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See how much Philly-area health systems paid their CEOs in 2022

Top pay went to former Thomas Jefferson University CEO Stephen K. Klasko topped the list thanks to a $5 million retention payment.

Former Thomas Jefferson University CEO Stephen K. Klasko, shown here in October 2021, was the region's top-paid nonprofit health-system CEO in 2022.
Former Thomas Jefferson University CEO Stephen K. Klasko, shown here in October 2021, was the region's top-paid nonprofit health-system CEO in 2022.Read moreTOM GRALISH / Staff Photographer

Stephen K. Klasko’s $8 million payout from Thomas Jefferson University in 2022 set a record and made him the highest-paid CEO at a Philadelphia region nonprofit health system that year.

Klasko, who retired at the end of 2021, received nearly $1 million in severance and a $5 million retention payment, according the Jefferson’s latest tax return. The executive remained as an adviser at Jefferson through June 2022. It’s not unusual for CEO payments to appear on nonprofit tax returns after they’ve left the organization.

» READ MORE: Jefferson paid its former CEO a record $8 million in 2022

For its review of how much CEOs of nonprofit health systems made in 2022, The Inquirer examined the latest 990 tax returns of 20 nonprofit health systems, up from 13 in last year’s review. The new survey covers 10 health systems with operations concentrated in Southeastern Pennsylvania, seven in South Jersey and two in northern Delaware.

Second to Klasko in the ranking for 2022 was Maghazehe, who has been CEO of Mercer County’s Capital Health since 1998. His pay totaled $5.25 million, including a $1 million bonus and $2.79 million in long-term compensation.

Next, CHOP’s Bell received $3.7 million — $4 million less than her compensation in 2021, when her pay included a $5.6 million bonus based on both one- and three-year goals. In 2022, Bell’s bonus was $1.6 million.