Documents uncover local hospital executives' massive salaries

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Recently released documents uncovered huge new salaries for the top executives at Carolinas Healthcare System.

The records also uncovered huge salaries for more than a dozen of the nonprofits' other executives.

Within the past five years, Carolina's Healthcare System said the number of its hospitals has increased from 20 to 38.

Revenue has increased from $4.1 billion in 2008 to $7.5 billion last year.

Two of the top executives received double-digit raises. 

Mike Tarwater received a total compensation of $4.7 million in 2012.  That's an increase of about 11 percent from the year before.

Chief Operating Officer Joe Piedmont earned $2.8 million, which is up 12 percent from a year ago.

Carolina's Healthcare System said it pays so much because salaries are performance based.

A third top executive, Chief Financial Officer Greg Gombar, made more than $1.8 million.

Of the 18 executives Channel 9 reviewed, the lowest compensation was still more than $260,000.

Carolina's Healthcare System is a non-profit that runs Carolinas Medical Center and dozens of hospitals in the region.