Saint Thomas CEO Drew Top Salary

By Walter F. Roche Jr.

The former CEO at Nashville's Saint Thomas health care companies drew the largest salary for the second year in a row, according to tax returns for the organizations.
The tax return, known as a 990, showed Michael Schatzlein, drew salary, bonuses and other benefits totaling just under $2 million. He also drew a supplemental retirement payment valued at $179,379.
Schatzlein moved on to an executive post at Saint Thomas' parent company, Ascension Health, in July of last year.
Schatzlein's successor, Karen Springer, drew pay and benefits totaling $588,581 in the year before her promotion.
In the prior fiscal year Schatzlein earned salary, benefits and bonuses totaling just over $2 million.
The tax return covers the fiscal year ending June 30, 2014.
Other top earners at Saint Thomas include physicians James Baker 2nd, Joseph Boyd and Vafa Mansouri, all of whom collected salaries and benefits for more than $1 million.
Former executive vice president Wesley Littrell was paid $570,266, including a $480,256 severance payment. He also got $71,292 in supplemental retirement payments.
Former executive vice president Alan Strauss collected $745,241 in salary and benefits plus $8,236 in supplemental retirement.
Others topping $1 million in salary and benefits, according to the return, were physicians Mark Koenig and Stephen Fahrig.
The returns show revenue for the fiscal year dropped from $462.3 million to $434 million at Saint Thomas West and from $421.2 million to $407.8 million at Saint Thomas Midtown.
Revenues at Saint Thomas Rutherford were $249 million, down from $252  million the year before.