The fundamental role of the SAH Board is to govern the Corporation. Boards govern, they do not manage. The Excellent Care For All Act strengthens the responsibility of a Hospital Board regarding oversight for the quality of care delivered within hospitals. This is one of the primary roles of the Q&S Committee.
A broader list of the Board’s roles and responsibilities include policy-making, decision-making, oversight, strategic planning, quality of care, financial oversight, Board effectiveness, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Chief of Staff (COS), management performance and evaluation. Given these wide-ranging responsibilities, the Board’s governance role must be distinguished from the duties given to the hospital’s CEO and COS staff. The Board has only two employees, the CEO and COS which report directly to the Board and are responsible to the Board. All other positions report and are responsible to the CEO or COS.
The Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) is an excellent resource for Board Governance, as well as the OHA’s Guide to Good Governance (Chapters 4, 5, and 8 are recommended readings for new Board Members).