Resource Library

Transforming GovernanceThe “Aha!” Moment to Unlocking Governance ExcellenceBoards serve as a strategic asset for high-performing organizationsBy Todd Linden with Mark KaufmanIn health care governance, there exists a pivotal moment — an “Aha!” revelation when

Transforming Governance High Impact Governance Challenges Conventions New thinking can take leadership of boards much further By Barbara Lorsbach In the last few decades, hospital and health system boards of trustees have transitioned from fulfilling basic fiduciary responsibilities to focusing on strategic thinking

Workforce Strategy Simulations Spur Board to Test Workforce Strategies Baystate Health taps member creativity and competition to explore challenges, solutions By Mark A.

Investing time now in evaluating and enhancing board effectiveness can accelerate organizational results for years to come.

Health care boards can play a pivotal role to ensure their patients, employees and communities receive needed resources to heal, restore and rebuild for a better and healthier future.

Changing the mindset of health care CEOs and boards to envision the board’s potential is the first step in a long trek to turn the board into a strategic asset.

Ongoing board education that includes newer modalities and technologies will increase board engagement and improve governance.

Governance restructuring efforts of eight health systems provide lessons on redefining what it means to be a community board.

Health systems that take the time to assess the role and value of subsidiary boards, and invest in educating their members, can maintain a key community connection that might otherwise be diminished or lost.

For effective cultural stewardship, boards need to promote behavioral expectations for patient care and make sure that espoused values and norms are respected throughout the organization.

Latest findings point to several positive trends and opportunities for improving governance structures, practices and performance. The report includes expert commentary and discussion questions for board reflection.

What is the board’s role in shaping culture? Several health care leaders offer advice that reflects the diversity of their experiences.

An external review of workplace operations produces a Leadership Letter with observations and recommendations for continuous improvement, followed by open discussion among the board, CEO and top management.

The seismic forces currently roiling health care present boards with a new set of profoundly consequential strategic options. These often involve significant risk, major mission shifts, and challengingly short windows of opportunity.

Health care is ripe for change. The evidence is all around us. A majority of health care leaders recently surveyed said hospitals and health systems are most in need of disruptive innovation (New England Journal of Medicine Catalyst, February 16, 2017). Consumers are taking charge of their own health and seeking providers that deliver high-quality, affordable and accessible care in ways they have come to expect from their favorite retailers. And disrupters from within and outside of health care are joining forces and competing with traditional health care organizations to give consumers what they are looking for.

The crisis brewing in the traditional governance model requires conscious construction of new models relevant to new times.

“No battle plan survives the first contact with the enemy,” goes a military saying, expressed in recent years by Colin Powell. The expression is worth remembering as hospitals and health systems embrace bold strategies to participate in the industry-wide economic shift from rewarding volume to holding providers accountable for the value they deliver.

Just as the health industry continues to shift care delivery from a volume- to a value-based model, so too must the health care board evolve beyond its traditional fiduciary and core governance responsibilities to encompass a more strategic and global view. The success of this evolving model depends on shared governance—a stronger alignment and engagement among the board, physician leadership and management.

Today’s hospital leaders know their trustees must be more adaptable, connected and knowledgeable about the changing health care landscape than any of their predecessors. But do they believe their volunteer community board is truly capable of stepping up to current field challenges?