Hot wheels for Non-Profit Hospital Executives

Newsday reports:

A company car is a coveted perk in any workplace. For top employees of Long Island's leading nonprofit hospital network, the ride to work might just be in a Porsche or Jaguar.

Along with its workaday fleet of utility vans and pickups, the North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System owns or leases dozens of Mercedes, Lexuses, Audis and BMWs, along with at least two Cadillacs, an Infiniti, six Volvos, a Range Rover, two Porsches and a Jaguar convertible, according to the state Department of Motor Vehicles.

The cars are among models driven by 80 to 90 of North Shore-LIJ's senior officials, including chief executive Michael Dowling, who enjoy a monthly car allowance of $500 or $600, spokesman Terry Lynam said.

Since 2001, the health system has taken care of buying or leasing any model of take-home car these top executives choose; if it costs more than an individual's monthly allowance, the health system deducts the difference from paychecks. The monthly allowance is enough to cover many of the North Shore cars.

While employees pay for their own gas and maintenance, the health system picks up the tab to insure the cars. While officials there won't discuss the total insurance bill, the price tag could be hefty if an individual tried to insure some of the cars -- at least $2,400 a year by some estimates for a Maserati or a Porsche, even for someone with a perfect driving record. Not every agency may be willing to insure them.

Great moments in "non-profit" world.