Most people are embarrassed to talk about how much they're paid. However my salary has been a matter of considerable interest to the media for the past couple of weeks and I am sure by now that most of you have read about my compensation. Salary disclosure has been part of the public sector for 15 years now, a decision which was made to increase transparency and accountability for the expenditure of public dollars- I have no quarrel with that concept, nor with the reasoning behind the decision. Each day we spend tax dollars and we are accountable for spending this money wisely to deliver the best and safest care to patients, teach the health care professionals of the future and conduct research to enable better treatment for future patients.
There is also discussion of pay for performance (P4P), a concept which UHN's Board of Trustees and the senior team embrace because we've been living this model for some time now. The indicators on our balanced scorecard reflect the goals of P4P – increase the quality and safety of care while holding the line on the healthcare costs. We are advising the government around the concept of balance and enabling organizations to work towards the government's indicators in a way that ensures that the needs of all patients are met within the framework of the indicators. The government has also enabled a salary freeze for the broader public sector, indicating that contracts will be respected but that the expectation is that all organizations will hold the line on salary increases. This is a reflection of the fact that we are in a time of economic challenge and that costs must be contained.
As you know, UHN knows that the major asset for our patients is our people and we are committed to keeping our people working here. We have had a hiring freeze in place for some time now and worked hard to move people around the organization if positions are lost. We will continue with this policy and with the decision that management salaries are frozen for the foreseeable future.
I am deeply committed to the publicly funded Canadian healthcare system and think that UHN is the best research hospital in the country. I am proud to be the CEO of UHN, grateful that our Board has chosen to pay me very well and honoured to work with all of you. If you have any questions about how I get paid please address them on the corporate intranet.
Bob
