Board Chair Message - May 2005

Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre has successfully completed another Accreditation. Last week, a team of surveyors came to our facility for the assessment. Initial comments from the Accreditation Team were highly favorable. Congratulations to our healthcare team for a job well done. We know that stringent standards are applied to healthcare organizations such as ours.

Members of the TBRHSC Board are keenly interested in Accreditation since it is incumbent upon us to develop policy and give direction that enables staff to achieve the goals that are set out for the organization. Even though we ask for an Accreditation, the process is considered an essential “right of passage” every three years. If things need improving, recommendations are made known in a report that is usually presented within two months after the event. We are looking forward to the findings.

On another - but related matter, members of the Board are seeking ways to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the Board, itself. Since we feel that the Board of TBRHSC is leading the province in governance renewal, we want to demonstrate to everyone that we are pursuing excellence. As a retired university professor of business, I am interested in efficiencies of large organizations. I know that if the “Board” does not present a clear mandate to the organization there is a high probability that the goals and objectives will not be achieved within the organization it governs. As a matter of procedure, after every meeting we ask our members to evaluate how well we conducted ourselves. A form is filled out and assessed. We hold ourselves accountable. We ask if everyone was responsive to the issues? We ask if we conducted due diligence? Were we clear with our recommendations to Administration? Were our stakeholders represented?

In addition, last year the Board adopted a Vision Statement that declared TBRHSC would deliver World Class healthcare. To that end, we decided that our governance structure would change as well, to be as efficient as possible. We have done that. And, last week our Accreditors applauded us for doing it. Consequently, we are presenting our recommendations to our stakeholders during May and to the membership at our Annual Meeting in June.

Thanks for your continued support.

Ron Nelson, Chair
Board of Governors

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