Michael M. Earley, chairman and CEO, Metropolitan Health Networks Inc.

Michael M. Earley, Metropolitan Health Networks Inc.

AWARD RECIPIENT – Health Care
Michael M. Earley
chairman and CEO
Metropolitan Health Networks Inc.
In 2003, the board of directors for Metropolitan Health Networks Inc. asked Michael M. Earley to take over the CEO role at the primary care network for seniors. Earley packed his bags to begin what was intended to be a short journey to help turn the company around.
Almost 10 years later, Earley is still at the helm of Metropolitan as chairman and CEO and has transformed the company into a profitable, customer-centric organization.
When Earley took over, Metropolitan suffered from mismanagement and had not turned a profit since its inception in the mid-1990s.
Within just nine months of Earley’s leadership, Metropolitan was profitable. Within 24 months it was debt-free due to an understanding of the business and which segments to divest and which to grow.
Under Earley’s guidance, Metropolitan has grown from 130 employees to more than 1,100 employees and became the first health care organization in Florida to be recognized by the National Committee for Quality Assurance as a Level Three National Physician Practice Connections — Patient-Centered Medical Home.
In October 2011, the company completed the acquisition of Continucare Corp., a managed care company in South Florida with 19 medical centers.
The acquisition has brought new tools and techniques into the company. Earley takes each company’s best practices on a broad scale so Metropolitan can be one united entity.
Although Earley turned the company around, he often heard, “You don’t understand health care.” His belief is you only have to understand the transaction flow to succeed in business: who the customer is, how to best serve the customer and how the company makes money.
With that philosophy in mind, Earley changed the way Metropolitan thought about health care and encouraged his employees to think outside the health care box to revitalize the business.
HOW TO REACH: Metropolitan Health Networks Inc., www.metcare.com