In an era of transformation, executives are getting paid to move quickly.
Read full article >As health systems contend with rising costs and steep cuts to federal funding, the ability to drive fast and effective change has become a defining factor in how health care organizations pay their executives.
Modern Healthcare’s 2026 Executive Compensation Survey – which consists of data provided by SullivanCotter from about 2,500 health systems, hospitals, medical groups and health plans – found that while overall executive pay growth is moderating, organizations are still paying a premium for leaders who can drive enterprise transformation, strengthen succession pipelines, and navigate workforce shortages.
See how this shift is reshaping compensation strategy across the C-Suite and discover which positions organizations are making targeted investments in to ensure they can attract and retain talent capable of moving the needle.
Read the full article to explore the top five takeaways from this year’s survey:
- Compensation growth is slowing.
- Pay is rising more slowly at enterprise hospitals.
- Executives leading enterprise transformation are in high demand.
- Organizations are investing in workforce and succession planning.
- Turnover and normalization are leading to lower pay for some roles.
