$2M bonus for Valley Children’s CEO: Councilmembers want state to investigate
FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – Fresno City Councilmembers Miguel Arias and Garry Bredefeld want the state to investigate operations at Valley Children’s Hospital following the discovery that its CEO earned a bonus of $2 million in 2020.
Todd Suntrapak’s bonus in 2020 was on top of his already established salary of $1.4 million for that year.
The councilmembers say in the letter that the reports revealed a “disgraceful scheme of gross overcompensation” of Suntrapack and another 27 executives.
‘Unfounded claims’: Valley Children’s responds to $2M bonus for CEO in 2020
According to the letter, the reports found that Valley Children’s paid its roster of 28 executives $26.95 million in tax year 2021, which was nearly double comparable to other California Children’s hospitals.
The letter also states that for the tax years of 2020 and 2021, Suntrapak was paid $5.4 million, respectively, in total compensation by the hospital.
It also states that the Valley Children’s Board of Trustees authorized a $5 million forgivable loan as a retention incentive to Suntrapak that allegedly was used to purchase a house in Carmel, California.
In the tax year 2021, the most poorly paid Valley Children’s executive was over ten times the per
capita income of a City of Fresno resident, the letter stated.
‘Disturbing’ salary and bonuses at Valley Children’s Hospital: Councilmembers want investigation
Since excessive executive pay was discovered, our offices have received numerous complaints from employees and patients at Valley Children’s Hospital regarding significant operational gaps. Our deep and abiding concerns regarding the possible misuse of hospital funds, lack of transparency, disregard from board trustees, and quality of care necessitate intervention from your office.
Councilmember Miguel Arias and Councilmember Garry Bredefeld
Both Arias and Bredefeld signed the letter, requesting an investigation into the operations of Valley Children’s Hospital and its Medi-Cal receipts. You can read the full letter here.
On Wednesday, the board chair of Valley Children’s Healthcare fired back at criticism leveled at the hospital, saying the salaries and bonuses were “guided by industry standards and aimed at attracting and retaining top talent necessary to uphold our commitment to excellence in healthcare.”
