Trustee Articles
With training and support, physicians can become effective team leaders.
Boards can advocate for policy changes or ways to harness community resources.
Staying forward-focused as a trustee requires a combination of time management, prioritization and preventive efforts.
As payers shift financial risk to providers through more advanced payment models, trustees will need to help their organizations build new capabilities for succeeding under these payment arrangements.
Health care boards that take a broader view of “quality” and incorporate measures that reflect this understanding are better able to assess performance in the right areas.
The patient experience reflects the organization’s culture. The board must foster a culture that supports employees and providers to deliver the best possible experience time after time.
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.
Education, preparation and collegiality can empower physician and lay member trustees to make fair and thoroughly vetted decisions.
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.
The best boards revisit their committee structures, responsibilities and information flow to ensure detailed oversight while devoting more time to strategic and policy issues.