Healthcare Management: Governing Board Role and Activities

This report delves into the pivotal role of the governing board within the healthcare sector, emphasizing its impact on quality improvement and patient care. The report begins by outlining the board's responsibilities, including strategic planning, setting organizational goals, and overseeing the credentialing process to ensure qualified healthcare professionals. It then examines how the board establishes priorities for Quality and Performance Improvement (QPI) initiatives, primarily through articulating strategic direction and collaborating with management. The report also addresses the critical juncture at which the board should be informed of compromised patient care and the importance of involving the board early in the development of quality measures. The report highlights how this involvement influences the strategic plan, enhances competition, and fosters changes in care patterns. Overall, the report underscores the board's essential contributions to the healthcare environment, from mission development to achieving organizational goals.

Running head: MANAGEMENT
Role of the Governing Board
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author Note:

1MANAGEMENT
Table of Contents
Role of Governing Board in Relation to Quality and Performance Improvement (QPI) Activities1
How Governing Board Involve in Establishing Priorities of QPI within Organization..................1
When Should Board be Involved in or Informed of Poor or Compromised Patient Care...............1
Evaluation of the Importance of Involving Governing Board in Early Development of Quality
Measure............................................................................................................................................2
References:......................................................................................................................................3

2MANAGEMENT
Role of Governing Board in Relation to Quality and Performance Improvement (QPI)
Activities
The governing body in a hospital is represented by board of trustees. They hold the
responsibility of reviewing and developing the mission and strategy of hospital (Büchner,
Schreyögg & Schultz, 2014). The board also provides a guidance on the long term policies and
goals of the hospital through making strategic decisions and plans. The board also set clear
expectations and goals for CEO in compliance with the strategic planning. To maintain quality
and activities related to performance improvement, the trustees support and assist the CEO. They
also oversee the credentialing process of the employees and holds the responsibility of ensuring
that the healthcare professionals have proper level of licensing, accreditation and training. The
board also holds the responsibility of ensuring that the process are in place in order to discover
history of disciplinary action by the prospective employees thereby ensuring that they have a
proper insurance.
How Governing Board Involve in Establishing Priorities of QPI within Organization
As far as establishing priorities of the QPI are concerned, the governing board does so by
articulating strategic direction of the organization. In partnership with the management, the board
also helps in defining the planning process, contribute towards overall environment scan, set
priority areas of the plan focus and develop goals for successful plan.
When Should Board be Involved in or Informed of Poor or Compromised Patient Care
The board committee play a key role in governance process. Hence, they must be
informed about the compromised or poor patient care through a periodic review.

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Evaluation of the Importance of Involving Governing Board in Early Development of
Quality Measure
The government board should be involved in the early development of the quality
measure as it will play a key role in modifying the strategic plan and setting the direction. In
addition to this, the board will also help in enhancing the competition and bring about a change
in the pattern of care through development of mission, vision, strategic thrust, tactics and goals
that can not only respond to the environment but also portrays organizational values.

4MANAGEMENT
References:
Büchner, V. A., Schreyögg, J., & Schultz, C. (2014). The impact of the board’s strategy-setting
role on board-management relations and hospital performance. Health care management
review, 39(4), 305-317.
Tsai, T. C., Jha, A. K., Gawande, A. A., Huckman, R. S., Bloom, N., & Sadun, R. (2015).
Hospital board and management practices are strongly related to hospital performance on
clinical quality metrics. Health Affairs, 34(8), 1304-1311.