Sen. Grassley questions soaring salaries for CEOs of nonprofits

U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley said his skepticism about the nonprofit hospital industry is heightened by the large salaries some executives make running purported charities. National reports show some nonprofit hospital executives' pay approaching $10 million per year. No one in Iowa is close to that, but IRS reports show some million-dollar-plus salaries related to nonprofit hospitals here. Bill Leaver, CEO of Iowa Health System, made $1.6 million in 2009. Kevin Lofton made $2.3 million as CEO of Catholic Health Initiatives, a nonprofit hospital group based in Colorado whose systems include Mercy in Des Moines. Joseph Swedish made $3.8 million as head of Trinity Health, a Michigan-based system whose Iowa hospitals include Mercy hospitals in Clinton, Dubuque, Dyersville, Mason City, New Hampton and Sioux City. Industry supporters say nonprofit hospitals must pay enough to compete with private industry for top executives to run their complicated organizations.