Penn's Health System yields six highest-paid U. employees

The six highest-paid University employees for the 1995-96 fiscal year are all affiliated with Penn's Health System, according to federal income tax information. Medical Center & Health Systems Chief Executive Officer and Medical School Dean William Kelley's income of $867,394 is the highest in the University. Kelley's salary is "not an arbitrary figure," but is determined by the University and Health System Boards of Trustees, Health System spokesperson Rebecca Harmon said. His salary is comparable to those of top administrators at other integrated health care systems throughout the nation, including Johns Hopkins University, the Mayo Clinic and Harvard University's Massachusetts General Hospital, University spokesperson Ken Wildes said. Many Medical Center administrators and faculty, who are also associated with Penn's Medical School, earn significantly more than University President Judith Rodin. But the University pays each professor only a small amount of their total salary -- under $60,000 -- while clinical revenues form the rest of their compensation, Harmon said. "The University pays them a very small salary to perform their teaching functions," Harmon said. For example, Dermatology Professor Leonard Dzubow's $749,000 salary and Surgery Professor Steven Handler's income of $728,000 reflect their level of specialty, volume of patients and years of experience, Harmon said.