Organizational Performance Management and Measurement

To serve effectively, hospital board members need to have accurate measures of the hospital’s performance, especially in terms of financial and quality-of-care indicators. While financial measures tend to be straightforward, the numerous national, state and local quality initiatives currently underway can make it difficult to sort out which measures are most important to a particular hospital. The articles in this section are designed to help hospital leaders think about how to best measure performance.

Comprehensive Dashboard Boosts Board’s Effectiveness

This thorough performance dashboard provides an example of the indicators tracked by Middlesex Health System in Middletown, Connecticut. Creating this report helped the board condense all of the key information in one location, which has enhanced board effectiveness while having the unanticipated benefit of improving relations with local businesses and health plans.

(Barry S. Bader, Great Boards, Fall 2003) 

Asset Stewardship and the Board

As part of the board’s fiduciary responsibilities, trustees and directors must ensure that the hospital’s assets are being used appropriately and in a legally accountable way. Yet ensuring the best use of a hospital’s resources is complicated by declining reimbursement from payers, a growing uninsured population and a host of other factors. To help boards understand current asset performance, this Trustee Workbook provides information to help boards monitor patient flow performance.

AHA Members-Only Resource*

(Ann Kirby et al., Center for Healthcare Governance, November/December 2007)

*Contact the CEO of your hospital regarding access to American Hospital Association (AHA) members-only materials.