Debate on Incentive Pay at U. of California Medical Centers

The University of California Board of Regents is expected this week to approve incentive pay of $3.1 million for executives at the university's medical centers, and once again the university is being criticized for the extra funds it offers senior administrators, The San Francisco Chronicle reported. University officials say that the incentive pay rewards officials who met certain goals and that these goals improve patient care. But unions representing health care workers say that the administrators are being rewarded in part for efficiency, which leads to policies that result in understaffing of nurses. While incentive pay also is awarded to the rank and file, the unions note the gap between the average incentive payment to an administrator ($81,579) and everyone else ($1,391).