LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — What could’ve been a quick consent item on the Clark County Commission Board’s agenda grew into a point of contention on Tuesday.
Commissioner April Becker opened a larger discussion on the approval of University Medical Center CEO Mason Van Houweling’s salary.
UMC representatives at Tuesday’s meeting confirmed Van Houweling was set to make roughly $840,000, with merit and bonuses bumping his salary beyond $1 million.
“The issue today is not the salary. The issue today is a bonus on top of the salary,” Commissioner Becker said.
The tension around the issue lies with the lingering talk of possible layoffs at UMC in relation to President Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill.
“Guess who is on that floor when my family member comes in with an emergency? It’s a nurse. It’s a doctor. It’s someone that’s on the front grounds fighting,“ Becker said.
“That really bothers me when I hear that 100 people are going to be let go. When I hear that employees at UMC are only going to be able 1-2 days. That bothers me.”
UMC did send FOX 5 a statement in regards to Van Houweling’s salary. It reads in part:
“According to an in-depth compensation survey, Van Houweling’s total compensation, including benefits, falls slightly below the 25th percentile for hospital CEOs. In addition, his salary and benefits remain comparable to those of chief executives at other large, complex public health care systems across the nation.”
“In 2025, the average UMC employee received a salary increase of 6.6 to 7.5 percent, depending on their individual performance. Van Houweling’s salary increase of 7.1 percent remains firmly in line with the average for all UMC team members.”
Among those shocked to hear what Van Houweling was set to make was Michelle Maese, the president of SEIU Local 1107.
The union represents 20,000 workers across the state of Nevada, including several employees at UMC.
“When we stood up there and then Commissioner Becker started talking and said the CEO made over $800,000 and that he was going to get an over $200,00 increase, which is about a 7% raise, I was floored,” Maese said.
“I’m thinking about our members, our LPN’s, our nurses, our CMT’s who are on unemployment right now. We have one of our members, her son has a disability and his medication costs over $300 a month and she is facing layoffs.”
Maese told FOX 5 this news came just weeks after meeting with Mason Van Houweling, who talked about possible job cuts coming, as many as 100.
“We met with Mason and his team in our office about two weeks ago and they had said that they we going to layoff about 50 of our non-union, so that’s management and above, and then they would be working their way down to our members. Which would be our RN’s, our CMT’s, our LPN’s. People were pretty panicked,” Maese said.
Among those feeling panicked were Elizabeth Bolhouse, she’s the Chief Steward of Nursing for Local 1107 as well as a pediatric ICU charge nurse who has worked at UMC for the last 26 years.
She feels that the CEO’s compensation is an example of the board of governor’s failing the hospital as a whole.
“To feel that I’m not getting the resources I need to take care of people’s loved ones. That I could be risking someone’s well being, risking my family’s well being when there actually is healthcare dollars to be spent and I’m seeing how healthcare dollars are being spent. As the Chief Steward of Nursing it’s my role to speak out against that,” Bolhouse said.
“We all want what’s best for UMC. Working at UMC, it’s in your blood. Nursing is not just a career, it’s a calling. There has been no definite postponement of layoffs but it appears we are on the right track.”
Those are Bolhouse’s thoughts following Local 1107’s meeting UMC leaders Wednesday.
Coming back to the table to reassess how everyone can move forward without anyone losing their jobs.
“They had what they called 100 bright ideas that were given to UMC for our members because if they’re on the front line every day, then why not ask them? Why not work smarter, not harder,” Maese said.
“They gave them really good suggestions on how to utilize more people and make sure that we are, again providing adequate care for our patients because that’s what they do every day. We saved jobs today. No one is getting laid off. We are very thankful for that.”
UMC’s statement to FOX 5 went on to reaffirm their commitment to working with their employees and the union to find a good solution.
That reads in part:
“As all hospitals across the nation face new challenges due to recent federal legislation, Van Houweling and UMC’s executive team continue to collaborate with their trusted team members and partners from SEIU Local 1107 to develop innovative cost-saving measures.”
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