Choosing a Hospital Board

Abstract

Hospitals are known to be well-respected institutions in society, and just like any other institution, it is essential to have an organized criterion of functionality within the facility. Without organization and order, effectiveness in the hospital is likely to be undermined. In most hospitals that have a large capacity, there is a board which is responsible for the day-to-day running of the facility. The Board of Directors has its functions, roles, and responsibilities outlined for them, which enables the institution to run effectively and just like any other board, there is likely to be politics that is involved during specific issues such as choosing the Hospital Chief Executive Officer (Kovner, 1974). The role of selecting a CEO is one of the primary functions of the Board of Directors. The board members have to be given the democracy required to enable the functionality of the board, which is by choosing the required candidate. The decision has to be approved by two-thirds of the board; it is also good to note that the board may not agree all the time (Kovner, 1974). However, the board is required to act in the best interest of the hospital and the people working and being treated in that facility. It would be very irrational to have board members who do not have the best interest of the hospital in mind whenever they make a decision.

Keywords: Board of Directors, healthcare, functionality, role, responsibilities

Choosing a Hospital Board

Part I: Choosing the Board: Charting the Course with Competing Priorities

The Hospital Board of Directors will be ranked from the highest person to the lowest person. This is important because it shows the roles that each of these people has because of the different areas of expertise that they had specialized in when they were in their respective academic fields such as management, finance, administration, and other areas.

 The highest rank in the board is that of the Chairperson, who is also required to be also a member of the board of trustees (Hundert, 2003). The chair is needed to oversee executive committee meetings. The chairperson has many tasks among them conducting annual objectives, strategic plans, and board priorities. They are also the voice of the board to the community, hospital staff, and stakeholder groups (Hundert, 2003). The chair is also responsible for advising the CEO on issues of governance of the hospital and for supporting the CEO through the board.

The second in command on the board is the company secretary. However, the board of trustees outranks the company secretary, although it is not an individual posting. This makes the company come in second due to the singularity of the role, and that is it requires an individual. This role has grown in importance over the years and most companies and institutions are taking note of these changes (Pointer, 2002). The company secretary works closely with the chair and CEO in matters concerning electing, appointing, and recruiting new board members. They are also responsible for emphasizing on governance expertise for their boards.

The third in line is the general counsel, but in recent times, Hospitals have been known to ignore this role and in turn, outsource the legal counsel from outside firms. However, in future things might change, and healthcare institutions are taking on reforms that may need the inclusion of a general counsel on the board. 

The fourth is the treasurer who is required to offer financial advice; this role has intensified in the past years because the treasurer is required to produce financial reports that are accurate and complete and this could be monthly, annually, or quarterly (Pointer, 2002). The treasurer is also the link between the board and the CFO.

The Diversity Characteristics and Impact on ranking

These changes in the board will affect the current board members because it creates uncertainty. The best way to conduct this change is by informing the jury that these changes will take place during the next fiscal year or when the board is being changed. It will also be essential to tell the CEO that they will be able to retain their post for the remainder of their tenure (Pointer, 2002). Once these decisions have been made, it is also good to consider some of the board members who are experts in these fields who can be tasked with the roles as mentioned above. 

These choices are informed through one pattern, and this pattern is that of providing quality healthcare for patients in this hospital. It is also worth mentioning that the choices made in this process were meant to indicate progress and adherence to reforms that are taking shape (Hundert, 2004). These choices were diverse in that they were based on selecting persons with different expertise from different fields. This would enable the board to be more informed and knowledgeable of the different areas involved. The decision to make this board diverse was a conscious decision because it shows that there was some thinking into how the roles would play out and change the paradigm (Hundert, 2004). These decisions also showcase how different the whole board would be as time moves on, and all this should be given providing quality healthcare.

Part II: Wellness Program Models

Wellness program models are established and designed to improve the productivity and health of employees and further improve the general cost of healthcare that is provided by the employer. There are certain benefits that employees accrue from these wellness programs and they are deemed to be cost-effective (Hanna, 2011). Some of the benefits that are noticeable and have worked in the past are that there is a reduction of injuries, workers’ compensation, and disability-related costs and absenteeism. The wellness programs also aid in lowering health care costs, which includes taking up a healthcare insurance program that supports reducing the cost of healthcare. 

These programs are also useful in that they improve employee morale and loyalty and at the same time, improve the overall output of workers. This is a very positive program that can be applied to various workplaces (Shemkus, 2013). There are certain features, which are used to showcase the importance of the wellness programs such as conducting assessments and this is done by collecting information that concerns the health of the workforce and how the organization can make improvements based on the collected data. Obtaining management support and establishing a budget are also very crucial in the wellness program (Shemkus, 2013)

Once a budget is allocated, the wellness program components are designed, and this is based on the needs and resources of the organization in question. The wellness program is then incentivized or rewarded based on how effective it is to the organization. After the wellness program is communicated to employees, it is evaluated based on its success.

References

Hanna, L. (2011, August 4). Guidelines for wellness programs. 

Hundert M. (2003) Issues in the Governance of Canadian Hospitals III: Financial Oversight. Hosp. Q; 6:63–66.

Kovner, A. (1974). Hospital Board Members as Policy-Makers: Role, Priorities, and Qualifications. Medical Care, 12(12), 971-982.

Pointer DD, Orlikoff JE. (2002) Getting to Great: Principles of Health Care Organization Governance. Jossey-Bass; San Francisco, CA, U.S.A.

Shemkus, S. (2013). Wellness programs pay off in the workplace. Boston Globe. P.p. G1, 6.