The document outlines best practices and legal responsibilities for board members of health centers, including ensuring the organization fulfills its mission, complies with rules, reviews finances, and hires/evaluates the CEO. Effective boards look at the big picture, have a sense of priorities, think before acting, value teamwork, and constantly evaluate themselves. Proper recruitment, training, and evaluations are emphasized for creating an effective board.

1. MPCA Health Center Board Member Training
May 4, 2012
Midland, MI

2. The legal responsibilities of your board of directors are
pretty clear. The board must:
 Ensure the organization fulfills its mission
 Guarantees the organization complies with its bylaws
and other rules
 Reviews the financial performance
 Hire and evaluate the CEO
Beyond the basics, a smooth functioning board with diverse
skills is a godsend.
While a quarrelsome, nit-picking board with thin experience
will distract you at best and bring down the organization at
worst.

3. Use the following behavior patterns
to see which fit your board.

4. An effective board looks
at the big picture.
 It is alert to signs of trouble before a crisis erupts
 Always asking questions such as:
 How are we doing in meeting our mission?
 Are we working hardest on the most important task?
 Could we do things better and more efficiently?
 Where are we in meeting our long-range goals?

5. A good board has a keen
sense of priorities.
 It works from an agenda so that it does not waste time
on un-necessary issues.
 It endorses planning and the use of planning tools.
 Freely endorsing time and money spent on anticipated
future problems and preparing for them.

6. A judicious board thinks before it acts.
 When staff and board members disagree, every effort
is made to understand the opposing side's position in
order to come to a clear resolution.
 The board makes sure that the staff operates in a fear-
free atmosphere and feels confident that if they
express their opinions, they will not be punished.

7. An efficient board values teamwork.
 The board elects members that have skills needed and
then encourages teamwork among them.
 The goal is to achieve the organization’s objectives by
using the board intelligence through teamwork.
 Staff should not have to act as a referee among
directors.

8. The outstanding board constantly evaluates
itself and keeps improving
 It reviews the organization's mission annually and
re-energizes itself through various activities.
 It invites outside expertise and educates itself in best
practices.

9. How can we improve our board
effectiveness?
 First we must understand the gap between where we
are now and where we want to be.
 What is the reason for the gap and what do we need to
do to close it?
 Do the skills and assignments of your baord members
line ip with the skills and interest of the directors and
the organization’s needs?
 Does your board allow for meaningful dialogue
between board members?
 Is there a timely flow of sufficient information to board
members to make informed decisions?

10. Who is sitting at the board table?

11. Effective boards begin with effective
board members
 The belief is that board development pactices help
organizations obtain competent board members and in
turn having competent board members leads to
improved board performance.
 Board development is considered to have 3
components: The recruitment process, training and
evaluations.
 The idea is shown in the diagram on the next slide
designed by Arizona State University College of Public
Programs

13. How do we create and effective board?
 Starts with recruiting
 Are the members qualified?
 Properly Motivates
 Dependable
 Are there a proper number of board members for the
size of the organization?
 Are we able and/or willing to replace ineffective baord
members?

14. Are board members receiving the
proper training?
 Are new members given an orientation?
 Is there a board development policy/process?
 Are we training on relevant topics?
 Have members been trained on program expectations?
 Are funds budgeted for board development?

15. Are we being effective as board
members and as a board?
 Is the board evaluation completed annually?
 What is being done with the results of the evaluation?
 Is each board member completing a self evaluation?
 What is the process for each of these?

16. What are the characteristics of an
effective board member?
 Governance
 Approaches responsibilities in the spirit of a director
on behalf of the members and the industry at large.
 Maintains loyalty to the organization with a higher
loyalty to the members.
 Welcomes information and best available advice,
but reserves the right to arrive at decisions based on
own judgment.
 Honors commitments.
 Supports board decisions (internally and externally)
even when he or she may disagree with the majority
opinion. Promotes unity within the organization.

17.  Offer opinions honestly and in a constructive way.
 Respects the opinions of others.
 Avoids any possibility of conflict of interest.
 Understands legal and fiduciary responsibilities.
 Gives respect and consideration to other board
members. Listens as an ally. Focuses on issues, not
personalities.
 Offers constructive feedback.
 Asks informed questions.
 Clearly understands her/his responsibilities.
 Willing to actively serve on at least one committee.
 Comes to meetings on time, well prepared and
actively participates

18.  Ambassador
 Understands and is committed to the
organization's mission.
 Speaks with one voice when representing the
organization.
 Acts as an advocate for the organization and its
members.
 Consultant
 Has expertise in areas necessary to assist the board
and the organization.
 Contributes knowledge.

19.  General
 Willing to give time.
 Recognizes that her/his time and energy are limited,
and takes care not to make any commitment that
cannot be fulfilled.
 Be active in committee meetings

20. Acts as an advocate for the
organization and its members.
 How do I advocate?
 Establish and maintain relationships with your elected
officials
 Establish and maintain relationships with staff of elected
officials
 Attend town meetings
 Write your elected official
 Call and send faxes to your elected officials
 Offer to testify on health centers
 Write letters to the editor of your local newspaper
 Be active in your state PCA and NACHC

21. Why do I need to advocate?
 A requirement in the Bureau’s program Expectations
 No more than ever we are in a fight for survival of the
health center program
 A duty to the patients we serve and the organization
 If we don’t advocate for our patients who will?

22. Beacon Consulting Group LLC
David Brown
(734) 735-3573
david@guidingyourcourse.com
www.guidingyourcourse.com