Archive for Thursday, May 22, 2008
LMH chief gets positive review
May 22, 2008
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The top executive for Lawrence Memorial Hospital received a positive annual review from hospital board members on Wednesday and was given a raise that puts his salary above $400,000 per year.
Gene Meyer, LMH president and CEO, was given high marks as the hospital works to complete a $50 million expansion project that has included a new emergency room and other improvements to the main campus at Third and Maine streets.
“With all the issues that occur with such a major expansion, the performance of the hospital continued to be outstanding,” said Joe Flannery, president of the board of trustees for the not-for-profit hospital.
Meyer received a 3.65 percent raise that increased his annual salary to $409,935. The 3.65 percent was the same percentage increase given to general employees of the hospital, Flannery said.
Flannery cited low staff turnover rates, increased patient visits and growing hospital revenues as signs that Meyer was providing strong leadership to the hospital.
LMH in 2007 posted revenues of $137.2 million, and had revenues over expenses of $14.1 million. Both figures were up from 2006.
In other news from Wednesday’s hospital board meeting:
• Hospital leaders are beginning to again talk of building a parking deck on the west side of the hospital to ease a parking crunch.
Meyer said a new deck would add about 130 spaces to the main campus but would create parking problems during the five months the facility was being constructed. Board members took no action on moving forward with the project.
Meyer said hospital executives are looking at the deck option — which has been mentioned for several years — after exploring other ideas. Meyer said the idea of building a parking garage on the site of a city-owned baseball field just north of the hospital had been explored. Meyer said it would be necessary for the hospital to replace the field. He said he had taken a preliminary look at about 10 acres of property that is for sale along Michigan Street several blocks north of the hospital as a possible site for a new ballfield or park.
• Two neurosurgeons from St. Francis Medical Center in Topeka have agreed to begin performing spine surgery at LMH, Meyer said. The hospital has been unable to provide spine surgery for about four years, Meyer said.
• LMH will explore the possibility of joining the Midwest Cancer Alliance, board members were told. The alliance is a group of healthcare providers that have banded together to share information on cancer treatment techniques, clinical trials, and to provide second-opinion services. Meyer and other hospital leaders will meet with alliance leaders next month.
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22 May 2008 at 7:43 a.m.
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Homey (Anonymous) says…
Thank you nurses, physicians, trustees and administration of LMH. You have made our little community hospital one of the best in the nation. Gene Meyer was a great hire. Don't lose him to one of those Kansas City systems!
22 May 2008 at 9:21 a.m.
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BigPrune (Anonymous) says…
Shouldn't Mr. Meyer be required to live in Lawrence since LMH is owned by the freaking City?
22 May 2008 at 9:32 a.m.
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geniusmannumber1 (Anonymous) says…
“Shouldn't Mr. Meyer be required to live in Lawrence since LMH is owned by the freaking City?”
Why? I don't see the connection. It's not like the city is doing him some kind of favor.
22 May 2008 at 10:31 a.m.
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lawrencechick (Anonymous) says…
Actually, it was my understanding LMH gets no money from the city at all.
22 May 2008 at 11:08 a.m.
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BigPrune (Anonymous) says…
“It's not like the city is doing him some kind of favor.”
It gave him his job!
22 May 2008 at 11:19 a.m.
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Kam_Fong_as_Chin_Ho (Anonymous) says…
Shouldn't Mr. Meyer be required to live in Lawrence since LMH is owned by the freaking City?
=======
Of course not. Would you like it if your employer told you where you can or can't buy a house?
22 May 2008 at 12:24 p.m.
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dialupandy (Andrew Stahmer) says…
I have to go over to LMH a few times a week…the vending machine and cafeteria prices have shot up recently. Am I complaining for myself? No. There are plenty of family members at LMH being forced to pay those prices or leave their loved ones to find cheaper pop & snacks. Mr. Meyer, could you do something…it'd be nice for those family members not have to find more quarters so vending machines can pay your increasing paycheck. I'd have no problem even paying more myself now if it meant those litte convinences could be cheaper for the folks who already have enough on their minds.
22 May 2008 at 12:28 p.m.
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Bassetlover (Anonymous) says…
LMH receives no funds from the city. Their CEO can live anywhere he darn well chooses. Why would anyone care where he lives? He has done a phenomenal job of turning that hospital around and he is deserving of the salary. Hospital CEO's in KC make much more so let's not begrudge him what he is paid here.
22 May 2008 at 6:17 p.m.
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commuter (Anonymous) says…
Some jobs and employers do require certain employees to live in an area. As the top employee of LMH, I would prefer him living in Lawrence instead of Olathe. He chose to live there because of his wife and her job. Doesn't this give anyone a clue that the Lawrence job market sucks.
22 May 2008 at 6:19 p.m.
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kansasrose (Anonymous) says…
Over $400,000? He's swanked up the hospital for sure. I've always received wonderful care there, but until the hospital acknowledges and provides adequate inpatient mental health care, I'll have a hard time praising its' leaders. Too many Lawrence residents have to drive out of town for this kind of care.
22 May 2008 at 6:28 p.m.
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Homey (Anonymous) says…
Shouldn't Mr. Meyer be required to live in Lawrence since LMH is owned by the freaking City?
No. According to the press his wife works in Lees Summit, so he clearly moved to shorten her commute. The City doesn't give a dime to the hospital. However, even if it did no uber qualified employee should have his/her residency dictated as a term of employment unless it impacts the quality of his/her performance. If the LJWorld had not decided to publish his residency you would never have had any indication of a change based upon job performance. Since his move, the hospital has become MORE profitiable — not less. The quality indicators reported at CMS have improved — not declined. So clearly living in the City has nothing to do with performance. By all objective measures the Trustees hired the right person and he's doing the right job. Why run him down about where he lives? Would you really care if Bill Self lived in Cedar Creek? I wouldn't as long as he has success at Kansas. Mr. Meyer can sleep in a tent in Tonganoxie for all I care — as long as he keeps performing this well.
23 May 2008 at 1:50 a.m.
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KEITHMILES05 (Anonymous) says…
Hospital chiefs must be paid very, very, very, very, very well if LMH guy get over 400 grand. I can't even imagine what KC and Topeka head people make. Whew.
23 May 2008 at 6:02 a.m.
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Homey (Anonymous) says…
Hospital chiefs must be paid very, very, very, very, very well if LMH guy get over 400 grand.
Yes they do check out http://www.guidestar.org/ and read the tax returns for the Kansas City and Topeka not for profit Hospitals — all of which have to report the salaries of their directors and CEOs. The best CEOs have unique skills that command top pay as indicate in this dated quote from USA Today.
“Median cash compensation in 2003 for hospital system CEOs was $625,000, according to a survey in the trade publication Modern Healthcare. Pay at stand-alone hospitals was less, with a median of $341,000, the survey said. Financial disclosure forms for the largest systems and those that are well-known, show:”
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries…
That was five years ago. Clearly Mr. Meyer's salary is not out of line — particularly in light of what a great hospital we have today. Compare our hospital to what it was under the former CEO — its comparable to the difference between the Jayhawks under Self versus Owens. Both former leaders where nice guys but I would pay a lot more to keep Self — the Trustees rightly feel the same way about Meyers.