Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1412801
36 36 CEO / STRATEGY 10 signs your board has a strong pulse By Scott Becker and Molly Gamble G reat systems are usually governed by great boards, which are made up of people who match the following 10 descriptions. Great board members do more than comply with corporate governance structure and rules. Too oen, board members have loose ties to one another, are passive to the wants and views of the CEO or are not as informed about the specifics of healthcare as they ought to be. We view all of these traits, and more, as signs that a board has lost its charge and is no longer effectively governing. We consider the following 10 items as descriptors of a board member who has a strong pulse and adds value to a governing body. 1. e board member is active, engaged and passionate about being a board member. No board can afford to have disengaged members. Bylaws and attendance requirements are important, but simply complying with them does not necessarily equate to be- ing an active, contributing and passionate trustee. Engaged board members show up to meetings, and they show up prepared. While members typically refrain from meddling in day-to-day operations, boards with high levels of trust and candor make a point to commu- nicate with the CEO outside of scheduled board meetings. Quality of board engagement is an important contributing factor to board performance, and there is a correlation between board engagement and the ability to attract board members. Everything that follows is dependent on board engagement. 2. e board member has a point of view on what the organiza- tion must be great at, and the board member is vehement about it. Health systems cannot be all things to all people, although the oppor- tunities to attempt this are ample. e best organizations are not stat- ic, but disciplined. Well-governed systems know the specialties they are great in, and they continue to double down on their strengths. eir boards are cognizant of where revenues come from and ensure resources are allocated accordingly. 3. e board member realizes that her top job is to ensure the sys- tem has great leadership in place. Leaders can fall short in all sorts of ways, some more visible and easily detectable than others. e ac- tive, engaged and vehement board does not easily accept disappoint- ment. Boards have many steps at their disposal to manage a problem before firing a CEO or senior leader, but they should never function in a way where termination is unthinkable. Boards cause great dam- age when they tolerate mediocre performance or compromised val- ues among people at the top of the organization. 4. e board member understands accountability for patient safe- ty and quality of care rests firmly in the boardroom. It rests on board members to insist that they receive sufficient, timely informa- tion about patient safety and care quality from the CEO. It rests on board leadership to ensure members have access to expertise and re- sources to properly obtain, process and interpret this information. It is not a bad idea for quality expertise to be included in board mem- bers' competency profiles and for boards to undergo training and continued education in quality and safety. is is especially relevant for board members who come from industries outside of healthcare. It rests on the board when care quality declines or when lapses in patient safety are unaddressed: It is unacceptable for a board to say it missed the memo on care outcomes or that it did not understand the information in front of it. 5. e board member is a watchdog on societal, governance and audit issues. Informed citizens make for strong board members. It is important to not only be plugged in and aware of the issues and challenges confronting the organization today, but to be aware of broader societal issues that could affect system strategy and per- formance tomorrow. is is not hypothetical thinking. e past year was a master class in how broader issues affected healthcare in acute and direct ways: systemic racism, a global supply chain and a churning labor market are just three. Good boards are made up of members who stay informed and are biased toward anticipatory Baylor Scott & White demands physician stop using its name By Ayla Ellison B aylor Scott & White Health is suing a physician for allegedly claiming to be affiliated with the Dal- las-based system. The physician says he hasn't claimed to be employed by Baylor Scott & White since leaving the system earlier this year, The Dallas Morning News reported July 29. Peter McCullough, MD, entered into a separation agreement with the health system in February. Baylor Scott & White al- leges the physician is breaching the agreement by stating he is affiliated with or employed by the health system. Dr. McCullough has shared his controversial views about COVID-19 vaccines on the internet, in print and on tele- vision, and his "improper use of titles and claimed affilia- tions" have confused the public, the media and the health- care community, the lawsuit states, according to the report. "The lawsuit was filed to enforce this separation and avoid public confusion," Baylor Scott & White said. "We take very seriously our responsibility to be a trusted source of medical information in the communities we serve." The health system is seeking more than $1 million and an in- junction stopping Dr. McCullough from "further misuse of ti- tles and claimed affiliations," according to the Morning News. Dr. McCullough's lawyer claims the health system is trying to silence the physician. He said Dr. McCullough tells producers that he no longer works at Baylor Scott & White, but the media continues to cite his former titles, according to the report. "Every single instance referenced by Baylor is something said/ printed by a third party with no encouragement from Dr. Mc- Cullough," the physician's lawyer told the Morning News. "Dr. McCullough does not and cannot control third parties." n