CARMEL MOUNTAIN RANCH -- Palomar Pomerado Health's top employee received a 5 percent raise and a $142,000 bonus Monday after the hospital district's board of trustees reviewed his job performance during the last year.

The bonus is roughly half the maximum annual bonus that could be awarded to Michael Covert, who has been Palomar Pomerado's president and chief executive officer since 2003. The pay increase brings Covert's annual base salary from $528,000 to $544,408.

Chairman Bruce Krider said Tuesday that the board unanimously agreed to give Covert the extra money after concluding he had met many of the goals that the seven-member panel set a year ago for him and the district, which includes Palomar Medical Center in Escondido and Pomerado Hospital in Poway.

Covert is eligible for annual bonuses of up to 50 percent of his base salary, under the terms of his contract with the district. Krider said Covert received only 26 percent of his base salary as a bonus because the board identified areas of potential improvement.

Those include Palomar Pomerado's relationship with the city of Escondido and communications with the community in general, Krider said.

However, Krider said the trustees are happy with Covert's overall performance, including his oversight of multiple construction projects under way in the district.

"He didn't get a perfect score, but he got a good one," he said, referring to Covert's performance evaluation. "And I don't think anyone would mind that kind of bonus (that he received)."

Covert was in a meeting Tuesday afternoon and not available for comment.

- Contact staff writer Andrea Moss at (760) 739-6654 or amoss@nctimes.com.