Some Saint Thomas Execs Get Hefty Raises

By Walter F. Roche Jr.

The former head of Saint Thomas Health got a 40 percent pay boost in the last fiscal year pushing his total income and benefit package to a little over $2.7 million, tax records show.
The tax return or 990 for Saint Thomas Health and related corporations show Michael Schatzlein's salary and benefits jumped by more than $700,000 in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2015. Saint Thomas officials released a copy of the return last week.
In addition to Schatzlein, who has since taken on the role of senior vice president for Ascension Health, Saint Thomas' parent, Karen Springer an executive vice president for Saint Thomas saw her pay and benefits boosted by more than $235,000 to a total of $824,355, also a 40 percent hike.
Other top earners, according to the return, include physicians Stephen Fahrig at $1,160,371, Vafa Mansour at $1,216,961 and Joseph Boyd at $1,226,903. James Baker 2nd's salary and benefits dipped to $1,039,214 from the prior year's total of $1,299,159, the return shows.
Saint Thomas Health, the parent for the five hospital Saint Thomas system reported revenue of $278.7 million with expenses of $283,974,446 for a more than $5 million deficit. That compares to a $15.4 million deficit at the end of the prior year.
Two Saint Thomas hospitals, however, showed substantial year end surpluses. Saint Thomas Midtown had revenue top expenses by nearly $48.2 million while Saint Thomas West reported revenue topping expenses by $56.2 million.
Both of those hospitals also reported year end balances in the prior fiscal year with Saint Thomas Midtown reporting a $39.6 million year end balance and Saint Thomas West reporting a $67.8 million year end total.
The Saint Thomas Outpatient Neurosurgical Center, which is the defendant in several pending suits stemming from the deadly 2012 fungal meningitis outbreak, is half owned by the Saint Thomas Health Network, another affiliated firm.
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