Board Effectiveness Audit & Recommendations

HealthNet is the only Free and Charitable Clinic in Rock County, Wisconsin, and has been in business for 30 years. Recently, we had a successful capital campaign and moved our clinics into one beautiful new location, but leadership did not create an operational plan to address the growth in services and the organization got into financial difficulty. The board of directors had no clear line of sight into the finances or operations for the clinic. The previous Executive Administrator had tight control over information and recruited people to the board who would support them without much oversight. The skill set of individuals on the board does not necessarily match the needs of the organization. As the new CEO of the organization, I would appreciate the support of a skilled volunteer who can come in and do an unbiased evaluation of the current board and work with myself and the board Executive Committee to create a plan that will allow us to strengthen the Board of Directors so that as an organization we can continue our mission to provide medical care, behavioral health counseling, and dental care for those who are underinsured and uninsured.

This project is important at this time because the community is very aware of the financial difficulties that HealthNet experience one year ago and that I am still working to resolve. Our reputation is not as stellar as it once was. A strong board engages stakeholders -patients, donors, and community and improves Board processes which foster transparency and trust. A high-functioning Board oversees compliance with healthcare regulations, financial reporting, and ethical standards. Enhancing the Boards effectiveness will ensure that informed decisions are made that align with our mission and the community needs. All of this will increase the perception of HealthNet in the community. We rely on funding from donors, community partners, and grants along with minimal payments from the government to support the staff and services that we provide. A skilled volunteer would bring diverse skills, and their insights could elevate Board effectiveness. They could make tremendous inroads in improving the functioning of our governing Board thus affording HealthNet the opportunity to not only continue to provide services to those in need but potentially grow those services in our community.

When the Board of Directors hired me for the CEO position, they did so because of my strong background in healthcare administration, experience with financial/operational turnarounds, and Board development. We together are committed to having the right resources in place to ensure that Board development is a priority. Moving forward this Board needs to be robust at identifying and/or mitigating risks to HealthNet. There is a direct correlation between the financial downturn of the organization and the lack of skilled oversight from the Board. A skilled volunteer would be a great addition to lead this project working alongside me, as the CEO and the Executive Committee of the Board. We have also hired an Executive Assistant, and I will allocate some of her time to the support of this work. Once an assessment is completed and a plan developed, we would implement Board recruiting and education. The Board Governance committee will be accountable to ensure that all plans and processes are implemented.