County considers salary increases for three top execs at Natividad Medical Center.

Transforming a hospital into a trauma center is an expensive undertaking. It requires having various specialists like neurosurgeons and orthopedic surgeons on call 24/7, since traumatic injuries like falls, car crashes and stab wounds are by definition unpredictable. 

It's also supposed to be a profitable endeavor—eventually. 

Natividad Medical Center was recently selected to become the county's first designated trauma center, winning a contest with Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System. (The two hospitals are now in talks over a potential merger or affiliation.)

As Natividad moves toward trauma-ready—with a target date of January 2015 to be up and running. 

Until then, it's going to cost some money to get up to speed. 

The County Board of Supervisors in February approved hiring 70 new positions at Natividad, about a third of an anticipated $27 million annual cost of trauma center operations (which theoretically will be more than offset by a projected $40 million annual revenue from trauma care). 

On Tuesday, the supervisors will consider extending the contract with healthcare consultant The Abaris Group for an additional $200,000, bringing the total to nearly $500,000, "for further implementation assistance of the Level II Trauma Center at NMC."

The supervisors are also scheduled to consider 3.5-percent pay increases for three top executives at Natividad: CEO Harry Weis, CFO Daniel Leon, and Chief Medical Officer Gary Gray. 

Weis' new salary would be $378,000 if approved; Leon's would be $273,000; Gray's would be $331,000. Beyond those amounts, all are eligible for up to 30-percent bonuses each year.