Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1471341
33 CEO / STRATEGY Democrats, Republicans agree CEOs are overpaid By Molly Gamble T he majority of Democrats and Republicans believe CEOs of America's largest companies are paid too much, according to Reuters. The finding comes from a new poll via Just Capital, a non- profit focused on corporate stakeholder research. Of the 1,037 people surveyed in February, 81 percent of Demo- crats and 71 percent of Republicans said the CEOs of the largest American companies were paid "too much." The rare bipartisan agreement marks a challenge for cor- porate boards seeking to balance compensation for ex- ecutives and workers. "The story of this is really nonpartisan; across the board people are feeling like CEOs are overpaid relative to front-line workers," Alison Omens, Just Capital's chief strategy officer, told Reuters. Hospitals and health systems have hardly been immune to scrutiny over CEOs' compensation packages, with travel nurses calling for caps on CEO pay and advocacy groups ranking the most overpaid chief executives in the healthcare industry. An analysis by the Lown Institute of more than 1,000 hos- pitals published in Health Affairs Feb. 10 found wide vari- ation in the gap between CEO pay and average worker pay. Some hospital CEOs were paid twice the rate of oth- er workers, while the highest paid received 60 times the hourly pay of general workers. Find the average hospital CEO pay per hour by hospital type and the ratio of CEO wage to other workers wage here. n 3 health system CEOs reveal retirement plans By Georgina Gonzalez W hether it be wine tasting, fami- ly time or coaching high school teams, these soon-to-be retired healthcare industry leaders have a lot to look forward to aer many years of hard work. Aer decades of dedication and persever- ance running health systems with thou- sands of employees, touching hundreds of thousands of patients' lives annually, three health system leaders from across the na- tion are retiring. e three soon-to-be retir- ees spoke to Becker's about what they were most looking forward to and what their ca- reer highlights were. Bryan Kindred, president and CEO, DCH Health System (Tuscaloosa, Ala.) Question: What are you most look- ing forward to in retirement? Bryan Kindred: At least initially I will be working with the new CEO as needed, but I anticipate having much more free time. e top things on my list are spending more time with my family, practicing bass guitar and helping to coach high school baseball. Q: What was a highlight or defining moment of your career in healthcare? BK: Most of my career has been at DCH. We have accomplished a great deal in that time but my proudest moments have been working alongside a team of exceptional physicians, nurses, therapists and so many more who have responded with expertise, compassion and perseverance during times of crisis. In 2011 our community was hit by a major tornado and for the last few years we have been called upon time and again to respond to COVID-19. It has been truly humbling and gratifying to work with pro- fessionals who care so much for the work of healing that they just keep finding ways to overcome every obstacle to care for the community. I could not be more proud of this team and grateful to have contributed a small amount to their tremendous efforts. Dave Fikse, president of Mercy Health-Cincinnati Question: What are you most look- ing forward to in retirement? Dave Fikse: More travel, more time with family and some time with family "home improvements." Aer a little me time, I will look to give back through organizations that make a difference in their community. Q: What was a highlight or de- fining moment of your career in healthcare? DF: e highlight of my career comes in knowing that I have been able to be a mentor/ coach for several individuals and they are now making a difference in leadership positions. Richard Allen, CEO of Palmdale (Calif.) Regional, part of UHS. Question: What are you most look- ing forward to in retirement? Richard Allen: At the top of my list, I re- ally look forward to spending more time with my daughters. One resides in the Pa- cific Northwest and the other in England. Additionally, reacquainting myself with friends around the country while enjoying wine tasting, fly fishing, biking, hiking and golf – while remembering to carry a "very good" insurance policy. Finally, finding op- portunities to give back either by service on meaningful boards, teaching or engaging in policy development. Q: What was a highlight or defining moment of your career in healthcare? RA: In terms of career highlights, notwith- standing the development of new programs and community services — something we all do, I would have to say that participating in state and national leadership positions, which influenced positive change, would have to be at the top of the list. n