The CEO contributes to the hospital’s foundation and is one of the highest paid public officials and gets more than a million a year in reimbursement. I’d say this lacks a little transparency here. 
When you make that kind of money you can’t just “give”…but the pressure is on and it appears the CEO will be giving some of that reimbursement money back.
Washington Hospital is located in Fremont, in northern California. The CEO’s contract though states she is entitled to the reimbursement dollars. It is supposed to be a good showing of philanthropy to encourage others to also give but when one get’s reimbursed, it’s not really giving is it? The hospital is not getting any money out of it. This appear to be changing though and this practice seems to be going away soon and the article also stated the CEO does have some donations to where she was not reimbursed as well. BD
When charity calls, Washington Hospital CEO Nancy Farber has opened her checkbook, contributing to the hospital's own health care foundation, donating to service clubs and college funds, and helping to fund services for chemotherapy patients and a new brain and spine imaging system.
Then Farber, one of the highest paid public officials in the state with more than $1 million in annual compensation, submitted many of her charitable expenses to her public hospital district for reimbursement, to the tune of more than $20,000 over the last three years.
While an executive's business expenses are commonly reimbursed by public and private agencies alike, reimbursing charitable donations is outside the norm, government ethics experts say.
"Things like this cause the public to become cynical," said Judy Nadler, senior fellow in government ethics at Santa Clara University's Markkula Center for Applied Ethics. Noting that the hospital was in essence funneling money through Farber to its own foundation, she said, "That is not a very forthright way to get donations for the organization."
"It is all a publicity stunt, because essentially the hospital gets zero if they reimburse her," Jim Weil said. "Given her salary, she is in a position to make such donations without reimbursement."
Reimbursements received for all Fund a Need gifts will now be refunded by Farber, and her 2013 gift for the mammograms will not be submitted for reimbursement, officials said Tuesday.
Farber has been listed as a sponsor of many fundraisers and galas in websites and promotions, even though the hospital is actually footing the bill.
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