Governance/leadership

Accountability for community benefit resides with the senior leadership and the hospital governing body. Governing boards have responsibility to uphold the community trust.

Board Engagement Strategies

1. Include information on community benefit in the board orientation.
2. IRS regulations require the board to review and approve the triennial CHNA and Implementation Strategy.
3. Create a board level committee to provide review and oversight of community benefit at a degree that is needed to ensure optimal quality and alignment with the needs of the local community.
4. Develop a committee charter and identify recommended competencies for committee members.
5. Establish a community benefit budget, or have target figures in each of the reportable community benefit categories.
6. Provide an annual written and in-person board report to review community benefit activities.
7. Invite the community benefit committee members and board members to visit community programs supported by the hospital. Set up an annual “field trip” to experience the programs and talk to the community residents helped by the programs.

Healthcare Governance for Tomorrow: Eight Recommendations for Boards

A New Era of Responsibility for Hospital Boards Under PPACA

Special Section: Community Benefit in the Era of Health Reform: Opportunities for Hospital Leadership

Board Oversight of Community Benefit

Lawrence Prybil, PhD, Professor, College of Public Health, The University of Iowa.

Resources for nonprofit hospital governance and community benefit.

The Center for Healthcare Governance

As a resource of the American Hospital Association, the Center for Healthcare Governance provides education, research, publications, services, tools for hospital governance.

Helpful documents:

• Competency-Based Governance: A Foundation for Board and Organizational Effectiveness
• Transformational Governance: Best Practices for Public and Nonprofit Hospitals and Health Systems

BoardSource

BoardSource is dedicated to advancing the public good by building exceptional nonprofit boards and inspiring board service.

The Governance Institute

A wide range of resources for improving board governance for healthcare institutions.

Provides information and resources to board members, healthcare executives, and physician leaders in support of their efforts to lead and govern their organizations.

Excellent resource worth reading – Barnett, K. (June 2015). Building population health capacity: Issues and opportunities for Board consideration. BoardRoom Press. http://www.governanceinstitute.com/?page=BoardRoomPress