By: R. Kotkin
The NY Post ran an investigative report into the salaries of executives running Nonprofit nursing homes.
Nursing homes have been under a microscope lately. States like Pennsylvania and North Carolina are seeing majorities of virus deaths at nursing homes. NY from the start of the pandemic has had issue after issue with nursing homes, after the Governor started sending seniors who were dismissed from hospitals to quarantine at nursing homes. Cuomo recently admitted this was an error and laid out new safety requirements for nursing homes. It is well known these nursing homes were not equipped to handle an increase of residents, especially ones recovering from coronavirus
Approximately two-thirds of nursing homes in the United States are operated by private, for-profit firms, while another 25 percent are owned by not-for-profits and 10 percent are operated by the government, according to the AGS foundation. The public perception is that nonprofit nursing homes are better operated than for profit nursing homes. However as “how stuff works” points out; because for-profit homes depend upon customer satisfaction in order to get new residents, they may be very well-run. And just because a not-for-profit or governmental group has its name on the letterhead does not mean you will get great care. These groups may lend their name to the nursing home, while actual day-to-day management is done by an outside company.
The NY Post reported: The heads of five homes had pay packages that neared $1 million or topped it, according to a review of 2018 tax filings for the facilities, the latest available.
The publication zeroed on Daniel Reingold, the CEO of the Hebrew Home in Riverdale. He is the highest paid CEO of a nonprofit nursing home in the city
Reingold took in: $1.5 million including a salary of $833,930, a bonus of $197,910 and “other compensation” of $412,947, making him the highest-paid administrator of the city’s nonprofit facilities. 25 virus deaths have been tied to Hebrew Home.
The Post also pointed out: Scott LaRue, who heads ArchCare, the Archdiocese of New York’s nursing home network, had a compensation package worth $1.47 million including a salary of $829,452, a $222,834 bonus and retirement payout of $109,591. His salary was 13% higher than the previous year.
They also reported: Alexander Balko, who heads the Metropolitan Jewish Health System, got a $1 million salary and a bonus of $200,000, plus $66,877 in other compensation and $124,000 in deferred compensation and other unspecified benefits. Another Jewish nursing home made the list: The salary and benefits for Michael Rosenblut, president of the Parker Jewish Institute in Queens, came to $1.2 million in 2018. The state said 53 residents of the 527-bed home had died of COVID-19 as of Wednesday. A spokeswoman did not return a call for comment.
Because of the recent exposés into NY Nursing home and Cuomo’s own misteps, the governor recently announced he will issue an Executive Order mandating that all nursing homes and adult care facilities test all personnel for COVID-19 two times per week and report any positive test results to the State Department of Health by the next day. The Executive Order also mandates that hospitals cannot discharge a patient to a nursing home unless that patient tests negative for COVID-19.
