Documents show how Valley Children's CEO pay compares to other hospital leaders

MADERA COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- Tax documents show how the salary of Valley Children's CEO compares to other regional hospital systems across the Valley.

The documents reveal that many of those hospital leaders make far less than the CEO of Valley Children's in Madera.

Todd Suntrapak is facing criticism this week amid reports about his pay.

Two Fresno City Council members calling for an investigation into what they call an "astonishingly excessive" salary.

According to tax documents obtained by Action News, Suntrapak received more than $5.1 million in compensation in 2021.

A breakdown of his benefits shows a $1.7 million base salary with an additional $3.4 million in bonuses and more.

The hospital also gave Suntrapak a $5-million loan as part of a retention plan.

Reports say the loan was used to purchase a home in Carmel.

Dr. Ge Bai is a professor at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland, where she researches nonprofit hospitals for the Carey Business School.

She says loans as part of a compensation package for executives are not uncommon.

"I would definitely say - I think it's safe to say this level of compensation is not on the low end," said Dr. Bai.

In an interview with Action News on Thursday, Dr. Bai said the situation at Valley Children's deserves attention.

"I think the local community should wake up. This is a wake-up call to the local community because they have been subsidizing the hospital. Maybe many of them don't even know," explained Dr. Bai.

Action News compared Valley Children's tax documents to those from other nonprofit hospitals around the Valley and the state for the fiscal year starting in 2021.

That comparison shows that Suntrapak's $5.1 million compensation is higher.

At Community Medical Center here in Fresno, President Craig Castro makes $2.4 million in total.

At Saint Agnes, former president and CEO Nancy Hollingsworth made about $900,000, but she was not even the highest-paid executive at the hospital.

The president and CEO of Stanford University's Lucile Packard Children's Hospital makes about $2.4 million.

With base pay, bonuses, and other compensation, the CEO of Children's Hospital Los Angeles makes about the same as Suntrapak's base salary of $ 1.7 million.

Valley Children's did not respond to Action News' request for comment on Thursday.

It's unclear how or why Valley Children's and Suntrapak agreed on a $5-million package.

But Dr. Bai says any compensation package Suntrpak received would have to be approved by the board at Valley Children's.

"Because it's the board who negotiates, who decides the compensation package," said Dr. Bai.

While Valley Children's did not respond Thursday, board chair Michael Hanson did release a statement on Wednesday, writing:

"The Central Valley has built one of the nation's premier children's hospitals. In doing so, we have recruited and retained some of America's best executives, caregivers and team members. As such, the quality of our care and the fiscal management of our organization is - and continues to be - best in class."

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