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Tag: Thomas Jefferson University

  • How much did Philly-area nonprofit health system CEOs make in 2024?

    How much did Philly-area nonprofit health system CEOs make in 2024?

    Jefferson’s Joseph G. Cacchione ranked as the highest-paid CEO at the Philadelphia region’s nonprofit health systems in 2024, with total compensation of $7 million, according to The Inquirer’s annual review of public tax forms.

    Madeline Bell at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia collected $5.5 million in 2024, giving her the number two spot.

    Both also were top earners in The Inquirer’s 2023 compensation analysis. Jefferson is the largest system based here, both by revenue and number of hospitals, with 33 stretching from South Jersey to near Scranton. CHOP is among the nation’s top-ranked children’s hospitals.

    Janice Nevin at ChristianaCare joined the ranks of the top five. She received $3.5 million, about the same pay as the region’s fourth highest earner, Al Maghezehe at Capital Health, which has a network of outpatient clinics in Bucks County and two hospitals in Mercer County. Maghezehe’s compensation stands out because Capital had by far the lowest revenue among the systems with the 10 highest-paid CEOs.

    A couple of CEOs who left their positions before 2024 continued collecting long-term compensation, as is common in the industry.

    Most notably, Jefferson’s former CEO Stephen K. Klasko collected just over $1 million in 2024. He retired at the end of 2021, but remained an adviser through June 2022. The 2024 payment brought his total through 2024 to $48.7 million for 8½ years as CEO.

    Lori Herndon left AtlantiCare in June 2023. Her compensation the following year was $1.3 million.

    Other CEOs left during 2024, making it possible they will be listed in the next round of 990s. Those executives include Donald Mueller at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children, Michael Laign at Redeemer Health, and Ronald W. Johnson at Shore Medical.

    Here’s a look at the numbers from The Inquirer’s review of the latest 990 tax returns of 20 nonprofit health systems, covering 11 health systems with operations concentrated in Southeastern Pennsylvania, seven in South Jersey, and two in northern Delaware:

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  • Philadelphia is shrinking the rideshare virtual border around FIFA Fan Festival

    Philadelphia is shrinking the rideshare virtual border around FIFA Fan Festival

    The city is rolling back its geofence border around the FIFA Fan Festival to reduce the number of residential areas blocked from using rideshare.

    The Philadelphia Office of Transportation and Infrastructure Systems (OTIS) announced Thursday that it would shrink the geofence to exclude large residential buildings on Pennsylvania Avenue.

    The geofence, which blocks people within its borders from using rideshare services like Uber and Lyft, will now shrink to the south of Aspen Street, about half a block from its original border at 25th and Meredith Streets.

    “We’re continuing to work with the community, elected officials, and operational partners to improve the experience for everyone, including residents impacted by Lemon Hill festivities,” an OTIS spokesperson said.

    Additionally, four blocks in Fairmount had been designated for rideshare pickups and drop-offs, but OTIS is reducing rideshare zones to two, allowing for more parking for permitted residents.

    The rideshare pickup/drop-off zones are now located only near Eastern State Penitentiary, at 23rd Street and Fairmount Avenue, and the 2200 block of Fairmount Avenue.

    This was well-received news for residents who live in the area and have been concerned about the geofence’s restriction on residents with mobility issues.

    Paul Stewart, an 86-year-old resident who lives in one of the large apartment buildings that initially had been geofenced, relies on Uber to visit his doctor at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. But last week, when he planned to head to an appointment, he found he could not call a rideshare.

    “The geofence that includes my building and all the businesses in the immediate area will continue for 39 days,” Stewart said before the geofence rollback. “Many people take Uber to and from the restaurants and bars in this neighborhood so that they can have a few drinks and not worry about driving drunk.”

    Geofencing these large residential buildings and blocks was hindering everyday life, Stewart said. Now, he said, residents will be able to go about their business as they normally would.

    The geofence reduction is just one of the adjustments the city has been making as it manages the traffic and fans around the FIFA Fan Festival in Lemon Hill. Since at least May, residents have been requesting traffic-calming measures on residential blocks. The Philadelphia Parking Authority and OTIS installed additional barricades and signage last week.

  • There’s a new cafe in Manayunk serving samosas and viral dot cakes

    There’s a new cafe in Manayunk serving samosas and viral dot cakes

    In 2022, Smit Patel was a freshman at Thomas Jefferson University selling Indian Chipotle-style bowls in his apartment kitchen for students on campus. Now, the 22-year-old is whipping up viral dot cakes cups and Dubai chocolate lattes in his new cafe in Manayunk.

    Patel, with his friend Ojas Patel (no relation), opened Saffron Cafe on 4331 Main Street in May.

    Murals decorate Saffron Cafe in Manayunk.Hira Qureshi

    The 1800-square-foot cafe is filled with marble tables, cushioned chairs, and faux leather couches for customers looking to settle in for hours. The beige, lime-washed walls feature three murals, featuring Hindu deities Krishna and Radha, painted by Patel’s friend.

    “We wanted to bring our culture to the cafe,” Patel said. “Not only are we focused on the Indian aspect, but we’re also focusing on how to bring both American and Indian cultures together and become the bridge for both.”

    By day, the windows bathe the space in sunlight. At night, downlights in the ceiling illuminate the coffee shop. The cafe is open until 8 p.m. for the summer and until midnight when schools are back in session, a rarity in a city where coffee shops often close before sunset.

    Find viral dot cakes at Saffron Cafe.Hira Qureshi

    Housemade dot cakes — the viral cake in a cup concept made in layers, frosted, and topped with a colorful, spherical coating of nonpareils sprinkles — line the small display case on the checkout counter. There are Dubai chocolate and Biscoff cake cups and a variety of vegan eggless croissants (think Ferrero Rocher and strawberry cheesecake). The vegetarian, vegan-friendly menu also includes a sandwich featuring a spicy North Indian dish called maharaja paneer and a peas and potato spiced puff pastry. Customers can order from a variety of samosas stuffed with paneer tikka, potatoes and peas, and melted cheese and spicy jalapeños.

    Paneer tikka sandwich at Saffron Cafe.Hira Qureshi

    The cafe’s coffee menu offers masala chai and lassi, along with more familiar contemporary drinks like brown sugar shaken espressos, tiramisu lattes, and iced mango matchas. Patel also incorporated the viral dot trend to his drink menu with lattes and matchas topped with cream and finished with a colorful confetti crunch.

    When he’s not running the cafe, Patel is a global lead for a financial institution based in New York — it’s how he came up with the cafe idea.

    He visited Dubai last year for work and was inspired by the cafe culture there. He returned with ideas for an Indian American cafe and pitched the idea to his childhood friend Ojas in January. The two signed a lease in March, sorted permits and government regulations by April, and opened their doors in May with a soft opening featuring a 300-person Bollywood DJ event.

    (The two owners plan to host the event on the 30th of each month, along with other events.)

    Find Dubai chocolate cake cups at Saffron Cafe.Hira Qureshi

    “Over here, people mainly go to cafes just to study or do some work and grab a cup of coffee,” said Patel. “In Dubai, people go to cafes more so as a form of connecting with other people, whether that’s strangers or the group of people they came with. And so, I thought Manayunk was a great spot to open a cafe with this concept of connecting people.”

    And the Patels’ mission is reflected in the name of the cafe. When the two launched their idea, they wrote a letter to Hindu guru Mahant Swami Maharaj at BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha temple in India (Patel attends the Downingtown temple, and Ojas attends the Delaware one) for blessings, guidance, and a name.

    Saffron Cafe in Manayunk.Hira Qureshi

    “He chose the name Saffron Cafe, and the reason for choosing the name is that saffron is orange [colored], which is similar to the color of fire in Hinduism,” Patel said. “When you come inside a cafe, we want you to burn your distractions and burn all the negativity and stuff. We want you to come into a new environment and connect with others. This cafe should uplift you.”

    Saffron Cafe: 4331 Main St, Philadelphia, PA 19127; instagram.com/saffroncafephilly