Hospitals came clean Tuesday, revealing executives’ big salaries and perks.
The Ottawa Hospital’s CEO Dr. Jack Kitts tops the list, earning $517,700 with an additional $12,000 annual car allowance.
Kitts also doesn’t pay into his pension — it’s covered by the hospital.
“People like Dr. Kitts are really important to the system. We believe that in light of their contribution, the salaries that we provide are very reasonable,” said Carole Workman, chair of the board at TOH.
Workman says TOH executives earn less than their counterparts across Ontario.
“For the senior executives in particular, we compare ourselves to the large academic centres in the province like Sunnybrook and Toronto University Health Network or Hamilton Academic Centre,” said Workman.
Over at Montfort Hospital, president and CEO Dr. Bernard Leduc’s annual salary is $391,990.
Last fall, Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario president and CEO Alex Munter inked a five-year deal worth $330,000 each year.
Queensway Carleton Hospital president and CEO Tom Schonberg is bringing home $312,092.35 annually.
Nepean-Carleton Conservative MPP Lisa MacLeod is critical of the wide range pay.
“So Alex Munter makes $330,000 when Tom Schonberg makes less than that,” said MacLeod.
Volunteer hospital boards decide on CEOs’ salaries.
Workman said TOH spends a “very, very, very small amount on executive salaries. And I think that their contribution to actually making the hospital work effectively more than compensates for what might be perceived as greater salaries than the average,” she said.
The Ottawa Hospital invited reporters to discuss the contracts — the other hospitals did not.
All contracts are posted online.
Leduc’s contract, however, is in French.
The Sun asked Montfort for an English copy, but the request was denied.
“The decision was made by the senior management team not to translate general documents originally written in French,” said spokeswoman Cindy Demontigny.
As of Jan. 1, Ontario hospitals became subject to the Freedom of Information and Privacy Protection Act. The Ontario Hospital Association advised its 151 members to make contract details, board minutes, financial plans and other documents available online.
Proactively disclosing the information “signals a strong commitment to transparency, accountability, and the importance of building the trust and confidence among the people they serve,” OHA head Tom Closson said in a statement Tuesday.
New Democrats want the province to cap the hospital CEOs’ salaries at $418,000 annually.