Amid shifting reimbursement, increased consolidation and a cultural moment poised to revolutionize the American workplace, hospital and health system boards must be prepared to meet contemporary challenges as well as those long inherent to executive leadership.
At the Becker's Hospital Review 9th Annual Meeting April 11, the following panelists participated in a discussion about relationships between boards and executive leadership.
- R. Edward Howell, public health sciences professor at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville
- Devanand Mangar, MD, vice president of Florida Gulf-to-Bay Anesthesiology, regional medical director for TEAMHealth Anesthesia and the chief of anesthesiology at Tampa (Fla.) General Hospital
- Marcia Manker, CEO of Saddleback Memorial Medical Center in Laguna Hills and Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center in Fountain Valley, both members of Fountain Valley, Calif.-based MemorialCare
Topics touched upon during the discussion included the consolidation of two boards after a merger, board diversity and the impact of the #MeToo movement on executive boards thus far.
Here are three takeaways from the discussion.
1. On board consolidation: Amid MemorialCare's efforts to transform its system into regional networks, Ms. Manker has played a central role in the consolidation of two acute care hospitals serving Orange County. For this process, Ms. Manker said thought leaders from both organizations were involved in multiple rounds of strategic planning, which included some reduction of management.
"I wish there were a really nice road map to sum up what we've done. … through planned attrition, we freed up some capacity on the board," Ms. Manker said. "We also had to revamp our supporting committee structures to support the boards."
2. On the effect of #MeToo movement: During the discussion, Mr. Howell touched on the movement's effects on the board leadership recruitment process, but said it is too early to early to qualify its specific impact. Mr. Howell said #MeToo has certainly heightened awareness of the issue of sexual misconduct in the workplace among board leaders and added that dismissals of C-suite executives for misconduct presents boards with an opportunity "to fill positions with qualified individuals" who can provide long-term leadership. Mr. Howell added that when filling these positions, boards have the responsibility is "to make sure [candidates] have the skills and they do have the [capabilities] to fill those positions."
3. On board member diversity: Mangar said the Tampa General board openly discusses the importance of diversity. After a nomination committee produces multiple names of individuals considered a good fit for the board, these individuals are vetted and consideration is given to the nominees' ethnicity and gender. Dr. Mangar said while the board at Tampa General doesn't set a quota for female or minority representation, consideration for diversity has resulted in a diverse board, citing the membership of multiple women and ethnic minorities.
"We don't set a quota, but we make sure to choose individuals who can ensure the mission and vision of the hospital can get to the right place," Dr. Mangar said.
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