Executive Compensation at Aurora Health Care (2023)

Aurora Health Care (AHC) is a health care provider for 30 communities in eastern Wisconsin and northern Illinois with 18 hospitals, more than 150 clinics, and 70 pharmacies (note: In 2018, Aurora Health Care merged with Advocate Health Care of Illinois to form Advocate Aurora Health. And in 2022, Advocate Aurora Health and Atrium Health combined to create Advocate Health, the third-largest nonprofit integrated health system in the U.S.).  This post addresses the executive compensation at AHC.

The most recent IRS Form 990 (2023) reports the organization – a 501 (c) (3) based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin – reported total revenue of $6.8 billion, almost all of which came from “program services.”

Expenses totaled $6.5 billion (including $187 million in depreciation) concentrated in three areas: compensation ($3.5 billion), medical and other supplies ($1.1 billion), and other expenses with no detail provided ($1.1 billion). AHC  had $317 million in excess revenue which contributed to the organization’s ability to increase the net assets or fund balance from $6.6 billion in the beginning of the year to $6.9 billion at year-end.

In 2023, AHC employed 31,650 employees who were compensated $3.5 billion, which equates to an average compensation of $110,000.  60 of he most highly compensated employees reported include:

• $6,517,941:  Dominic Nakis, Director, Treasurer, Asst Treasurer*
• $6,163,738:  William Santulli, Director*
• $3,702,479:  Michael Grebe, Director, Treasurer, Secretary*
• $3,430,368:  Walter Jacobsen, Physician Surgery Neurology
• $3,383,017:  Jeffrey Bahr, Director, Chair, President, Asst Secretary*
• $3,134,763:  Dennis Potts, Director, President, EVP, VP, Asst Secretary*
• $2,973,671:  Scott Powder, Director*
• $2,754,672:  Eric Weiss, Physician
• $2,481,110:  John Crouch, Physician Surgery Cardiothoraric
• $2,427,395:  Nicholas Webber, Physician Surgery Ortho*
• $2,302,956:  Mary Beth Kingston, Director*
• $2,222,627:  Edward Hayes, Physician Perinatology
• $1,891,249:  Donald Calcagno, Director*
• $1,874,733:  Nan Nelson, Director, Treasurer, Asst Treasurer*
• $1,836,788:  Denise Keefe, Director, Chairperson, President*
• $1,774,000:  Karen Lambert, Director, VP*
• $1,731,802:  Carrie Killoran, Director, VP*
• $1,577,771:  Brad Clark, Asst Treasurer*
• $1,561,631:  Jeffrey Dallen-Bard, Director, President*
• $1,495,860:  Timothy Lineberry, Director*
• $1,286,154:  Rachelle Hart, Director, Treasurer, Secretary*
• $1,243,202:  Corey Shamah, Director*
• $1,127,934:  James Doheny, Asst Treasurer*
• $1,110,763:  Lisa Just, Director, VO*
• $1,021,342:  Jessica Bauer, Director, President, VP*
• $  958,820:  Peter Carlson, Director, President*
• $  932,308:  Ajay Sahajpal, Director
• $  901,466:  Carrie Donovan, Asst Treasurer*
• $  887,353:  Basal Salaymeh, Director
• $  878,136:  Steve Huser, Asst Treasurer*
• $  861,767:  Michael Kerns, Asst Secretary*
• $  823,811:  James Slinkman, Assistant Secretary*
• $  822,278:  Thomas Puetz, Director*
• $  781,860:  Shaibal Mazumdar, Director*
• $  778,602:  Amit Acharya, Director, President
• $  767,579:  Jane Dus, Director*
• $  747,202:  Holly Scamidtke, President
• $  733,380:  Sue Dwyer, Assistant Treasurer*
• $  688,895:  Alvia Siddiqi, Director*
• $  658,032:  Jon Richards, Director, Vice Chairperson*
• $  537,349:  Rachel Halverson, Assistant Treasurer*
• $  497,819:  Nicole Salvo, Director*
• $  492,476:  Jacob Bidwell, Director, Chairperson, Presiden
• $  473,346:  Jeffrey Katt, Director*
• $  468,365:  Natasha Hernandez, Director*
• $  464,446:  Jessica Small, Director, President
• $  450,648:  Scott Hardin, Director*
• $  449,584:  Scott Fenske, Director*
• $  410,891;  Wilhelm Lehmann, Director*
• $  408,729:  David Hamel, Director*
• $  356,259:  Robin Stoen, Assistant Treasurer*
• $  347,536:  Katherine Kenner, Assistant Secretary*
• $  311,173:  Keyonna Taylor-Coleman, Director*
• $  304,325:  Michael Volante, Assistant Treasurer*
• $  277,131:  Mark Robinson, Director*
• $  270,418:  Ina Owens, Director*
• $  242,701:  Steven Robinson, Director
• $  239,045:  Colleen Nichols, Director*
• $  221,220:  Gabrielle Finley-Hazle, Director, President
• $  206,770:  Jennifer Seidl, Director

The 60 highly compensated employees listed above received more than $80 million in compensation in 2023. 35 of the 60 (58%) are male while 25 of the 60 (42%)  are female.

The 3 most highly compensated employees received nearly $60 million in compensation from 2017-2023:

Dominic J Nakis:  Total Compensation 2017-2023:  $22 million

• 2023:  $6,517,941
• 2022:  $2,518,665
• 2021:  $2,480,331
• 2020:  $2,224,385
• 2019:  $2,595,828:
• 2018:  $2,689.841
• 2017:  $2,053,139

William P Santulli:  Total Compensation 2017-2023:  $27 million

• 2023:  $6,164,738
• 2022:  $3,319,760
• 2021:  $3,328,224
• 2020:  $2,999,669
• 2019:  $3,438,990
• 2018:  $4,015,559
• 2017:  $3,933,829

Michael Grebe:  Total Compensation 2018-2023:  $9 million

• 2023:  $3,702,479
• 2022:  $1,470,945
• 2021:  None Listed
• 2020:  $1,313,006
• 2019:  $1,560,158
• 2018:  $1,086,072

To read the IRS Form 990 for Aurora Heath Care Inc, click here.