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Good afternoon.

Good afternoon and welcome to the City Club of Cleveland, where we are devoted to conversations of consequence that help democracy thrive.

It's Friday, February nine.

And I'm Kristen Baird Adams, president of the City Club Board of Directors.

It's my pleasure to introduce today's forum, part of the City Club's Health Innovation Series, featuring a conversation with Metro Health's Dr. Airicia Steed.

The first woman, the first black person, and the first nurse to serve as the chief executive officer and president.

And Metro Health History.

A Chicago native and fourth generation nurse trained in critical and emergency care.

Dr. Steed, who joined Metro Health in late 2022, previously served as executive vice president and system chief operating officer of Sinai, Chicago Health System and as President of Mount Sinai and Sinai Children's Hospital.

Much like Metro Health, Mt.

Sinai, Chicago is an urban academic health care system focused on health equity and eradicating health care disparities.

Dr. Steed's experience there and gained through other health system leadership roles, certainly made her a strong candidate to lead Metro.

But it was her deep rooted passion and dedication for serving the most vulnerable and underserved that made her the ideal fit.

Now at Metro Health, Dr. Steed oversees Cuyahoga County's safety net health system, which encompasses five hospitals, including the new Glick Center, a renowned level one adult trauma center, more than 600 doctors, 1700 nurses and 9000 employees.

And beyond a system that aspires to become as good at preventing disease as it is treating it.

Dr. Steed is a vastly accomplished and award winning transformational health care executive with more than 20 years of leadership, experience and a proven track record.

Throughout her trailblazing career.

Dr. Steed has made it her mission to ensure that every person has equal to good health care, a passion fueled by personal loss that she has so courageously shared publicly.

In her new role, she aims to position Metro Health as a national model in health equity and as an innovator in care delivery and the community's hospital.

Today, we will hear from Dr. Steed about her goals and unique perspectives in her new role at one of Cleveland's top health institutions.

Moderating the conversation is another trailblazing woman, Danita Harris, a nine time Emmy Award winning news anchor.

Prior to her prior to her departure.

From WCW as Channel five, where she spent nearly 25 years, Danita served as a co-anchor of the evening and the late night newscasts, and most recently, of course, as co-anchor of Good Morning, Cleveland.

If you have questions for our speaker, you may text them to 3305415794.

That's 3305415794.

And the city club staff will do its best to work them into the second half of the program.

Members, friends and guests of the City Club of Cleveland, please join us in welcoming Dr. Airicia Steed, Airicia Steed and Anita Harris.

And we thank you.

We thank you for those warm introductions.

But can I say good afternoon?

So good to see all of you here today.

And what I want you to know is, yes, get your questions, get your comments ready, because she is a phenomenal woman.

And I know you have things you want to know, but this is going to be a conversation between me and my friend, Dr. Airicia Steed, who is doing so many great things.

You know, Dr. Steed, we heard all of your accomplishments and the bios tell us all your great things.

But I'm curious, how would you describe Dr. Airicia Steed?

Inquiring minds want to know.

I would say I'm courageous, I'm fierce, I'm relentless.

I'm unapologetic apologetically.

Me.

I'm unapologetically focused and determined to erase the tragic memories that I lived through every single day.

And I don't want any one of you to have to live through that pain.

I've learned that I'm resilient.

I've learned that I'm a survivor more times over.

More times over.

Every morning when I wake up, I wake up.

A survivor.

I learned that I'm an eagle because an eagle flies directly into a storm.

It doesn't fly away from it.

And it uses the turbulence of that storm to fly higher into uncharted territory.

So I describe myself as an eagle.

But more importantly, I'm blessed.

Oh, yes.

Yes.

And let's let's go on that.

Eagle mentality of flying into a storm, because we all know and as a journalist, I know that there was a scandal brewing around Metro Health with the previous leadership CEO, and that was a storm brewing.

And yet you chose, as you said, you flew into that scandal.

Tell me why.

Why choose Cleveland and what Major Eagle said to say, I'm ready to tackle that storm?

Yeah, I think I can unpack this in a couple of different ways.

But piggybacking off of what I said in terms of blessed, I'm here on assignment.

I was I was not going to refuse to run into the storm.

I was not going to refuse it even more.

So that drew me closer to this opportunity.

And I really don't call this a job when I wake up every morning.

I don't consider myself at work.

I truly consider myself at home.

And I consider myself called to do this work.

Unfortunately for me, and I always call myself a leader by accident.

But I was destined to do this work is what is what I realized.

I hardly characterize it as a challenge or controversy scandal.

I think it's too nice.

It was it was very dark.

It was very dark.

It was it was very broken.

When I walked into this situation and opportunity and I remained with my head held high.

And I remain fueled by every single person in this room and more.

I was really I was supercharged.

I was more motivated to run into this circumstance.

And I can honestly tell you through it all, I certainly was battle tested.

I certainly was pressure tested every every single moment of every single day.

I feel like I'm being pressure tested.

But at the end of the day, I'm still standing.

I'm an and Metro Health is still standing.

And what I realized is not only am I a survivor, but we are survivors and we are resilient and we are not going to let a storm take us down.

We're purpose driven and mission driven.

And we are unapologetically bold in our fight for health equity.

So that is what what keeps me up every night, and that is what gets me up every morning.

But I can honestly tell you unequivocally that that is what has inspired me to make it through every single moment.

That you see.

One of the things I noticed when you first arrived.

I don't think I've said as much.

Dr. Airicia Steed is at this church.

Dr. Airicia Steed is at this commun lunch.

And Dr. Airicia Steed was there such a such you came to Cleveland, you came here, and you jumped right into the community to listen, which I think is an important and effective tool for any successful leader.

Why was it so important for you to jump in like that and listen and tell us what did you hear?

So, first of all, why am I not being invited to the parties?

The first question I was asked so I was so here.

I'm intellectually curious, but I'm just curious in general.

I'm like, okay, I'm hearing all about the hype here and there.

So I wanted to be at the party, too.

But really and truthfully, I think that listening is the most important leadership skill that anyone can have.

And it takes a lot of courage.

Number one, it takes a lot of muscle.

You have to build a leadership muscle along the way to actually be an effective listener.

But one of the things that I felt immediately is I wanted to wrap my arms around this community that I felt was in suffering.

And I don't just consider the out doors and outside the four walls of Metro Health to be in the community.

I consider Metro Health to be the community as well.

So I was I was so passionate about stepping right in and actually checking my title at the door as well, because when you're listening, titles don't matter.

Right.

So I really wanted to hear the voice of what people have to say.

And oftentimes I'm playing over and over and over tragic tapes in my mind of what I felt like when I was on the other side of certain situations, whether it be being the patient or being the family member of a patient, being that community member, being that employee.

I always felt voiceless and I always felt like I was muted and I always felt like there were not enough seats around the table.

And I always felt like the community and the people that need to be at the table are not invited in to those conversations.

So I heard that loud and clear.

So a lot of what I learned through those discoveries was validation and a hunger, a thirst that I wanted to relieve.

But more importantly, it's time for us all to roll up our sleeves and get to work.

If we're going to really battle the challenges we're all up against.

But I use that, and I certainly would say that that was not just a part of my injury experience or on boarding.

I used that in everything that I do.

I'm very intently listening and observing in evaluating and understanding how I can make meaningful change happen to those that we serve.

So that's why I really wanted to be at the table and I wanted to be at the party too.

But I learned I learned a lot.

And I continue to learn and I continue to keep myself humble in those learnings.

There's not one thing that is is a is a bad expression of your reality, because I've lived it.

And more importantly, in some of my early interviews, I was often asked, Why are you always out in the community?

And I said, Why not?

I am the community.

I am the community.

So one thing I would share with Dr.

Seed, you know, because one of the reasons I'm a journalist is because I'm nosy and I ask a lot of questions.

I ask about people.

And I told her, I said, when I say your name, I'm going to talk to the one thing I hear back about you.

She's real.

She's real.

I could talk to her.

I could approach her.

You said drop your title at the door.

A lot of times people see that title as a barrier between them communicating what the need is.

You've had a way of coming in, being invited to the party or not, and saying, Here I am.

How can Metro help you?

You know, and that's what you've done.

So here we are a year into it.

Tell us a little bit about the challenges that you've had this year and also some of the challenges that you have overcome with Metro.

Oh, boy.

How much time do we have?

Again, it was a lot of validation in terms of the way we go about progress.

We have to be the change that we want to see.

Right.

So a lot of what I listened to and heard loud and clear is we have too many muted voices out there.

We have too many individuals that need to need help finding their voice.

And often times we have a lot of individuals out there that are not courageous enough to use that voice, because that voice has been unheard for so long.

It's been in a in a in a black hole.

So a lot of my first year has been breaking through culture.

And one of my first realities that I wanted to bring to the table is creating this this idea, this concept of creating a people first culture.

And I'm not just talking about in Metro Health.

I'm talking about wherever we go.

And people first people is our patients that we serve, people first is our caregivers and our providers who are dedicating themselves every single day to really stand up for and promote and deliver our mission.

But also our people first is our community, because quite frankly, you don't have a mission without community.

So people first culture for me is is is the baseline.

It is the foundation for everything.

So that that culture changes is very tough.

It doesn't happen by snapping your fingers.

It really doesn't it?

It really takes time.

It takes patience.

It takes perseverance.

It takes sometimes painful moments in order to briefly break through and create that.

People first culture.

So that's one of the things I've been heavily, heavily, heavily centering on.

And I can honestly say is it's not a start and stop it is not a project that I'm going after when I'm creating that people first culture.

And quite frankly, I'm, I'm thinking about all of those tragic experiences and those bad memories and I'm trying to recreate in re architect an optimal experience.

So I'm trying to live lives through those moments and really creating that people first culture.

What else I really had to navigate through is really the understanding that yes, it is bold and it is hard charging to really want to solve for eradicating health disparities in zero one out the death cap.

But one of the things that really drew me to this community and I was absolutely outraged and I was let down once again by what I consider to be a very broken American health care system.

I'm very critical of the American health care system.

But when I when I actually researched this community, Cleveland, and what what landed on my desk was Cleveland was ranked the least livable place in the United States for black women.

I was outraged.

I was angered by it.

I was literally screamed to the top of my lungs saying, why?

In this day and age, with our sophistication, we have the best technology, the best resources in the world.

Why?

Why on earth would Cleveland be the least livable place in the in the United States for black women?

So as I read further, I recognize what rose to the top of that list was health outcomes for black women were the worst in the country, often times matched or even worse in some third world countries.

Then as I went even further, I saw it on the page.

Concerns dismissed.

Concerns dismissed.

Black women are not seen in this community.

So I was so motivated and quite frankly, there was nothing that was going to stop me from coming to change that narrative until we're number one best.

When I'm leaving Cleveland, I'm on.

I would be remiss not to acknowledge that February is Black History Month.

Dr. Steed, you are Cleveland Black History.

You are a Cleveland Black History.

You are the first woman, the first black person, the first nurse to be appointed as CEO and President MetroHealth.

Tell me, though, a little bit about what that means to you in this first role.

And there are not many women like you.

Honestly, I'm extremely proud.

I'm very proud.

I'm very humbled in the anyone who knows about me, I run from the spotlight.

I can't stand it, actually.

I have to force myself to be in it.

But quite honestly, in almost 200 years of existence, it took us too long to get here.

And what what I can tell you, I feel while I want to enjoy all of all of those accolades, I certainly do.

I really want to enjoy it.

But I have to say, I've been haunted in my in my being able to really experience that fully.

So I have not been able to really, really drink my own Kool-Aid in that.

But I have a responsibility and I have a heavy, heavy weight of responsibility on my shoulders to make for certain for certain that I'm not the last.

Right.

And thank you.

I have a responsibility to really lean down, lean down and allow others to climb on my shoulders.

And I can honestly tell you, I feel myself above the air.

I'm already on top of my ancestors shoulders.

I'm already on top of any person who's opened the door for me.

I'm already on their shoulders.

I have a responsibility in every single person in this room.

Has a responsibility to lift people as you climb so you're not really supposed to enjoy it.

We all have a responsibility on doing that.

And I can honestly tell you that my road was nowhere near straight.

It was not a straight line at all.

It was not a straight line.

It was it was crooked.

It was full of rocks.

It was full of boulders.

It was full of headwinds like you wouldn't believe.

It was full of resistance.

It was full of adversity.

And what I've learned through it all is adversity.

In overcoming adversity and learning how to embrace adversity is your best superpower.

It is absolutely a superpower.

And for me, I claim it.

I claim it like a badge of honor.

And I wear it like a badge of honor.

So for me, it's all of our responsibility to plant those seeds and let it blossom in someone else.

So I'm not going to celebrate my legacy.

I'm going to celebrate everyone else's.

And, you know, speaking of planting the seed, there are some great things that you're doing at Metro.

One of them is our young people planning the see, giving them hope to have careers.

And Lincoln West High School, where's Lincoln West?

Where they hang in the air, where they like to share the same issues.

They need to stand up and stand up.

Any problem we stand up.

Lincoln West.

That's history.

Tell us why they are so special, honestly.

So this is what I'm talking about.

This is the future.

Yeah.

These young people.

This is our future.

This is the heartbeat of where we're going to go.

And quite honestly, I'm so inspired and let me just brag for a moment.

I was on stage with with four of these students yesterday.

And honestly, I got a lesson in health equity yesterday by these students.

I was I was so inspired.

I was so motivated.

And quite honestly, I cannot leave that stage with with a dry eye just because I was this is what it's all about.

We have to start further and further and further upstream.

We have to plant those seeds in water, those seeds, and allow them to blossom, allow them to flourish.

That is the only way we can lift the health and the wealth of our communities.

And I've learned a long time ago that health equity and I learned yesterday through validation, by really talking to these these young people, that in order to crack the nut on health equity, we have to get outside of our own walls and barriers.

And it does not occur in the hospital.

More than 80% of the solution to health equity is outside, is outside in the community.

And in fact, the to the to vital signs and this is why I'm always talking about treat the community as the patient, treat the community as the patient and diagnose that patient.

Right.

So the two vital signs to solving for health equity is poverty and economic disadvantage in education.

These students are our future.

These students are our future.

We have to start earlier.

We have to start earlier.

Prenatal is when we need to start with blossoming into our future.

So can we eradicate health care disparities?

Can we zero out the death gap?

Can we lift the health and the wealth of our communities?

Absolutely we can.

But it starts with them and it starts even earlier than that.

So I was even inspired and there's a I've learned that I'm a bit of a famous person with this this billboard that you may drive by.

So I had a little three year old, a three year old with a with a stethoscope.

And I was just blown away and in and just captivated by this young girl.

And I know her future is in medicine, that her future is in healing these communities.

So we need to start there and start planting those seeds and let's start adopting these communities and start adopting these children that are going to be our destiny.

And I want you to know that Lincoln West is in Metro, is the only hospital in the country that has the high school right there in the hospital.

And they're providing opportunities for them with graduate.

That is something that we should be proud of.

Yes, yes, yes.

I want to brag a little bit more.

Okay.

So, you know, we're we're getting I know you got your questions, comments, because, again, close and close.

Okay.

Now, let's brag a little bit more about the expose that Metro had to target men's health and women's health.

Yes.

Yes.

So we we actually have a bit of a historian in the room.

20 years ago, Dr. Charles Modlin.

He was the godfather of these health expos.

So he actually saw a need for ailing minority men that were dying left and right from health care disparities.

So he he blossomed that into a passion and a in a purposeful giving the community.

Prevention, wellness screening and really blanketing the communities at large.

So when I came in and that was really on my high horse and I was really excited as I was learning all about the health expos.

But he kept on saying, Men, men, men, men.

I said, Wait a minute.

What do you mean come from exactly?

Oh.

So I kept on Brett.

I don't think Dr. Martin was getting my point, but I said, You know what?

We are going to hold the first the first of its kind women's expo this year.

And they looked at me like I was crazy because he came up with this concept 20 years ago and I said, okay, not only that, we're going to hold it in three months.

And they looked at me like I was crazy and I said, Yes, I'm fierce, bold, I'm unapologetic.

So we're going to make this happen and we're going to do something for our children, so we're not going to leave anyone out.

So that was the the inspiration for really holding the first of its kind commitment to women, children and men.

So we're all about lists.

Let's go upstream.

Let's focus on prevention.

Let's meet our community where you are, where you live, where you work, where you learn, where you play.

Let's offer everything on a pedestal.

This is a one stop shop experience and it just doesn't just end in one day.

This is supposed to motivate encouragement and really it is hiding that pill in the applesauce.

It gets you excited about taking advantage of your own health.

And I hide those pills very well.

So we were we were striving for our first year, touching about 1500 women at the Women's Expo, but we doubled that in the in the first year.

So this is so it was the first and largest event of its kind in in Cleveland history, in northeast Ohio history.

And I can honestly tell you, we're going to make even bigger history this year.

We we have some major things planned as it relates to this.

But I can honestly tell you about these expos.

We're not we're not just trying to create a bunch of buzz and a bunch of hype.

We are truly saving lives at these expos.

And I think that there's someone in the audience that we saved.

It is just a reflection that this works.

If we really connect with our community and listen to our community and make meaningful change happen in our community, we can make the impossible possible.

So if we have someone in the audience that wants to stand up and be recognized.

OMERO He truly testifies that if it were not for the minority men's health fair, he would not be standing here today.

You know, I want to I.

Want to piggyback off of that changing lives.

MetroHealth has this institute for Hope.

Have you heard of it?

Has anyone heard of it?

Institute for Hope.

I had never heard of it.

Okay.

I'm with those of you that never heard of it and went on your website, saw the Institute for Hope Squared, which it is now what you just told me.

And I interviewed a man at the Institute for Hope.

They're looking at the social drivers that determine your health, that affect your health, whether or not you have housing, you know, psychologically.

Okay.

And I interviewed a man named Travis at the Institute for Hope, and Travis was an alcoholic.

And he went to the Institute for Hope and they helped him get an apartment.

Then he said, I want to learn computer skills.

I've always wanted to learn.

They helped them get a laptop.

And then he went to computer class and he said something that I'll never forget.

He said that the Institute for Health Squared gave him next level living.

Mm hmm.

Next level moving.

Tell me, Dr. Steve.

Is that what you want as a whole?

Metro, MetroHealth, physically, spiritually, emotionally.

MetroHealth will give you next level lists.

What do you want it to be known for?

Honestly, I think that that that really sums it up.

We want to inspire.

We want to save lives.

We truly want to be the national and global excellence.

Go global.

Let's go global.

We want to be global for lifting up the health and the wealth of our communities.

And the reason why we called Institute for Hope Square.

So Institute for Hope stands for Health, Opportunity, Partnership and Empowerment.

But we were missing something.

We wanted to center everything around equity.

Right?

We want to actually deliver on our goal of zeroing out the death gap and improving the life expectancy of our communities.

So now we put empowerment and equity at the end to make it institute for Hope Square.

But at the end of the day, that that is the mission that we're really on.

That's what we want to be known for.

And we want to be known for really stepping outside of ourselves.

And true partnerships need to really come together.

We cannot solve this very necessary problem alone.

We cannot solve it alone.

So we need every single person in this room and more to really roll up their sleeves right along with us.

And we are welcoming the community and we're welcoming parties to the to the table and our neighbors and our just anyone who wants to have a voice in this, they have a voice in this.

So we have a lot of work to do.

Our our our goals are extremely ambitious.

Our goals are extremely lofty.

But I refuse to accept, reduce is our goal.

I refuse to accept it because if if I was going to be accepting of reduce my mother would not be alive or my mother would actually be be able to be alive because I lost her at 23 years old to health disparities.

I lost both of my grandmothers to health disparities.

I lost my baby sister.

My baby sister couldn't even live to 40 years old, to health disparities because she was refused a mammogram that I'm confident would have saved her life.

And I'm a two time survivor, but I can I can honestly tell you, I'm not only a survivor.

I was put here for purpose.

Right.

To really be the ambassador, to be the evangelist, for for this mission, that is so important.

I don't want to drive a five mile distance in the cities of Cleveland and you lose 15 years of your life just by going from one community to the next.

That is unacceptable to me and it should be unacceptable to everyone in the room.

So that's what I'm aspiring to do.

And we believe you will get there.

That's why.

So we are about to begin with our audience.

Q And.

A And for all of you who are listening online, or maybe you're in your car listening to the radio, let me tell you who I am.

I am Denita Harris, news anchor and moderator for today's conversation.

And we all have been enjoying this wonderful woman, Dr. Eric Estey, the president and chief executive officer of Metro Health.

She's been talking about her goals.

The accomplishments, the challenges, and giving her unique perspective in her new role at one of Cleveland's top hospitals.

We welcome questions from every one city club members, guests, students, and those of you who are joining us via live stream at City Club Dawg or the radio broadcast that's going on right now at 89.7 W WKSU Ideastream, Public Media.

So if you would like to text a question for Dr. Steed, you can do so.

Just text 3305415794.

That's 3305415794.

And City Club staff will try to work it into today's program.

But right now, I know you are ready.

So let's get the first question, please.

Thank you.

We have a text question.

MetroHealth has a long focus on reducing health disparities through innovative primary care partnerships like its school health program or partnership with Legal Aid.

What other.

New.

Or innovative community partnerships in primary care are you considering?

I think that that is a great question.

So we're looking to reach all corners of our county and even beyond to expand access.

The recently and soon to launch, we have a wonderful partnership with the Cleveland Food Bank, where we actually co-locate health care services and access, but is also a one stop shop to be able to have access to all all various aspects to address those social drivers of health.

So if there's a need on transportation gaps, if there's a need to be connected, housing partnerships, if there's a need to really address the food disparities and fill in the food deserts, that's why the Cleveland Food Bank was a great partner for that process.

Recently, we announced a partnership with Cleveland State University to really continue to expand access to not only our students, but our faculty and those that are really educate in vast amount in the community.

So we're soon to we actually launched our first clinic of its kind that is soon to blossom into other possibilities.

But that's another creative partnership.

We are extremely good at getting bold in relentless on really addressing the mental health crisis and addiction issues that are unfortunately impacting every corner of our communities at large.

So with this being said, we recently announced a very special partnership with the Adams Board, the County and St Vincent's charity, to really offer a one stop shop.

And I use that word a lot.

Is it kind of serves as an air traffic control for us to crisis, stabilize those who are suffering from mental illness and addiction issues and allows us the opportunity to really decant and decompress our overwhelmed emergency departments, which quite frankly, is not the best location for those that are suffering in need from mental health issues or quite frankly, our jails are overpopulated, are overpopulated.

60 to 70% of those behind behind bars right now are unfortunately suffering from this very pandemic, suffering from this pandemic.

So through creative and innovative partnerships like this and more, I honestly, I can take up the rest of the hour really talking about partnerships.

But there is not a partnership.

This off the table if it really solves for this 80% problem that is standing in our way.

So the 80% problem is all of those social drivers of health.

And then we're going to have to get narrow and start really focusing on those issues like the mental health and addiction issues, the maternity and infant mortality crisis.

My gosh, the way those statistics are showing up right now and again, this is very near and dear to my heart because fortunately I'm a survivor.

But I knocked on death's door.

On the maternity crisis is out there.

So we are willing to partner with an umbrella of stakeholders and constituents.

But but I really believe that the true power partnership is us really creating a coalition and thus moving away from separate areas of focus.

And let's all galvanize together around a shared agenda that we can make meaningful change happen.

So there is not one partnership that we're going to say no to.

So the doors of, like you said, the doors of the church are wide open.

The doors are wide open for possibility as it relates to that.

Next question.

Hi.

I'm a senior and high school and I and a lot of my peers are really motivated to create change and are angry and passionate about the inequalities we're seeing in health and otherwise, but don't know how to start making change and feel like what you're talking about before being muted and not having the ability to reach the point where they're in a position of power to really change things.

Or previous to that of doing things.

Now, while we're still young.

And how what would your recommendation be to me and my peers who want to create this change but don't know how.

Well so so did not say that our children are our future.

Yes.

And I wish I was blessed with a voice or else I would sing Whitney Houston song on that album.

Yeah, I got I got I got.

But but I really believe that you you took the first step right there.

Number one, it took a lot of courage to get up here.

And what I learned from those four young students that were on stage with me yesterday at MetroHealth, really unpacking health equity.

What I learned is, my gosh, we are keeping our future in a bubble.

We're so focused right now on protecting protecting our future that we're that we're not recognizing that we're standing in the way of that future.

So I think that the first things first is we need to inform everyone to get on board with this.

The reality is the reality is the reality is the reality.

We're not going to be able to paint with a colored brush away from the fact that we have plaguing statistics out there that need to be eradicated.

So it starts with us planting those seeds early and information is power.

Once you're informed, you can actually make meaningful change with that information.

So I think that the first things first is I think every school across this country needs to start educating our students and taking the students out of this bubble.

We need to pop the bubble because the bubble is holding us back.

And I think that that is a major, major, major, major, major barrier.

I think we need to teach, empower and inspire our young people to find that voice.

And that voice.

You just heard it.

Those young people have the answers.

Quite frankly, our young people are suffering, too, from the same ailments, the same conditions, the same situations.

And unfortunately, our young people are being born into generational oppression.

They're being born with chains on that they can't even see.

They're being born into a situation where they are building up adverse childhood experiences and in adverse situations that makes them believe in their mind that they can't escape it.

So I think that our children is where we need to focus.

I think it's far too late when we start reacting uphill is far too late when we have emergency departments, they're being abused as primary care is far too late and we have 65 to 70% of those behind bars with untreated mental illness.

And then we're recycling them back into the community, broken.

It starts uphill.

It starts prenatal.

We need to start breaking those chains before our children are born.

So I can honestly encourage that young lady that was up there.

You already have your voice.

You already have it.

Command your at the table.

And if if if you're not empowered to bring your own folding chair is Shirley Chisholm, one of my idols and mentors?

She doesn't even know.

She's a mentor of mine, but she's a mentor of mine.

Bring your own folding chair and then you'll find out that that voice that you just used.

My gosh, that is powerful and is filled with answers and is filled with possibilities and is filled with hope.

Now we're just not using it.

Good afternoon.

I'm so glad you're here.

I wish our legislators could have heard what you just said.

The.

Oh, I'm so glad.

Our House bill, 68, was vetoed by our governor.

It dealt with outlawing gender affirming care for our trans members of this state.

Our legislature chose to override that veto, which means that our trans young people and adults will not get the gender affirming care that they need.

So my question to you, could you please talk about the importance of gender affirming care for people in this audience who may not know?

Yeah.

So the one thing I can honestly tell you, we were so proud of of the governor and his stance as it relates to this.

And I can honestly tell you, we're we're still fighting.

Metro Health has has widened its doors and has not pushed back on anyone.

And we don't we don't judge anyone, regardless of who you are, who you love, what choices you make, how you show up, what you look like, etc.. And we've always been dedicated, invested in in great causes.

The health and the service levy is going to be on the ballot this spring.

And I was wondering if you could talk about the impact of the Health Human Service levy on Metro Health in your ability to convey services to the community.

But the second part of that question is, in a larger sense, prices are going up for, it seems, everything.

And I'm wondering, as the leader of an institution, how have rising prices impacted Metro Health's ability to address some of the very things that you're talking about?

Yeah.

Yeah.

Two very important questions.

Number one, I just want to applaud our true partnership with the county and the supports that we have to continue our mission.

And our mission is is absolutely formidable.

Our mission allows us not to turn our backs on our our community in need.

And we're always proactive in doing so.

We do not turn down anyone, regardless of their means, regardless of their ability to pay, regardless of who they are.

All of those various things.

But at the same time, at the same time is extremely challenged to have a mission that worthy right.

Because we're going to business, too.

And no margin, no mission is is very difficult to to to really fund our future in that respect.

So this is where I really applaud the county for recognizing us and who we are, what we are and what we do.

And in fact, we we got a vote of confidence from the county to where we're increasing our level of investment to continue the great work that we're doing.

So for well, close to 200 years we've been doing this.

I can tell you for four years on end in last year included, we spent greater than $200 million of our overall service proposition in what we considered to be free care because we truly care about our community.

And we're not going to we're not going to turn you away.

We won't turn you away.

But that 200 million doesn't even account for the Lincoln West High School.

And again, as Denita pointed out, the only US high school inside of a hospital.

But we believe in this mission.

So we're going to continue to push through the Institute for Hope Square, which is determined to save lives.

That's not including that 200 million we know is the right thing to do to really address those social drivers of health, to keep our communities well in out of the hospital.

So that is what the HHS levy dollars is is going in in support of.

So we can continue to rise and we can continue to be that equal and we can continue to be resilient through whatever headwinds we're faced with.

And I can honestly tell you that as as a nurse by training, I've never seen this level of workforce crisis that I would argue is a pandemic in and of itself.

I've never seen this level of workforce crisis and labor shortage, which really speaks to the rising costs.

So as we rebounded from the other side of of the COVID pandemic, the health care systems across the country, every single health system across the country, no matter if you have deep, very deep pockets and deep supports, every single health system has challenged on the other side of the pandemic, because we're all trying to reimagine ourselves and we're all trying to get to catch our breath and really find that balance.

And quite frankly, we've been shaken and we've been fatigued and we've been burnt out on the wake of really surviving that significant worldwide pandemic.

But to really to speak to the financials for just a moment.

Again, we're all trying to reimagine ourselves.

Reimbursement has dwindled, and it's been going in this direction for well over a decade, well before the pandemic hit us.

So reimburse limit continues to dwindle.

Inflation has soared to a uncatchable rate.

And on top of that, because of this labor shortfall and workforce crisis, pandemic, whatever the buzz word that you want to call it, it is it has caused especially organizations like like ours, that has a very distinct mission, 3 to 4 times that on expenses just in labor alone.

That's that's what it requires.

And sometimes even during the wake of the pandemic, we're paying five times that of traditional labor, just to survive.

And I can honestly tell you, we have been caught up from that, what in part and parcel of the journey, when I when I came into the organization in the latter part of 2022 and coming into 2023, and I'm a bit of a stickler, I learned down the stickler, by the way, in my in my journey, I've never seen such a such a most challenging financial circumstance.

I walked into a situation where I was handed the most devastating financial circumstances yet inflation, yet dwindling reimbursement and $1,000,000,000 investment in our in our organization, which was needed for the community that we needed to pay back, and we had to juggle all of those things.

So as an organization, we now use the word we not.

I really needed to buckle down and really look at this differently.

Right.

Because again, going back to that people first culture, without our people, we don't exist.

Without our people, we can't deliver on that mission.

So that is at the center focus of everything that we're doing.

But then had to figure everything else out.

Part and parcel.

The first thing that we did was try to figure out a way to demonstrate to the very people that are holding us up on a on a shoestring, how to invest back in those people to demonstrate that we care.

On top of those financial challenges.

And guess what?

When you invest in your people, they show up at the end of the day.

So what I walked into first quarter of 2023, financially desperate circumstances, we sprinted a marathon all the way into the end of the year.

By the time we absolutely showed up and we demonstrated that we can we can combat the storm and really address those financial challenges.

If we work together as a team and if we show up is showing value to the very people that are are standing on our shoulders.

So that is is in part how we're addressing that.

But I can honestly tell you that this is a journey and this is a marathon, not a sprint.

This is a challenge that we're always going to have to juggle, especially super safety net organizations like Metro Health that never closes our doors and never shuts anyone away.

But the balance and partnership with wonderful partners like the county, that is that is what counts, who attended that?

We want to thank all of you for your questions and your comments.

Thank you, Dr. Steve, for joining us at the City Club today.

Give it up for Dr. C. She was amazing.

Wow.

Wow.

Standing ovation.

Yes, yes, yes, yes.

And we want to say that today's forum is part of the City Cloud's Health.

Innovation Series in partnership Medical Mutual.

We would also like to give a shout out to the students from Laurel School who.

Link at West High School at NC Square STEM High School.

We also want to.

Welcome guests at the tables hosted by Birthing Beautiful Communities, the Center for Community Solutions, Cleveland Metroparks, Cuyahoga Community College, the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland, Macaulay and Company.

Medical Mutual Metro Health Foundation.

PNC and the YMCA of Greater Cleveland.

Now I've got the scoop coming up next at the City Club on Wednesday, February 14th.

Welcome.

Felton Thomas, CEO of Clayton Public Library.

And he's going to talk about whether or not libraries can or even should be everything to everyone.

But this is hot off the press.

Breaking news.

Thursday, February 15th, the city club is going to host a breakfast forum with West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin as part of his nationwide listening tour.

And then on Friday, February 16th, we're going to hear from Steven Delbert, director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives on the borough's efforts to combat gun violence.

You're going to find out about all these forums and a lot more.

Purchase your tickets at City Club dot org.

And that is the end.

I get to do this.

I'm looking forward to this.

Update of Harrah's.

The forum is now adjourned.

For information on upcoming speakers or for podcasts of the City Club.

Go to City Club, dawg.

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