Dr. Akram Boutros says his patient experience revealed gaps in hospital care that his new venture aims to address.
CLEVELAND — Dr. Akram Boutros spent decades running hospitals, but it wasn’t until he became a cancer patient that he fully understood what was wrong with the systems he’d helped lead.
The former president and CEO of The MetroHealth System says his treatment experience in 2023 exposed him to the daily struggles both patients and nurses face in understaffed hospitals.
“Lying in a hospital bed, I realized just how broken the system is—for patients, and for the people trying to care for them,” Boutros said.
That realization led him to launch Nexus Bedside in 2024, a company that aims to address nursing shortages through a combination of remote monitoring technology and redesigned workflows.
The venture represents a growing trend in healthcare as hospitals grapple with staffing challenges that have persisted since the COVID-19 pandemic. Nursing turnover rates remain elevated across the industry, contributing to longer patient stays and safety concerns.
Nexus Bedside’s approach involves placing cameras in patient rooms connected to off-site nurses who can monitor multiple patients simultaneously, while on-site staff handle direct patient care. The company has raised $2.6 million in funding and reports a $12 million valuation.
Healthcare technology companies have increasingly pitched remote monitoring solutions as answers to staffing shortages, though critics question whether such systems can fully replace in-person nursing care.
Boutros acknowledges the challenges but says his dual perspective as both healthcare executive and patient gives him unique insight into what might work.
“When nurses are set up to succeed, patient outcomes follow,” he said.
The company plans to expand into hospice and home healthcare settings as it seeks to prove the viability of its hybrid nursing model.
Author: Monica Robins
Published at wkyc.com on September 15, 2025