Hospital CEO's salary is north's second highest

On top of a $350,000 a year salary, Health Sciences North president and CEO Dr. Denis Roy is entitled to a $12,000 a year vehicle expense allowance, a yearly membership to a community or service club worth up to $2,500, professional development of $8,000 and continuing education worth $5,000.

This is according to an employment contract signed with Roy on Nov. 26, 2009, when he was first hired as the hospital's new CEO.

The hospital also agreed to cover “reasonable costs incurred in relocating from Montreal to Sudbury, to a maximum of $20,000.”

The contract, along with employment documents relating to the hospital's other senior administrators, was posted Jan. 3 on Health Sciences North's website.

Hospitals across Ontario also released similar documents about their senior administrators on their websites that same day.

According to a press release from the Ontario Hospital Association, Ontario hospitals became subject to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, Jan. 1.

Ontario hospitals released the information “as a way of demonstrating transparency and their commitment to accountability among the communities they serve.”

Roy's salary, along with the salaries of all other public-sector employees who earn more than $100,000 a year, was no secret, even before his contract was published on the hospital's website.

This information is released by the province each spring through the Public Sector Salary Disclosure Act.

The CEO of Health Sciences North is ranks second among the top paid hospital executives in the northeast, although not in Ontario.

North Bay Regional Health Centre CEO Mark Hearst earned $302,963 in 2010-11, Sault Area Hospital CEO Ron Gagnon earned $314,351 in 2010-11 and Timmins and District Hospital CEO Roger Walker earned $257,894 in 2010-11, according to information published by the Public Sector Salary Disclosure Act.

Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre CEO Andrée Robichaud, who has headed the hospital since the fall of 2010, earns $390,000 a year, according to her contract.

In the Greater Toronto Area, however, seven hospital CEOs earn more than $500,000 a year.

Dr. Robert Bell, head of the University Health Network, took home $753,992 in 2010.

The release of this information spurred NDP leader Andrea Horwath to call for a cap on public sector CEO salaries.

Horwath has proposed capping public sector CEO salaries at $418,000 a year - twice the salary paid the Premier.

“When patients are coping with closed ERs and growing wait times, there’s no way to justify spending scarce health dollars on private clubs and $700,000 salaries,” Horwath said, in a press release.

“We need to get our priorities in check and CEO salaries down to levels we see in other provinces.”

Health Sciences North also released employment contracts for nine other executives besides Roy.

Senior vice-president Joe Pilon earns $212,221 a year, vice-president of research Dr. Francisco Mitoma earns $335,000 a year, vice-president of clinical programs and chief nursing officer David McNeil earns $204,867 a year and vice-president and chief financial officer Ben Peterson earns $204,867 a year.

Dr. Chris Bourdon, who acts as both the hospital's acting chief of staff and vice-president of medical and academic affairs, earns $75,000 a year for the chief of staff role and $300,000 for the vice-president role, making him higher-paid than Roy.

Pilon, Bourdon, Diaz-Mitoma, McNeil and Peterson are all entitled to $4,800 a year in car expenses.

The hospital has also released the salaries for interim vice-president of the Regional Cancer Program, Mark Hartman, who earns $145,000 a year, vice-president and chief human resources officer Rhonda Watson, who earns $170,000 a year, and associate vice-president of clinical programs Grace St. Jean, who earns $149,994.

Posted by Mark Gentili