According to IRS data the 18 highest paid employees at PeaceHealth nonprofit hospitals received a total combined compensation of $11.6 million in 2009. PeaceHealth President Alan Yordy received $1,169,000, a 31 percent increase over his 2008 compensation.

Nancy Steiger, CEO at St. Joseph, a PeaceHealth member hospital, received $574,195, while nurses at St Joseph received a 0.07 percent salary increase. Steiger is paid to manage the hospital, yet she had to hire an outside consultant to figure out where to trim costs. It seems to me she should know more about her hospital's costs than an outside consultant. What exactly does she do to justify that $574,195 salary anyway? And what did her consultants recommend? Cut nurses - a solution almost guaranteed to sacrifice quality in patient care.

Increasing executive compensation does not reduce health care costs nor does it create more competent executives. Health care costs are rising everywhere and St. Joseph hospital is no exception. Controlling health care costs without compromising quality care is a challenge primarily for executive management; however, fattening executive compensation while cutting professional staff accomplishes neither.

Pete Juhle

Ferndale