experienced near-death preeclampsia during two pregnancies, a condition disproportionately affecting Black women.
“I am truly humbled by this recognition from Modern Healthcare. It is a true honor,” Dr. Steed said. “But most importantly, it amplifies the important work taking place at MetroHealth. Our 8,800 caregivers are working collectively to ensure no one’s life is ever cut short because of the color of their skin, their ZIP code, their gender, sexual orientation, the language they speak or any other demographic used to make people feel ‘less than.’”
“MetroHealth is fortunate to have a leader that understands our mission and is deeply committed to not only acknowledging health disparities but eradicating them,” MetroHealth Board Chair E. Harry Walker, MD, said. “We are so proud of the work taking place at this storied institution, and it is a true honor to partner with Dr. Steed and the health system’s talented caregivers to improve the health of the communities we serve. It’s also an honor to get national recognition for that critically important work.”
To learn more and see Modern Healthcare's full list of the 100 Most Influential People in Healthcare, click here.
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.
