One of the statements made by Larry Tyler on the governance power point caught my attention instantly, “a common misconception regarding the board is that the board works for the board chairman. The reverse is actually true. The board chairman works for the board. He or she is there to organize the board and facilitate its work. The board chair is generally elected by the board and generally serves limited terms of three to five years…”

I once witnessed a board in which the chairman of the board, who had served for quite a while (due to being re-elected) truly believed that the board worked for him and the board believed the same! Needless to say, the board operated with blissful ignorance until a new board member was elected. This new member began challenging the board chairman (in a respectful manner) by reading sections of the bylaws during their meetings.

Seven  Managerial Functions of the Governing Board

·         Appoint or terminate the CEO (only person supervise by Board, no other hospital staff)

·         Establish the mission, vision and values

·         Approve the long range plans and annual budget

·         Ensure the quality of the medical care

·         Monitor the performance against plans and budgets

·         Responsible for itself

·         Should do annual self-evaluation