Valley Children’s CEO now has 24-hour security at home, citing threats amid pay controversy
“The authorities were contacted,” a hospital spokesperson says. The nonprofit Valley Children's Hospital in Madera County is paying for 24-hour security at CEO Todd Suntrapak’s home in Fresno, citing non-specific threats made against him amid public criticism of his $5.1 million annual pay package. The hospital's most vocal critics, Miguel Arias and Garry Bredefeld, have argued that Suntarapak should be paying for his own security if he needs it. Since finding out that Suntsrapak and other Valley Children’’�s executives were being paid millions of dollars, The Bee has asked for an interview with Suntrapeak several times but he has declined. The criticism has led to public backlash, with Arias calling for a state investigation into the hospital's finances.
Published : a month ago by Erik Galicia, Tim Sheehan in Business
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The nonprofit Valley Children’s Hospital in Madera County is paying for 24-hour security at CEO Todd Suntrapak’s home in Fresno, the hospital said Tuesday, citing non-specific threats made against him amid public criticism of his $5.1 million annual pay package.
“He received threats,” Valley Children’s spokesperson Zara Arboleda told The Fresno Bee. “We spoke to the authorities and security is in place for the time being.”
Arboleda would not elaborate on the nature of the threats or the possible sources, but she said the hospital reported the threats to local authorities. The Bee has requested any pertinent incident reports or other records from the Fresno Police Department.
The hospital’s most vocal critics on the Fresno City Council, Miguel Arias and Garry Bredefeld, who are often at opposite ends of the political spectrum on issues, told The Bee on Tuesday that Suntrapak should be paying for his own security, if he needs it.
Since finding out that Suntrapak and other Valley Children’s executives were being paid millions of dollars, The Bee has requested an interview with Suntrapak on multiple occasions, but the CEO has declined through Arboleda. The hospital has responded to criticism through a prepared statement and a separate news release that each defend Suntrapak as appropriately paid because of Valley Children’s success as one of the nation’s top children’s hospitals.
Valley Children’s is the largest children’s hospital between Los Angeles and San Francisco, with more than 70% of those treated enrolled in Medi-Cal, the state’s insurance program for low income people. The hospital is also known for its fundraising efforts at local fast food restaurants and events in which people raise money by selling newspapers on the street, known as Kids’ Day, which The Fresno Bee has sponsored.
Responding to questions about whether his and Bredefeld’s hard-line criticism has led to threats against Suntrapak, Arias said that idea rings hollow.
Arias and Bredefeld condemned any threats made against the CEO, but they continued to criticize the hospital’s spending. “I find it a complete misuse of hospital proceeds to provide private security to someone who lives in the wealthiest neighborhood of our city and who has the means to provide for their own security,” Arias said.
Bredefeld told The Bee that as a public official he has paid for his own private security when he felt it was needed.
“I would encourage the leadership of Valley Children’s to reflect on why their actions are generating such public anger and the goodwill and trust they had with the public has been so damaged,” Bredefeld said.
Arboleda did not provide an official response to the councilmembers comments on Tuesday.
Two weeks ago, various news outlets reported Valley Children’s was compensating Suntrapak more than $5.1 million annually between 2020 and 2022, putting him into an uncomfortable spotlight over his pay. He faced a public backlash that included calls from Arias and Bredefeld for a state investigation into the hospital’s finances.
Valley Children’s, its executive employees and Board of Trustees members also have faced criticism on social media from community members who think the hospital’s executive compensation packages are excessive for an institution that treats so many children from low income families.
The hospital’s latest available nonprofit federal tax filing also shows Suntrapak received a $5 million “loan for residence as a retention incentive in lieu of other compensation.” The terms and exact purpose of the loan aren’t clear from the tax filing, but Monterey County property records show Suntrapak bought a $6.5 million home in Carmel in 2022.
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