Becker's Hospital Review

37 WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP 37 CEO / STRATEGY thinking, in which they are eager to explore the ways in which issues larger than or outside of their industry may come to affect the orga- nization they help govern. 6. e board member supports the leadership team, but also ques- tions it and holds it accountable. Board members cannot be push- overs for leadership. Directors are nominated by existing board direc- tors on the nominating committee, which oen includes the CEO. As a result, trustees can empathize with the CEO of the organization on whose board they sit. Empathy does not equate to blind acceptance, but this is nonetheless a dynamic trustees should be aware of and work to keep in check. It is not unusual for board members to struggle when giving candid feedback to the CEO, for example. As a result, chief ex- ecutives carry on and live in a bigger and bigger bubble. It's worth noting that the reverse can occur within boardrooms as well, in which board members disagree about strategy and seek a CEO they can easily influence. At the end of the day, being a push- over is not associated with strong leadership and should be avoided by both trustees and senior executives. Instead, trustees need to em- brace constructive tension in the boardroom. Questions, challenges and disagreements that reach resolution can drive valuable dialogue and stronger outcomes. 7. e board member allows others to voice their thoughts. In many boardrooms, a small number of the participants do most of the talking while the majority stay relatively quiet. A powerful or well-connected member may dominate discussions. Ideally, boards embrace the middle in interpersonal communication, with trustees contributing not too much nor too little. Either goes against the board's very reason for being. 8. e board member helps ensure the board as a whole reflects the racial, ethnic, gender, religious and socioeconomic diversity of the community served by the organization. is is important for a number of reasons, with health equity being principal. Trustees are stewards for the communities they serve. For hospitals and health systems to increase opportunities for everyone to be healthier — in- cluding those who face the greatest obstacles — they need visions, strategies and goals that begin at the top from individuals who have viewpoints from the community. Without these insights, the board simply can't govern effectively. Additionally, research has consistent- ly found that teams of people who have diversity in knowledge and perspectives — as well as in age, gender and race — can be more creative and better avoid groupthink. 9. e board member is accessible. Just as no board wants its CEO in a bubble, governing bodies must actively resist this risk. For a stretch of time, boards were less visible groups of people who would meet four to six times a year in a mahogany-paneled room to decide the future of an organization that employs tens of thousands and serves even more. is dynamic cannot hold in healthcare. Com- munity members and employees should know — or be able to easily learn — who serves on their health system's board. If stakeholders bring issues or concerns to a board member, the trustee should be prepared to respond and follow up. In 2021's healthcare, board members cannot breathe rarified air. 10. e board member emulates the values of the health system. So oen when people talk about the tone being set at the top, they have the CEO in mind. e board is just as responsible, if not more responsible, for this charge. What a board permits, it promotes. Board members that emulate system values are better positioned to collab- orate with mutual respect, candor and trust. Board members whose values are mismatched or personal agendas are at cross-purposes with the good of the organization should be replaced. n 70% of Americans trust their physicians, 22% trust hospital execs, survey finds By Kelly Gooch M ost Americans trust physicians and nurses, but more than three-quarters of the public do not trust hospital executives, according to a new study from the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy and The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The study is based on a survey conducted June 10-14 among 1,071 adults representing the 50 states and Washington, D.C. It was conducted using nonpartisan research institution NORC at the University of Chicago's Amerispeak panel, which is de- signed to be representative of the U.S. household population. Seven survey findings: 1. Most survey respondents said they trust physicians (70 percent), nurses (79 percent) and pharmacists (75 percent) at least most or almost all the time to do what is right for them and their families. 2. Twenty-two percent of survey respondents said they trust hospital executives at least most or almost all the time to do what is right for them and their families. 3. Fifty-nine percent of survey respondents said they be- lieve nurses are underpaid, and 61 percent said they be- lieve healthcare aides are underpaid. 4. Only 11 percent of survey respondents said they believe physicians are underpaid, while 50 percent said physicians are paid the right amount. 5. About 70 percent of survey respondents said they be- lieve insurance and hospital executives are overpaid. 6. Seventeen percent of survey respondents said they sup- port boosting physicians' pay with government funding, but 54 percent support funding to increase the number of physicians. 7. Survey respondents who support the ACA are more like- ly than those who oppose it to favor government funding for boosting physicians' salaries (23 percent vs. 13 percent) and increasing the number of physicians (73 percent vs. 42 percent). n

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