Executives bloat system, health critics say
Top administrators at Nova Scotia’s health authorities make a lot by most people’s standards: $218,422 for the CEO in Pictou County, for example, or $327,016 for Chris Power of Capital Health.
Kevin MacDonald, chief executive officer of the Guysborough Strait Antigonish health authority, makes $370,550 yearly, with a “retirement allowance payment” factored in. No one else at the health authority makes more than $158,000.
But it’s not the individual salaries that drew sharp words from Nova Scotia’s political opposition when the health authorities released their first-ever public-sector compensation disclosure reports.
“I think they’re being paid reasonably, in order to get some of these professionals,” said MLA Chris d’Entremont, who represents Argyle and is the health critic for the Progressive Conservatives.
“With all of the DHAs, it’s just far too many. Alberta does it with one; New Brunswick does it with two. So there has to be a better way than how we’re doing it today.”
The complaint of administrative bloating isn’t a new one, but the executive compensation reports have given critics another set of numbers to crunch. Available to the public on each health authority’s website, they list salaries for anyone who makes more than $100,000.
But the issue, as d’Entremont said, is “a bit of a political football,” with each party taking aim at each others’ records as administrative costs have risen over recent decades.
“The fact of the matter is there is too much money being spent in administration,” said Liberal Leader Stephen McNeil. “We need to reduce the health boards from nine to one, and one for the IWK.
“But for the Tories to be complaining about the administration cost in health care is a bit rich, considering they created it.”
The Progressive Conservatives expanded four health authorities to nine more than a decade ago.
By the Tory’s tally, the province spends $49,975,661 per year on salaries for all administrators. That makes up about 1.3 per cent of the province’s total $3.8-billion health budget.
The Health and Wellness Department has reduced administration costs to 4.85 per cent of the total department budget from 5.1 per cent, said spokeswoman Theresa Hawkesworth, adding that the new percentage is below the national average.
The department expects to eliminate up to 19 vice-presidents through the merge services initiative, Hawkesworth said.
The salary reports contain some surprises.
Together, the salaries of just the CEOs at health authorities and the IWK add up to $2,626,393. However, at some district health authorities, some CEOs aren’t the highest-paid executives.
At the IWK, for example, Dr. Joe Hyndman makes about $20,000 more than CEO Anne McGuire for his duties as interim vice-president of medicine and as a surgery professor at Dalhousie University.
John Malcom, head of Cape Breton district health authority, has his $229,808 salary nearly matched by another administrator. Overall, that health authority lists more than 70 employees paid at least $100,000, adding up to nearly $9 million — vastly more than most other health authorities.
McNeil and d’Entremont said they would like the salary reports to spur immediate government action to reduce the number of health authorities.
I'd be willing to pay all the
Submitted by more equal than you on August 7, 2012 - 6:38am.
I'd be willing to pay all the admins $1,000,000 a year..........if they would accomplish something besides forming a new committee and hiring 25 consultants to delve into the issue of where to put the NO PARKING sign.
it's true
Submitted by frustrated bigtime on August 7, 2012 - 6:52am.
Just look at how much space in the QE2 is allocated to union people and execs. Plain and simple there are too many people with free office space in the hospital. Why should i have to pay for some union thug to have an office overlooking the commons. Speaking of which how come patients arn't given rooms with a view over others who are not even contributing to their health. I'll tell you why it's because if we don't they will go on strike and hold us all ransom.
he was minister of health
Submitted by Independent Thinker on August 7, 2012 - 7:13am.
Chris, Chris, Chris - you were the minister of health, with a hefty ministerial pay cheque and are personally responsible for the system. Is it only now with the meger paycheck of an MLA that you see these salaries as excessive. I wished your eyes had of been opened when you where a minister. It is very hypocritical to try to put the blame on someone else for what you were responsible for. That takes gull, instead try a little honesty.
I don't know why the reporter
Submitted by DDD on August 7, 2012 - 8:14am.
I don't know why the reporter finds it a surprise that sometimes the CEO isn't the highest paid. It should be more of the norm. Just because you have overall responsibility for an organization doesn't mena you should be paid the most. As a CEO you bring a managerial skill set to the job. Many, many people have the same skill set. Filling a position like a VP of Medicine would probably require a Medical degree and a much more detailed and rarer skill set. The reporter and many others have listened to management people's snake oil pitch that they should be higher paid than the people they manage. It's not so.
Political hypocrites !
Submitted by No problem here... on August 7, 2012 - 8:45am.
Must be great to create a monster, watch that monster grow and devour all that is to be had, then sit back and find fault with your creation. The truth, if it is to be known, is that the Health Authorities, the School boards,the Industrial Boards are there for a reason. That reason is why they survive from one government to another. They protect, they insulate, they provide as the Americans like to say about their presidents " Plausible Deniability" in other words a government member can stand up and say that they do not know anything that goes on within that particular department,which is closer to the truth than most utterances out of the mouths of our elected members. Oh yes do not forget the prodigious numbers of "spokespersons" without their input the silence would be deafening.If the politicians really want to limit the number of Health Authorities or any other authority just make the C.E.O. and the V.P. positions voluntary, that should start the stampede to the door, oh yes make the "spokesperson" position voluntary as well.
Finally now this
Submitted by No problem here... on August 7, 2012 - 9:17am.
Governments are responsible for the creation and growth of bureaucratic institutions. These person do not hire themselves, set their salaries or benefit plans. They are set by the government of the day. It just goes to show the lack of fortitude and honesty that politicians are ingrained. When they attack their own creations. In another context they would be known as dead beat dad's.
Absolute Disgrace
Submitted by Toldya on August 7, 2012 - 9:43am.
My god this is disgraceful. I've been in meetings with some of those named in this article and I can tell you they are not worth the money. It will never change because those in positions to do something about it are themselves raking in millions at our expense. all these over-paid CEO's and VP's are good budies with the present Deputy, Mr. McNamara who has no background in Health Care. How about the recently moved Education Minister, who if she had any expertise it was in preserving the forests. And we wonder why we are the least productive part of Canada.
We all make mistakes
Submitted by healthadvocate on August 7, 2012 - 9:35am.
I'm not sure why this continues to not be addressed by this NDP government. Yes, Chris D'Entremont played a role in the creation of this current top heavy health administration systems but he is no different than other former Ministers who made decisions in order to politically survive.
The NDP government, in continuing to ignore this much needed review and downsizing of health authorities and executive salaries, is doing the exact same thing........trying to avoid controversy and politically survive in hopes of obtaining a second term in the next provincial election.
I could live with the large number of health authorities and executives if I was seeing positive results from a patient and frontline staff perspective. Have we reduced wait times in this province......no, have we stopped the closing of emergency departments due to lack of physician coverage in this province........no, have we improved the health of Nova Scotians.......no, are staff currently less worked and providing optimal care in our hospitals......no, do staff feel they have a say in what changes are required in order to provide better care.......no, have we reduced the morbidity and mortality rates in this province compared to previous years.......no, do staff feel valued and appreciated by managers and executives......no and finally, have these executives and this government lost sight of providing the best care possible to the good people of this province while attempting to cut, slash and burn costs........yes.
Having said that, I cannot support the continued salaries, large number of executives in this province as well as this current government who obviously are not meeting the expectations and responsibilities of their job. Employees in private business, under similar circumstances, would not continue to be employed. It is obvious the current system is one of self survival at any cost and unfortunately, the patients and frontline workers of this province are again being failed and paying the price.
Read and heed
Submitted by No problem here... on August 7, 2012 - 1:22pm.
Obviously you have not read mine and others comments. The Health authorities, and all of the other authorities and boards are there to protect the politicians behinds. The N.D.P. are politicians, the N.D.P. protect their behinds, what is it about this simple concept that you do not understand?
"Managers"?
Submitted by lingan on August 7, 2012 - 10:42am.
And all of these ubiquitous "managers" have done nothing more than throw more money at a problem or "kick the can down the road". Love to read their performance reviews, of course, they're all reviewing each other so fat chance of that providing any insight.
Unions are driving the salary rates
Submitted by nshealthmonitor on August 7, 2012 - 1:10pm.
Little do posters to this story realize that the majority of the CEO's and other leaders of this system are credentialed at the Masters level and are paid what they deserve. When will Nova Scotian's stop griping about how we pay highly skilled managers to run this beast we call healthcare!!! Besides, when we are paying unionized nurses $85,000 per year, what would you expect a CEO to make?? The nurses go home at the end of their shift and forget things, the CEO is oncall 24/7 and expected to be available for all things that happen in the organization, not just patient care. I guess the old saying "you dont know what you dont know" clearly applies to the posters (and the author) of this story.
Health care prevention saves $$$ - Leadership required!!
Submitted by two four on August 7, 2012 - 3:27pm.
Perhaps we should practice preventative health in Nova Scotia, which would save money & reduce the size of the health care system...start with the premier and cabinet ministers. What would their average BMI's be for starters???
What ever happened to Participaction and preventative health in this province?
Let's start with touching your toes and walking briskly and pushing away from the table...just sayin'