Bluewater Health's Board of Directors consists of 17 individuals who bring diverse skills, expertise and experience to hospital governance on behalf of the Sarnia-Lambton community. The board includes 12 volunteers from the community who are elected for three-year terms, as well as five ex-officio directors (the hospital's President/CEO, Chief of Professional Staff, Chief Nursing Executive and the President and one of the Vice-Presidents of the Professional Staff Association).
The Board of Directors governs Bluewater Health through the direction and supervision of the business and affairs of the corporation in accordance with its articles of incorporation; its by-laws; its purpose and values; governance policies; and other laws and regulations. The board adheres to the Modified Pointer-Orlikoff governance model.
The board has adopted a Statement of Principles of Governance and Accountability to guide its work. The purpose of this statement is to address the overall philosophy and approach to the board’s governance responsibilities. The board has also adopted a Statement of Roles and Responsibilities for the Board of Directors consistent with the Modified Pointer-Orlikoff governance model.
The purpose of this statement is to ensure that the board has a shared and clear understanding of its governance role and key responsibilities. It serves as a useful tool for the board in its governance processes by helping directors understand the areas in which the board performs a governance role. These roles include supporting the development of the annual work plan; helping to determine committees that should be established and their terms of reference; and providing a framework for evaluating board performance.
Specifically, the Modified Pointer-Orlikoff governance model requires that the board govern by fulfilling the following three roles and six responsibilities:
Roles
- Policy Formulation - Establish policies to provide guidance to those empowered with the responsibility to lead and manage Bluewater Health operations.
- Decision-Making - On matters that specifically require board approval, choose from alternatives that are consistent with board policies that advance the goals of Bluewater Health.
- Oversight - Monitor and assess organizational processes and outcomes.
Responsibilities
- Establishing Strategic Direction
- Providing for Excellent Management
- Ensuring Program Quality and Effectiveness
- Ensuring Financial Viability
- Ensuring Board Effectiveness
- Fostering Relationships
Please refer to the Board policies for more information on the board’s principles of governance, accountabilities, roles and responsibilities.
Board Standing Committees
Bluewater Health's board committees are an important element of governance processes that aid the board in fulfilling its role. These committees take their mandate from the board. Their primary purpose is to support and advance the work of the board by performing work that the board does not have time to do. Except as outlined in the by-laws, the consideration of key policies, oversight and decision support functions are carried out at the committee levels and recommendations are made to the board for discussion and, if appropriate, are recommended for approval.
As outlined in the by-laws, the board has established the following Standing Committees: Executive Committee; Medical Advisory Committee; Governance and Nominating Committee; Joint Conference Committee; Resource Utilization and Audit Committee; and Quality Committee. The board is responsible for adopting terms of reference for these committees and ensuring their review on an annual basis. From time to time, the board may establish time-limited, ad hoc committees to consider and make recommendations on specific matters which are a current priority for the board.