UMC’s CEO gets nearly $300K bonus as union warns of potential job cuts

Clark County commissioners on Tuesday affirmed a merit increase and incentive bonus of about $300,000 for University Medical Center’s top executive, pushing his 2025 compensation to more than $1 million.

“UMC CEO Mason Van Houweling receives commensurate compensation when compared to other hospital CEOs in Nevada and across the nation,” said Kendrick Russell, UMC’s chief human resources officer, in a statement.

The compensation package for CEO Mason Van Houweling, negotiated and initially approved by UMC’s Governing Board, includes a 7.1 percent raise and a contractual bonus of $236,371 because he met more than 90 percent of performance goals for the past fiscal year, which ended this summer.

Van Houweling’s new yearly salary, not counting any bonuses, rose from $840,000 to just over $900,000, officials said.

Russell highlighted Van Houweling’s “instrumental role in the revitalization of Nevada’s largest public hospital” over the past 11 years.

“In 2025, the average UMC employee received a salary increase of 6.6 to 7.5 percent, depending on their individual performance,” the statement said. “Van Houweling’s salary increase of 7.1 percent remains firmly in line with the average for all UMC team members.”

Possible layoffs at UMC

Before the commissioners’ 6-1 vote to ratify the pay recommendation, SEIU Local 1107 said that Van Houweling recently told the union that the hospital was considering layoffs.

Union leadership said they were told cuts could affect 50 bargaining and 50 non-bargaining workers.

“To give incentive and bonus increase of a CEO and then lay off over 50 workers, or 100 workers, it really doesn’t make sense to us,” the Las Vegas union President Michelle Maese told commissioners.

“We are confused,” she added. “We are hoping that the money just turned up or will turn up somewhere. And we want an explanation for why we are giving somebody an increase when we’re going to be laying off vital positions in our community.”

Maese said that some support staffers already were receiving unemployment benefits to make up for cut hours. She said a meeting to discuss possible layoffs with UMC was slated for Wednesday.

Commissioner April Becker pulled the item from the consent agenda for discussion. She was Tuesday’s dissenting vote.

“The issue today is not the salary, the issue today is a bonus on top of the salary,” Becker said. “When you’re telling me that you’re letting workers go, that really upsets me,” she added.

She noted that the increase will push Van Houweling’s total compensation package, including benefits, to more than $1 million.

Fiscal challenges

Russell said that hospitals across the U.S. were facing challenges related to the “One Big Beautiful Bill” that go into effect on Jan. 1.

With only months remaining, “this is no longer a hypothetical challenge,” he said.

Russell said UMC’s executives were working with the union.

“Van Houweling and his team continue to do everything in their power to minimize the need for future staffing adjustments,” Russell said. “UMC leadership is reviewing every expense and every contract, line by line, to identify opportunities for cost savings.”

Commissioners acknowledged Van Houweling’s leadership skills.

“What I hate about this whole situation is that it’s my understanding that he’s done a great job, but at some point we have to realize that this is a government public hospital,” Becker said.

Clark County was contractually obligated to pay Van Houweling’s negotiated bonus, according to county legal counsel Lisa Logsdon.

Commissioners said they would like to have more of a say in future pay discussions.

“When the bonus is more than the county manager makes, then that’s a problem,” Commission Chair Tick Segerblom said. “Not quite but close.”

Contact Ricardo Torres-Cortez at rtorres@reviewjournal.com.