For the last year, officials at Parkland Memorial Hospital have struggled publicly to repair problems threatening the county facility's future funding. Privately, those same officials have been trying to bolster the future paychecks of the hospital's top executives. The search for a new executive-compensation plan was conducted mostly behind the scenes. But a few hospital board members mentioned its existence in recent weeks. Board chairwoman Debbie Branson tried to assure Dallas County commissioners at a meeting last month that Parkland was not simply reinstituting bonuses for its top managers. Any future payments will be based on whether the managers meet certain objectives, she said. That includes improving patient-safety measures.
