Erik, thanks for raising the issue. On this one, I must disagree, mostly. First, Mayo is a medical group which later bought hospitals. Like most medical groups, its board is primarily physicians. Second, hospitals - especially tax-exempt community hospitals - are “owned” by the communities they serve, so having community representatives on the board aligns with that ownership. (By the way, Mayo is not a community-based organization: It’s patients are international. Many of my Mayo friends in Rochester get their primary care at the Rochester Clinic.) Certainly, every board would benefit for stronger clinical voices, however. Third, hospitals do have a physician-led governance structure called “the medical staff.” Unfortunately, many non-physician administrators don’t capitalize on their medical staffs, but a few do, and their hospitals tend to perform above average. (I’ve visited >100 hospitals, and I can spot a high-functioning medical staff within 15 minutes of walking in the door.) Lastly, thanks for posting the article about nurses belonging on the boards. That is untapped territory. At the end of the day, nurses provide most hospital care. It would be fascinating to study boards that have more nurses in their ranks. Thanks, as always, Joanne Roberts, MD
Erik, thanks for raising the issue. On this one, I must disagree, mostly.
First, Mayo is a medical group which later bought hospitals. Like most medical groups, its board is primarily physicians.
Second, hospitals - especially tax-exempt community hospitals - are “owned” by the communities they serve, so having community representatives on the board aligns with that ownership. (By the way, Mayo is not a community-based organization: It’s patients are international. Many of my Mayo friends in Rochester get their primary care at the Rochester Clinic.) Certainly, every board would benefit for stronger clinical voices, however.
Third, hospitals do have a physician-led governance structure called “the medical staff.” Unfortunately, many non-physician administrators don’t capitalize on their medical staffs, but a few do, and their hospitals tend to perform above average. (I’ve visited >100 hospitals, and I can spot a high-functioning medical staff within 15 minutes of walking in the door.)
Lastly, thanks for posting the article about nurses belonging on the boards. That is untapped territory. At the end of the day, nurses provide most hospital care. It would be fascinating to study boards that have more nurses in their ranks.
Thanks, as always,
Joanne Roberts, MD
Thank you for watching and sharing your thoughts.