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Great Boards offers practical resources that you can adapt to help enhance your board's effectiveness. We're adding new resources all the time.
New! Briefing Paper on IRS Draft Form 990
New! Briefing Paper on Grassley Discussion Draft on Tax-Exempt Hospitals
New! Briefing Paper on IRS Interim Community Benefit Report
5 Million Lives Campaign to reduce medical errors from the Institute for Healthcare Improvement
Read about this important initiative on IHI's web site.
American Health Lawyers Association (PDF)
Michael W. Peregrine of McDermott Will & Emery and James R. Schwartz of Manatt Phelps & Phillips LLP, explain the implications for boards of a Delaware Court’s August 2005 decision in a shareholder suit against the board of Walt Disney company. (http://www.mwe.com/info/pubs/Disney0905.pdf)
Best Practices for CEO Selection (PDF)
Read insights from leading search consultants Larry Tyler, Jane Groves and Michael Doody, plus get advice from trustees who've chaired successful search processes. Plus: Catholic Health East shares an innovative tool to help search committee's explore a candidate's core values and leadership abilities.
Community Benefit Resources for Boards
Confidential, Individual Self Evaluation, from Northeast Health, Troy, NY (PDF)
NEH asks its board members to evaluate to evaluate themselves and discuss their membership confidentially with the Board Chair.
Draft Good Governance Practices from IRS (PDF)
Engaging Your Board to Take the Lead in Quality and Patient Safety (PDF), by Barry S. Bader. Reprinted from the March-April issue of Healthcare Executive magazine, this article proposes a new, five-step framework to enable the board to make a meaningful contribution to safer care.
Evaluating new strategic projects (PDF)
The board of Adirondack Medical Center has adopted 14 criteria for evaluating new strategic projects. Click here to see the criteria and read how the medical center uses them. Adirondack was the winner of Brim Healthcare's 2002 governance award.
How Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth Health System blends system and local governance, by William M. Murray, President & CEO, from Health Progress, September-October, 2006
Individual Trustee Assessment Tools, Presbyterian Health Services, Albuquerque, NM (PDF)
PHS approaches individual assessment as one part of its Board Excellence Maintenance Cycle, using these tools.
Legal Obligations of Not-for-Profit Boards (PDF)
Written by Linda B. Miller, President of Volunteer Trustees this short-and-sweet article describes the three fundamental legal responsibilities of boards. It's a valuable orientation tool for new members.
Outline for Orienting New Trustees from Stamford Health System (PDF)
This detailed outline complete with educational objectives and topics will help you structure an orientation process for your board. Plus, check out Great Boards' Best Board Practices Checklists for Orienting New Members, including 17 tips for designing a board orientation process and 18 ideas for compiling a comprehensive New Trustee Orientation Manual.
A Paperless Boardroom
Visit Heritage Valley Health System's Internet portal for trustees to see how one board has gained instant access to information it needs for governance.
Note: The portal site requires Microsoft Windows Internet Explorer 5.5 or greater.
Peer Assessment Instruments, Catholic Healthcare Partners, Cincinnati, OH (PDF)
CHP spent a year developing its individual trustee competencies and peer assessment tool. CHP’s Governance Committee also assesses members eligible for re-election using another instrument.
A Sample Dashboard Report (PDF)
Developed by Middlesex Health System, Middletown, CT, this report displays key performance indicators, each one clearly defined, that allow the board to oversee financial performance, human resources, operations, and quality of care. Use this sample as a guideline for customizing a dashboard for your board.
Suggested Reading List for Board Members (PDF)
Here are the books and articles we frequently recommend to educate and stimulate trustees.
Top Corporate Governance Trends for 2007 by health attorney Michael Peregrine (PDF)
When Hospital Boards Merge: Five Lessons Learned (PDF)
Barry Bader looks at a diverse group of hospital mergers and finds that development of shared and compelling system vision, a streamlined structure, careful attention to culture, competency-based composition, and board education are keys to effective governance.
Many articles are in PDF format. Click "Get Adobe Reader" to download the free Adobe Acrobat PDF Reader.