The new trustee. In a transformed healthcare system, board members will have to expand their skills.
In a future that will involve new accountabilities, greater risks, and more adaptability, board members must learn to function well at three levels: They must retain the grand vision of what their organization can be. Their strategies must be effective enough to enable them to win more battles than they lose. They must oversee without meddling, approve without operating, and steward their resources with care and compassion for their institution's employees and patients. The financial pressures that exist at every level of our operations can make it difficult for board members to keep focused on their institution's mission. Board members must also grapple with increased government intervention, blurred institutional boundaries, more powerful insurers, and conflicts between institutions and physicians. To perform well in such an environment, board members must focus on their unique role in institutional governance. In addition, they must understand the organization's mission, be aware of the changes brought about by new financial incentives for providers, learn to work well with diverse institutions, and understand the concerns of physicians in a changing healthcare scene. Trustees must also be aware that changing goals and incentives will require healthcare providers to adopt a new, prevention-oriented approach to healthcare delivery.
Health Management and Goverance, Inc., St. Louis.
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D002410:Catholicism; D006075:Governing Board / Q000458:organization & administration*; D018166:Health Care Reform; D016519:Hospitals, Religious / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D009937:Organizational Objectives; D011361:Professional Competence; D012941:Social Responsibility; D014341:Trustees / Q000592:standards; D014481:United States