Resource Library

Boards need to regularly evaluate their existing committee structure and be ready to adjust based on the organization’s changing governance needs.

Future-ready Boards: Transforming practices for mission-critical success

This article delves into the indispensable role of the governance committee and how it can supercharge a board’s overall performance, with a spotlight on the journey of one hospital striving for excellence.

Success comes from defining expectations for various stakeholders

The next curve of systemization is leveraging additional opportunities to achieve greater synergy across health care organizations.

Up-to-date, clearly written and concisely constructed bylaws can support oversight of current performance and enable an organization to nimbly confront challenges to its viability.

The best boards revisit their committee structures, responsibilities and information flow to ensure detailed oversight while devoting more time to strategic and policy issues.

The health care field is changing. Hospitals are partnering with other health care providers and experimenting with new ways to create centers for excellence, as well as better integrate care within the community. By finding non-traditional ways to move care into communities, hospitals become more accountable and patients can experience improved wellness, expanded services and access to even better quality care. These activities can also involve mergers and acquisitions. These changes can affect areas of the organization responsible for advancing philanthropy.

As the foundation board considers the creation of a strategic plan to guide the health care foundation, there are several priorities and moving pieces to consider across the strategic planning journey.

Health care is in a period of transformation as reimbursement and delivery systems make the leap from payment based on volume to payment based on value. Philanthropy is playing a role in this transformation.

Boards must proactively define the qualities of an ideal board member and select based upon those competencies, expertise, experience, behaviors and circles of influence—and within the context of the foundation’s priorities, strategy, opportunities and challenges. The foundation governance committee champions the identification and screening of proposed members.

It is time for the foundation board governance committee to recalibrate orientation to instead offer an impactful and ongoing onboarding experience. This new approach provides fulfilling, meaningful mission experiences to connect new members to the organization’s mission, purpose, culture and stories.

High-performing boards across the country have made great strides in enhancing their effectiveness and efficiency.