Trustee Articles
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.
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.
Millennials use the health care system in a unique way. Trustees must be attentive to their views and recruit them to the board for its long-term sustainability.
Hospitals and health systems are finding a range of ways to integrate behavioral and physical care in a primary care clinic, thereby improving patient outcomes and lowering costs.