Board Dossier

Saumya Sutaria MD

Chairman and CEO, Tenet Healthcare · FAH Director

High

Threat Assessment

RoleFAH Director, former Chair (2024)
OrganizationTenet Healthcare (NYSE: THC)
Revenue~$20.7B (FY2024)
Hospitals~58 hospitals, 475+ ASCs, 34 states
BackgroundFormer Senior Partner, McKinsey and Company
Threat LevelHigh

Role and Organization

Tenet Healthcare operates approximately 58 hospitals and 475+ ambulatory surgery centers through United Surgical Partners International (USPI) across 34 states. FY2024 revenue approximately $20.7 billion. Sutaria became Chairman and CEO in September 2021, previously serving as Senior Partner at McKinsey and Company for 18 years (approximately 2001–2019), specializing in healthcare systems and services, provider performance, and physician engagement. He served as FAH Chair in 2024.

Fraud and Legal History

Cumulative Settlements

Date Amount Allegations CIA
2002$54MUnnecessary cardiac procedures, Redding Medical CenterNone
2006$900MMedicare outlier payment fraud, physician kickbacks, upcoding5-year CIA
2012$43MMedicare overbilling for inpatient rehabilitation (2005–2007)None
2016$513MKickbacks to Clinica de la Mama for referring undocumented patients3-year NPA
2023$29.7MKickbacks to physicians at Detroit Medical Center (Vanguard/Tenet)None
Total~$1.54B

2006 Settlement Detail

Case United States ex rel. Barbera v. Tenet Healthcare Corp. Resolved in multiple districts including Central District of California. Charges: over $788M for inflating charges to receive excessive Medicare outlier payments; over $47M for illegal physician kickbacks through relocation agreements; over $46M for assigning improper diagnosis codes. Five-year Corporate Integrity Agreement.

The USPI Paradox

Tenet operates United Surgical Partners International — over 480 ASCs and 24 surgical hospitals across 35+ states generating approximately $1.3 billion per quarter (Q3 2025). USPI’s physician partnership model gives physicians minority equity stakes in ASCs.

FAH officially opposes physician-owned hospitals on self-referral grounds. Tenet, whose CEO chairs the FAH board, simultaneously operates a business that profits from physician ownership of surgical facilities. This structural contradiction is not acknowledged in FAH’s public position on physician ownership.

McKinsey Background

18 years at McKinsey and Company. Healthcare Systems and Services practice. Published “The silent shapers of healthcare services” (2018) highlighting the role of institutional investors in healthcare. McKinsey work included hospital consolidation, Medicare reimbursement optimization, and physician employment strategy — directly mirroring Tenet’s current operational focus.

Compensation

Year Base Equity/Stock Bonus Other Total
2021$1,150,000$17,500,000$2,450,000$53,671$21,153,671
2022$1,200,000$15,000,000$2,200,000$60,000$18,460,000
2023$1,300,000$16,000,000$2,500,000$75,000$19,875,000
2024$1,500,000$18,000,000$5,000,000$161,553$24,661,553

Cumulative 2021–2024: ~$84.15M

CEO-to-median worker pay ratio: 406:1 (2024). Median worker salary: $60,698.

Current equity: approximately 658,523 shares of THC stock.

Source: Tenet DEF 14A 2022–2025; SEC EDGAR

Governance

Board includes crossovers from private equity (former Vanguard/Blackstone ties). Sutaria’s external board seats: Federation of American Hospitals. In 2023, Sutaria consolidated Chairman and CEO roles.

Operations

Under Sutaria, Tenet divested dozens of hospitals including sale of 9 hospitals in early 2024 for $4 billion. Closed specific service lines including maternity ward at Hialeah Hospital (2021). CMS Star Ratings mixed across 58 hospitals.

Political

Tenet PAC contributes millions per cycle, favoring incumbents on healthcare committees.

Source: OpenSecrets Tenet Healthcare profile

Sources