Board Responsibilities & Descriptions
- Responsibilities of the Board
- Responsibilities of the Directors
- Position description - Board Chair
- Position description - Vice Chair
- Position description - Committee Chair
Responsibilities of the Board
The overarching obligation of a Board is to ensure the Hospital’s resources and capacities are deployed in ways that benefit its stakeholders. The Board serves the Hospital, representing, protecting, and advancing the Hospital’s interests and acting on its behalf.
Accountability
The Board is accountable to:
- St. John's Rehab Hospital patients
- The Ministry of Health and Long Term Care and the Local Health Integration Network (LHIN)
- St. John's Rehab Foundation and its donors
Responsibilites
- Define Ends & Strategic Direction
Contribute to the formulation of the vision, mission and values of the hospital and contribute to the development of the strategic planning process and approve the strategic plan - Performance Objectives Formation
Establish objectives to provide guidelines to those empowered with the responsibility to manage hospital operations - Provide for Excellent Management
Select the Chief Executive Officer and Chief of Staff, along with developing job descriptions, performance expectation, and determine compensation. - Ensure Succession Planning for the CEO and Chief of Staff.
- Promote Program Effectiveness
Responsible for final appointment, reappointment and delineation of privileges for medical staff, credentialing, quality goals, effectiveness, risk management, and oversight. - Build Relationships with the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, the LHIN and other key stakeholders.
- Oversee Financial Viability and approve key financial objectives that support the hospital's mission and goals
- Promote Board Effectiveness/Continuous Improvement for the Board and its policies.
- Promote Effective Communication by ensuring the hospital has structures to communicate effectively with its stakeholders and the public.
Responsibilities of the Directors
- Exercise/Limitation of Authority by carrying out the powers of office during meetings, and respects the power and responsibilities of the CEO while insisting on accountability.
- Time Commitment by attending and be prepared for meetings, retreats, orientation, and events; serve on committees; and pursue educational opportunities.
- Integrity by acting honestly and in good faith, and disclose all conflicts of interest.
- Confidentiality by abiding by the Confidentiality Statement.
- Informed Judgment by being familiar with the hospital by-laws and current health care news, exercise diligance, be prepared for and actively participate in meetings, use personal expertise and influence, and represent the Board.
- Public Support of Organization by supporting the Board's decisions and policies at all times.
- Continuous Improvement by assessing the Board's and personal performance each year.
- Financial Support of Organization by optimizing fundraising opportunities and supporting the hospital.
Position Description - Board Chair
The Board Chair is the leader of the Board. This includes:
- Ensuring the board meets its obligations and fulfils its governance responsibilities
- Overseeing the quality of the board's governance processes
- Acting as presiding officer at board and members' meetings
- Representing the board to the media, community, and government.
- Building and maintaining relationships with board members, senior management, committee chairs, the CEO, Chief of Staff, and between individual directors.
Qualifications
Leadership skills and respect of peers, good strategic and facilitation skills, ability to influence and achieve consensus, act impartially , tact, diplomacy, professionalism, willingness to serve, communication, political acuity, time to build strong relationships, understanding of the hospital, board level experience in the health care sector, outstanding record of achievement in one or several areas of skills and experience used to select board members.
Term
The Board Chair's term of office will not exceed three years and will be renewed annually.
Position Description - Vice Chair
In the absence of the Chair, the Vice Chair fulfils the role and responsibilities of the Chair. The vice chair:
- Participates on the Executive Committee and assumes the role of Chair of the Governance committee
- Supports the Board Chair, other officers, and the CEO
- Assists in search commitees for, performance evaluation of, and contract negotiations with the President and CEO and the Chief of Staff
- Assists in planning the Annual Retreat
- Develops strategy for board member participation in external education sessions.
Qualifications
Leadership skills and respect of peers, tact, diplomacy, professionalism, willingness to serve, understands board dynamics and the hospital, and proven record of achievement in one or several areas of skills and experience used to select board members.
Term
The Vice Chair's term of office will not exceed three years and will be renewed annually.
Position Description - Committee Chair
The Board Committee Chair acts as the representative of the Board in leading the work of the Board Committee and is responsible for:
- Effectiveness of the board's governance role and processes.
- Presiding, and representing the board, at Committee meetings
- Maintaining constructive relationships with management, staff and Committee members
- Ensuring that the mandate of the Board Committee, as approved by the Board, is carried out and adhered to.
- Spokesperson to the Board on behalf of the Board Committee
Qualifications
Leadership skills, good listener, ability to sum up discussions for members, punctual, strategic and facilitation skills, ability to influence and achieve consensus, act impartially, tact, diplomacy, communication, and enough time to devote to the activities of the Committee.
Term
The term of office for the Board Committee Chair will be set by the Governance Committee of the Board.