Resources Available for Understanding the Board's Role in Hospital and Physician Relations

Understanding the board’s role in hospital–physician relations

The AHA’s Center for Healthcare Governance invites hospital executives, board members, clinical leaders and others to view a three-part webinar to help health systems continually assess physician relationships and develop collaborative, mutually beneficial strategies that provide for effective onboarding, retention, high-quality patient experiences and outcomes, clinical innovation and transition of leadership. The webinar is pre-recorded so it can be viewed by individuals or by full governing boards during board and committee meetings, retreats or orientation sessions. Contact the center at info@americangovernance.com.

Improving patient experience via hospitals’ physical environment

A new guide from Hospitals in Pursuit of Excellence in collaboration with the American Society for Healthcare Engineering explores ways hospital leaders can use the physical environment to improve the patient experience. The guide describes a "people, process, place" model that will help leaders establish a culture of caring; implement process improvements; and improve to the place of care, including the hospital physical environment, technology and furniture. The guide, Improving the Patient Experience Through the Health Care Physical Environment, includes case studies; a hospital leader checklist; a template for using the people, process and place model; a  table outlining eight domains of care measured by the HCAHPS survey with observed relationships to the physical environment; and additional resources list. Visit www.hpoe.org.

AHA trustee honored for efforts on minority health

The National Minority Quality Forum in April presented its Booker T. Washington Award to Ramanathan (Ram) Raju, M.D., president and CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals, for his efforts to advance diversity in the field, reduce health care disparities and provide equitable care to all patients. “Dr. Raju is committed to making sure NYC Health + Hospitals provides each and every person who comes through their doors with high-quality, safe and equitable care,” “Through his leadership, NYC Health + Hospitals created a 2020 Vision Plan – a roadmap to enhance equitable care that builds on their strengths to increase workforce diversity, build sustainable communities and improve the patient experience and outcomes,” said Tomás León, president and CEO of the AHA-affiliated Institute for Diversity in Health Management, who presented Raju the award.” Raju is member of the AHA Board of Trustees and chair of the AHA’s Equity of Care Committee, where he leads the association’s #123forEquity Pledge to Act Campaign to Eliminate Health Care Disparities.