Atrium Health's 10 top executives made a combined $26.7 million in 2020, according to an annual compensation report the Charlotte health-care system released on Wednesday evening.
That marks a 3% drop compared to the combined $27.6 million in 2019, although there were 11 top executives that year. This latest report does not include Cone Health leadership.
Atrium CEO Gene Woods was at the top of the list with $7.9 million in compensation in 2020. That includes $2.8 million in base salary, $2.75 million in bonuses, $1.16 million in incentives and $1.2 million in other compensation. It's a 9% increase from last year's $7.25 million.
Second was Ninfa Saunders, the former CEO of Navicent Health. Atrium formed a strategic partnership with Georgia-based Navicent effective Jan. 1, 2019. Saunders announced her retirement in 2020 after eight years in the role. Delvecchio Finley takes over in February.
"This past year was marked by a global pandemic, a social justice revolution, an economic downturn and even a pivotal presidential election," Atrium said in the report. "Because of our strong leadership, Atrium Health has stood strong and showed extraordinary agility in navigating the unknown and unprecedented."
Atrium's diversity, inclusion and compensation committee sought third-party advisers to review compensation.
Atrium had a roller-coaster year as it fought the Covid-19 pandemic. It was forced to navigate limited supplies, abrupt changes in operations and, most recently, a massive vaccine rollout. Also this year, Atrium formed a strategic combination with Wake Forest Baptist Health and the Wake Forest School of Medicine to build Charlotte's first four-year medical school and an innovation district.
Atrium employs more than 38,000 people in the Charlotte area.
Here is a complete list of executive compensation in 2020:
- Gene Woods, chief executive — $7,906,813
- Ninfa Saunders, former CEO at Navicent — $4,159,843
- Anthony DeFurio, chief financial officer — $2,486,675
- Ken Haynes, president of greater Charlotte region — $2,232,548
- Dr. Scott Rissmiller, chief physician executive — $2,041,270
- Carol Lovin, system chief of staff — $1,734,473
- Dr. Rasu Shrestha, chief strategy and transformation officer — $1,585,969
- Jim Dunn, chief people and culture officer — $1,566,056
- Dr. Claude Moorman, president of musculoskeletal institute — $1,486,938
- Dr. Derek Raghavan, president of Levine Cancer Institute — $1,462,378
Hospital management and administration
- Michael Lutes, south market president — $957,312
- Vicki Block, central market president — $925,858
- Brian Gwyn, west market president — $904,287
- Christopher Bowe, northeast market president — $843,844
- Robert Larrison, facility executive at Carolinas Rehabilitation — $629,839