Board Development

There is no more critical leadership component required for hospital success than that represented by the Board of Trustees. A hospital board selects, evaluates and coaches the Chief Executive Officer and when the time arrives, selects a new leader. The board also has institutional oversight and responsibility for clinical quality, accreditation, compliance, medical staff relationships and financial success, including fund development. But few board members receive the orientation and continued education to prepare for assuming and filling this critical role. And though board self-evaluation is a requirement for many accreditation organizations, few boards engage in a meaningful process of self-assessment and planning for required competency development.

Decades of work with CEOs and boards have fine-tuned the Compass Clinical Consulting approach to board development. Our underlying philosophy is that the relationship between the CEO and members of the board is a critical component of organizational success. Also significant is the board’s definition of its governance role and ability to fulfill this role. Finally, it is critical that the CEO and the board set and guide institutional strategy from a position based on industry knowledge, local/regional market awareness, partnership with medical staff and understanding of the myriad factors compounding the complexity of hospital success.

This approach to board development follows an efficient process that includes:

• Opportunity assessment
• Tailored planning
• Plan implementation

Attention should be paid to meeting individuals where they are on the journey to mature board membership. Customized development planning to the desired end-state should be determined by the unique needs and requirements of each hospital and community of service so that it assures a consistent improvement in board effectiveness, reinforcement of the relationship between the CEO and members of the board and enhanced satisfaction of service for individual board members.

Call Cary Gutbezahl, MD, about Board Development Services at (513) 241.0142.