FRESNO, CA (KMJ) EXCLUSIVE: Fresno County District Attorney Lisa Smittcamp and Fresno City Councilman Garry Bredefeld had a heated debate Wednesday on KMJ’s Ray Appleton Show. The two are at odds over the $5.1 million compensation package of Valley Children’s Hospital CEO Todd Suntrapak and others.
FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — Valley Children’s Healthcare is responding to claims from Fresno City Council regarding the pay of their executives, saying they are “pushing back against misinformation and setting the record straight regarding recent criticisms of executive compensation.”
The healthcare system sent a letter to city council Wednesday.
Tax documents obtained by Action News reveal that in 2021, CEO Todd Suntrapak received more than $5.1 million in compensation.
A breakdown of his benefits shows a $1.7 million base salary with an additional $3.4 million in bonuses and more.
In a news release, officials say Suntrapak’s annual salary since July of 2020 has been slightly over $1.7 million, which they say is similar to other health system CEOs.
That change meant Suntrapak received two bonuses in one calendar year but no bonus the following year, Foster said. The hospital said that was the result of a one-time accounting adjustment.
“Executive compensation at Valley Children’s is determined through rigorous, independent review processes,” Valley Children’s Healthcare Board of Trustees Chair Michael Hanson said in a press release Wednesday. “Our decisions are guided by industry standards and aimed at attracting and retaining top talent necessary to uphold our commitment to excellence in healthcare.”
Hospital officials say they are committed to providing high-quality care to children and all patients.
“While many other hospitals and health systems in the region and across California are in financial distress, some even teetering on financial ruin, Valley Children’s Healthcare has done everything we can to operate efficiently, invest wisely and work effectively so that we can support the children in our community that depend on us,” Hanson said.
Fresno councilmembers Garry Bredefeld and Miguel Arias allege that Valley Children’s uses hospital proceeds to fund executive salaries, claiming some of that money came from public healthcare reimbursements, like Medi-Cal.
During a news conference last week, Bredefeld called on Attorney General Rob Bonta to launch an investigation on how the state dollars are being spent.
“We are fortunate to have leaders of the caliber of our CEO Todd Suntrapak at a time when there is intense nationwide competition for them, and to have the kind of staff that provides the level of care our community has come to expect,” officials said in the letter. “We are proud of the decisions we have made and proud of what we do for our community.”
