Though top executives at Nashville, Tenn.-based HCA Healthcare accepted reductions in their base salaries last year, four of the company's top executives ended 2020 with higher total compensation, according to HCA's shareholder proxy statement.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, HCA executives saw their base salaries reduced by 30 percent from April 1, 2020, through June 30, 2020.
Samuel Hazen, who took over as CEO in January 2019, received a base salary of $1.3 million last year, compared to $1.4 million a year earlier. After factoring in incentive compensation, stock awards and pension benefits, Mr. Hazen's compensation totaled $30.4 million in 2020, according to the proxy statement.
HCA American Group President Jon Foster received total compensation of $8.6 million last year, up from $7.8 million in 2019. National Group President Charles Hall saw his compensation rise from $6.5 million in 2019 to nearly $7 million last year.
The company's CMO and clinical operations group president Jonathan Perlin, MD, saw his compensation rise from $6 million in 2019 to $6.5 million last year.
HCA Executive Vice President and CFO William Rutherford's total compensation dipped to $6.1 million in 2020 from $6.3 million in 2019. He saw incentive plan compensation decline year over year.
HCA's compensation committee reviews and approves executive compensation. In 2020, the committee retained the services of independent outside consultants to assist with the assessment of executive compensation, according to the proxy statement.
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