Pediatric specialists a huge issue at Jackson Health System

In 2007, two highly trained pediatric specialists left Jackson Memorial Hospital, lured to a children's hospital in Texas that doubled their salaries. The 2007 departures of two pediatric specialists—University of Miami faculty members in the field of pediatric cardiac anesthesiology—led to an informal agreement between UM and Jackson that seemed to benefit both. Five years later, UM says Jackson, the financially struggling public healthcare system, still owes it $432,000 under the arrangement. Pediatric cardiac anesthesiologists earn, on average, $500,000 to $600,000 a year, roughly twice the pay of regular anesthesiologists because of their training.