Mechanic to doctor wearing hearing aids picking up his car: “I couldn’t get your brakes fixed so I made your horn louder.”

The California Drought

Cartoon in the Sacramento BEE: Two men with guns approach a lady watering her lawn: YOUR GRASS DIES OR YOU DIE.

Administrators Get Paid More

So not only are there more administrators than doctors but it turns out they get paid more too. “The base pay of insurance executives, hospital executives and even hospital administrators often far outstrips doctors’ salaries, according to an analysis performed for The New York Times”. When someone asks you what is wrong with our healthcare system you can start by pointing this out. Personally, I want to puke.

C.E.O. of health/disability insurance firms:           $583,700
Hospital C.E.O.:                                                                    $386,000
Hospital administrator:                                                   $236,800
General physician:                                                             $185,000
Family-practice physician:                                             $165,300
Physical therapist:                                                              [TEXT]nbsp; 78,100
Audiologist:                                                                          [TEXT]nbsp; 72,600
Staff nurse:                                                                           [TEXT]nbsp; 61,900
Emergency medical technician

COMMENT

Bill Ameen

These figures are right on and a national disgrace. The teaching hospital closest to us (we’re owned by another one) just laid off another few hundred after 900 last year. The CEO, surprisingly a doctor, makes >$2,300,000 including his perks like country club membership. He should be ashamed to show his face in public except, of course, at the country club! (Our owner is laying off quite a few too but of course none at the upper echelon. Seems like a MBA is a magic shield.)

John Stewart, MD

Speaking of non-docs making a lot of cash, did you notice this week that our old buddy John Edwards is back at what he does best-suing doctors. Thirteen million dollar settlement.
Maybe he can afford another love child with a cinematographer while he runs for president.
World’s richest ambulance chaser, and to think he aspired to be the leader of the free world.

To read more HHK . . . 
To read more HMC . . .

Feedback . . .
Subscribe MedicalTuesday . . .
Subscribe HealthPlanUSA . . .

Hippocrates and His Kin / Hippocrates Modern Colleagues
The Challenges of Yesteryear, Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow