1. Provide the title of your story or series and the names of the journalists involved.
A Survey Of Not-For-Profit Hospital CEO Salaries. Written by Ron Shinkman.
2. List date(s) this work was published or aired.
June 2010.
3. Provide a brief synopsis of the story or stories, including any significant findings.
This story examined and analyzed the compensation of more than 100 CEOs of not-for-profit hospitals in California. The total average compensation was more than $730,000 a year, raising questions as to whether pay was excessive and whether the institutions were providing enough charity care to the surrounding communities.
4. Explain types of documents, data or Internet resources used. Were FOI or public records act requests required? How did this affect the work?
Tax returns (IRS Form 990) were used for this story, obtained from the website Guidestar.org. Financial information was also obtained from the website of the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development, California's regulatory agency for hospitals(www.oshpd.ca.gov).
5. Explain types of human sources used.
Compensation and charity care experts were interviewed, along with hospital spokespeople and human resources personnel.
6. Results (if any).
The report showed that California's non-profit hospital CEOs are extremely highly compensated, with many earning more than $1 million a year, and some earning millions of dollars a year.
7. Follow-up (if any). Have you run a correction or clarification on the report or has anyone come forward to challenge its accuracy? If so, please explain.
A post-publication analysis of the data compiled resulted in the changing of the total compensation total from $737,000 to $732,000 per year. However, the overall veracity of the report has not been challenged.
8. Advice to other journalists planning a similar story or project.
Read Form 990s thoroughly. One return revealed a self-dealing disclosure involving the CEO of a hospital in Southern California. It turned out he owned a bill collection form that worked on behalf of the hospital he ran. This lead to another story, and followup by a major investigative website that led to a front-page story of the Riverside (CA) Press-Enterprise.