Ask the expert: What are the governing board’s responsibilities?

The hospital governing board is ultimately responsible for the hospital’s performance. It performs two functions. First, it ensures the quality of care provided by the individuals who have been granted privileges at the hospital. To fulfill that responsibility, the board oversees the quality of the credentialing, privileging, and peer review processes. Second, the board hires a CEO who forms an administrative team that is capable of making smart strategic and financial decisions.
 
Boards are typically comprised of laypeople from the community, such as bankers and business owners. Physicians who are on the hospital’s medical staff may also sit on the board, but rather than representing the medical staff, they serve as community members with medical expertise. 

This week’s question and answer are from “Does your governing board understand medical staff issues?” in the February issue of Medical Staff Briefing.