Resource Library

This year’s Thought Leader Forum was an opportunity to engage in executive dialogue around the topic of change leadership with a panel of top executives whose organizations have recently undergone significant changes, such as care model transformation, unconventional affiliations, large-scale acquisition, new service strategy, and infrastructure or organizational changes. We will discuss how they executed and managed change; key lessons learned; and how culture, engagement, brand, and systems factored into the changes.

The following is intended to be an example that boards should adapt to meet their individual needs. This self-assessment tool will provide you an opportunity to evaluate our committee’s performance and contributions.

This sample provides a board policy statement on competency-based recruitment, election and re-election of board members. Use it to customize a process for your board.

Leadership. Guides and directs the governance process, centering the work of the board on the organization’s mission, vision and strategic direction.

The role of the board is to govern, not manage, the organization. To that end, the board carries out four roles...

AHA’s Center for Healthcare Governance would like to thank Sierra Vista Regional Health Center and its Board of Trustees for sharing this sample mentoring feedback form.

A Board Orientation Manual reinforces information provided during orientation seminars. Consider these items in custom-designing an orientation manual for your board.

Expert guidance to help leaders set priorities, make the right decisions and improve results...

To expedite the conduct of routine business during board meetings in order to allocate more meeting time to education and discussion of substantive issues.

From time to time as provided in the bylaws, the Board may designate the Vice Chairperson as a Chair-Elect. In such cases, the Chair-Elect’s responsibilities go beyond the usual role of a Vice Chair to lead the board in the Chairperson’s absence. The responsibilities of a Chair Elect include...

Governance responsibilities today are so significant that board members must bring more than commitment to the mission and interest in serving. As William Bowen writes, every trustee should bring a “specific competence or experience needed on the board.” This sample provides a board policy statement on competency-based recruitment, election and re-election of board members. Use it to customize a process for your board.

All new board members should participate in an orientation process shortly after election to the board. To design your board’s orientation process, consider these best practices.

A decade ago, BoardSource, an organization supporting nonprofit boards, developed a well known list of aspirational principles of governance. For us they still ring true: “mission driven,” “ethos of transparency,” “compliance with integrity.”

To clarify the difference between the board’s policy making responsibilities and management’s operational responsibilities.

Be sure every member fully understands his or her accountability, responsibilities and the expectations of the office, and document it all in a written position description...

In some boardrooms, the topic of education for trustees elicits yawns, groans or even downright resistance. This may explain why findings from the AHA’s Center for Healthcare Governance 2014 National Health Care Governance Survey indicate a decline in every type of board education since the last survey...

The complexities inherent in performance-based contracts call for increased board oversight

When trustees are appointed to the board of Manatee Memorial Hospital, they have a steep learning curve as they settle into this new role. Providing an orientation program and performing frequent performance evaluations help to ensure that trustees receive the training, resources and ongoing support they need to serve the organization.

Executive and board support is needed for physician leadership that lasts. Collaborative leadership with physicians will be essential for hospitals to successfully create and maintain agile organizations that can compete in the rapidly changing healthcare landscape.

A three-stage framework can help boards to identify information technology priorities