Certificate Course and Keeping Current Seminars
Essentials Certificate in Health Care Governance for New Directors
How Ontario’s hospitals are governed is an increasingly important issue for the general public, the media, and for patients. As part of its commitment to leading excellence in governance throughout the health care sector, the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) offers a one-day certificate program for new and prospective trustees. This program is designed to help delegates strengthen their leadership skills, as well as orient them to the important role of trustee at a hospital or health care organization.
Topics covered throughout the day will focus on increasing delegates’ understanding of health care governance, and the challenges and opportunities presented by the complexities of hospital operations. The program will help delegates identify the questions they need to ask in their organizations to ensure they have the information they need to perform their role effectively. Delegates will also be encouraged to begin forming their own development plans and long-term goals for success as a trustee. While the focus of the program will be on hospital governance,
those assuming board roles in related health care organizations will also benefit by attending.
Program Objectives
• As a new or prospective trustee, learn what you need to know about hospitals, including their corporate status, accountabilities, organization, funding, and relationships;
• Develop a fuller understanding of the role of the Board and of the individual trustee in governing a hospital;
• Identify what you need to learn about your specific hospital to be an effective trustee; and
• Identify opportunities to play a contributing role on your Board, and learn about what you need to do to prepare for becoming an effective trustee.
Certificate in Leading Board Committees
Hospital governance has become increasingly complex within today’s dynamic health care system. As leaders, hospital board committee chairs must be equipped to face challenges within their hospital to achieve their mandates.
This one-day certificate course is designed for incoming committee chairs and/or existing chairs to assist them with their preparation for fulfilling their leadership roles. The course is a combination of lecture and interactive scenario/case studies covering topics such as the current health care landscape, the role of board committees, including that of the committee chair, relationship management, meeting management, risk management and the skills required to lead high performing committees.
Participants will benefit from discussions and insights from both peers and governance experts on how to effectively fulfill their role as leaders, and to be effective team members on their Boards.
Leadership Certificate for Hospital Board Chairs
The role of the hospital board chair has become increasingly complex within today’s dynamic health care system. As leaders, hospital board chairs must be equipped to face challenges within their hospital and the broader community. This three-day certificate course* is designed for incoming board chairs and/or existing chairs to assist them with their preparation for fulfilling their leadership role. Participants will benefit from discussions and insights from both peers and governance experts on topics such as the board’s mandate and accountability in the evolving
health care environment. Participants will build on case examples to practice the skills required to lead a high performing board and manage governance challenges facing a board chair. These challenges include, but are not limited to, quality and risk management, board and hospital executive performance management/succession planning, as well as, leading the board and hospital through crisis and controversy.
The course is a combination of interactive scenario/case studies, presentation, self study, peer collaboration and action learning. The insights and expertise of current board chairs and other governance experts will be incorporated through each learning stage. The staggered timing between day two and three will give participants the opportunity to apply the skills and knowledge acquired in a real life setting. Participants will have the opportunity to reinforce earlier learnings and explore previously encountered challenges through the case study
experiences on day three.
* To obtain the certificate, participation in all three days is mandatory
Certificate for Implementing the Guide to Good Governance
This one-day certificate program is designed for governance committee chairs, board chairs or those entering these roles. It will give participants a deeper understanding of the factors influencing good governance. Participants will identify areas for improvement in the functioning of their boards and develop a board governance development plan. This program will be of particular benefit if attended by the Board Chair together with the Chair of the Governance Committee, and the Corporate Secretary/administrative support to the board.
Program Objectives
• Deepen your understanding of the factors influencing ‘good’ governance;
• Share your experiences and ideas about what can enhance Board effectiveness;
• Identify areas for improvement in the functioning of your own Board;
• Prepare a governance development plan for your Board.
Participants will receive a copy of the Guide to Good Governance as part of the program material.
Advanced Certificate in Board Governance
The roles and responsibilities of hospital board members have become increasingly complex within today’s dynamic health care system. Today’s hospital board members must be knowledgeable about advanced governance matters in order to best contribute to and influence the performance of their boards. This two-day certificate course is designed for hospital trustees interested in advancing their contribution on a board and being involved for more than one term. In order to register, participants must have obtained the OHA Essentials Certificate in Health Care Governance from the new curriculum, or its equivalent.*
The course is a combination of interactive scenario/case studies, presentation and peer collaboration, laid out over two days. Following a brief review of core governance concepts, the participants will discuss key strategic positioning and planning issues from a hospital perspective and from the important and developing LHIN perspective. The course will also focus on other key areas such as building physician capacity and ensuring financial viability. The board’s ability to measure the success of the hospital in meeting its strategic plan, will be explored in the context of balanced scorecards and performance indicators. The formal part of the course will end with a didactic presentation on scenario planning: how to anticipate and adapt not just to the planned scenarios but the unplanned scenarios. Part way through the course, participants will hear from and engage in discussion with a hospital CEO/Chair duo on the important question of drawing the line between management and board responsibilities.
*Equivalent means: (a) completion of one of the following OHA programs from the old curriculum: Orientation of New Trustees or Effective Health Care Governance; or (b) three years experience on a hospital board.
Certificate In Risk Management For Health Care Board Of Directors
The events that can present risks to the health care environment have been growing increasingly complex over the past few years. Having the ability to oversee and manage risks is not a function of having the best ‘models’, it is a matter of understanding and developing the mindset and discipline that suit the organization’s tolerance for risk.
If a board is to fulfill its mandate, it must be able to exercise effective risk governance. Few organizations, however, have defined the expectations they have of risk governance and fewer yet have defined strategic and operational risk among the board’s oversight responsibilities.
This course will broaden Board Members’ knowledge, enabling them to engage in deeper and more complex discussions on risk. Participants will benefit from a highly interactive process with their peers and colleagues. The course is facilitated by two instructors who are expert risk practitioners.
*This program will be overseen by two accrediting organizations:
The Institute of Corporate Directors and The International Centre for Operational Risk Management
Board Secretaries Certificate in Good Governance - Advanced program and Conference for Board Secretaries
The increased emphasis on accountability in the hospital sector requires hospital boards to ensure that they are fully discharging their governance role. Corporate Secretaries play a critical role supporting health care boards in carrying out their governance responsibilities and providing senior management with support to help ensure effective board oversight. This has never been more critical than in today's health care environment.
This certificate program and conference brings together experienced speakers who will offer practical advice on how to handle the many responsibilities of the corporate secretarial position.
It will also provide participants with the unique opportunity to network and exchange useful information on current matters and talk about issues that are uniquely theirs.
The certificate course and conference are targeted to: Board Assistants; Board Coordinators; Board Secretaries and Executive Assistants to Boards.
Building a Culture of Good Governance
This one-day governance program provides an interactive learning experience that incorporates real life case studies from hospital and health governance settings.
Participants will be expected to take part in board simulations. As an integral part of these board simulations, you will provide quality feedback to other participants based on your observations of their behaviour, process and discussions.
These simulations have been designed to provide opportunities for:
• Experiential learning in boardroom behaviour, culture, processes and dynamics;
• Individual self evaluations: e.g. “How do I contribute and add value to the board?” and “How do I relate to other board members?”
• Evaluating other participants and providing valuable feedback through peer evaluation; and,
• Practice using a board tool.
Topics:
• Understanding Governance Cultures
• Recognizing Board Governance Culture
• Ensuring a Culture of Good Governance on Your Board
CEO Compensation & Evaluation
This workshop will assist in building a clearer understanding of the issues and approaches to sound governance practices regarding CEO compensation and evaluation. A sound CEO compensation and evaluation program is vital for organizational success and governance excellence. It is also vital in order to attract, retain and engage the best CEO candidates who benefit from board feedback, recognition and commensurate rewards.
The workshop will provide a hands-on opportunity to examine best practices and discuss current issues and concerns.
Program Objectives:
The objective for the day is to build the understanding and competence of board chairs, board members and CEOs to design and execute a truly effective CEO compensation and evaluation strategy.
The session will be highly interactive with opportunities to discuss specific participant situations.
Topics:
• Current Issues
• Good Governance
• Compensation Strategy and Program Design
• Making the Pay - Performance Link
• Evaluation Process, Tools and Pitfalls
• Stakeholder and Risk Management
Health Care Governance Forum
Ontario’s hospitals have a proud history of voluntary community governance. Almost 3,500 Ontarians serve as trustees of their local hospitals and bring the voices and perspectives of their neighbours to bear on how their hospital operates. Any organization that embraces openness and accountability as readily as Ontario’s hospitals must also manage the tensions that may arise during public debates about complex issues. These debates, along with strict reporting requirements, quality, and other accountability measures have made the leadership of the hospital trustee more important than ever. This conference provides a valuable opportunity for trustees to network, to learn, and to share best practices with colleagues.
Conference for Board Finance Committee Members
With the creation of Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs) and their new role as direct “funders” of Ontario’s hospitals, the role of the Board Finance Committee member has never been more important. In recognition of the growing challenges facing hospitals, the Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) has continued to build on its annual one-day program for Finance Committee members of Ontario’s health care boards of directors, to help them plan more effectively and deal with the issues that affect finances within the scope of their responsibilities.
A host of impressive speakers will share information on pertinent topics including hospital capital planning, Hospital Service Accountability Agreement (H-SAA) performance indicators, and collaborative solutions to alternative level of care (ALC) issues.
Board’s Role in Quality Oversight and Improvement
Board members of Ontario hospitals and Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs) play an important role in ensuring quality health care is continually delivered to patients across the province. More than ever, governance leaders are required to ensure their organizations meet fiduciary duties and remain legally accountable. To do this, board members must understand key quality standards and make sure that the guiding principles of quality health care are effectively adhered to.
At this conference, specifically designed for both board chairs and board members, participants will gather useful tools for understanding the major tasks and issues of hospital quality committees. As the ultimate guarantors of hospital quality, board members need to learn about and support hospitals’ quality programs as a way of measuring and improving hospital performances. This conference provides board members with the background and knowledge needed for successfully promoting a culture of quality within their organizations.