Sparks Medical Center and Board of Trustees
Sam Phillips, chairman of Sparks Medical Center’s board of trustees, wondered why hospital board meetings were so different from those at his spice company, Phillips’ Flavors, Inc. The hospital board discussed the reports of various committees, reviewed accreditation and licensing reports, and listened to reports and recommendations about state regulations and reimbursement. At Phillips’ Flavors, Inc., the board discussed the future of the business, what the competition was doing, and strategies to increase market share and profit margins.
Clara Burns, CEO of Sparks Medical Center, made the following recommendation to Phillips regarding more effective board meetings:
1. Board discussing should focus on the organization’s mission.
2. Objective and strategies should be established.
3. A strategy to plan and measure board performance should be developed.
Sam realized that it would be difficult to address these issues given the board structure and organization, which led to excessive amounts of meeting time spent on routine committee and management reports. The current process resulted in a full agenda and little time to deal with issues critical to the future of the medical center.
Case Questions
a) What do you recommend that Sam Do now?
b) Identify constraints and opportunities that Sam will face when implementing your recommendations.