Report 2011-113 Recommendation 1 Responses

Report 2011-113: Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System: Increased Transparency and Stronger Controls Are Necessary as It Focuses on Improving Its Financial Situation (Release Date: March 2012)

Recommendation #1 To: Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System

To provide members of the public with opportunities to meaningfully participate in board meetings regarding executive compensation matters, and to hold the board accountable for its decisions on these matters, the Health Care System should develop a formal policy that establishes a process for determining executive compensation, including retirement benefits, that clearly documents all executive compensation decisions.

6-Month Agency Response

The board adopted an executive compensation policy in July 2012 that defines the Health Care System's process for establishing executive compensation and requires that compensation, including benefits, for the CEO shall be approved by the board in open sessions of board meetings. Similarly, this policy requires that the board approve salary scales and benefits for executives other than the CEO in open sessions. The policy also specifies that the CEO has the authority to set salaries for other executives and must report the salaries he or she sets to the board. (See 2013-406, p. 81)

California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Fully Implemented

All Recommendations in 2011-113

Agency responses received after June 2013 are posted verbatim.