Editor, Commonwealth:
I had a chance to visit with a key decision maker for one of the major hospital systems that has shown an interest in affiliating with our hospital.
I was encouraged with their assessment. They ranked Greenwood Leflore Hospital in the top five of the 20 or so troubled municipal hospitals in our state. They said the main reason for ranking GLH so high was our exceptionally strong core of doctors. In this regard, they described GLH as the most viable municipal hospital in northwest Mississippi, including Vicksburg.
The citizens of Greenwood and Leflore County, our doctors and staff, and those who serve or have served on our hospital board should be proud.
Our board, however, is currently neglecting its fiduciary responsibility to our community by failing to provide a professional health-care executive for our hospital. The board has other responsibilities but none more important than this. I sense that our community is wondering why five months have passed without selecting a qualified CEO to develop a long-term strategy and staffing requirements to ensure that our hospital survives and indeed thrives.
I have serviced on boards where some board members did not understand their role in governance. My experience has been that these same board members were relieved once they realized their limited responsibilities.
The burden for success or failure of any company lies primarily with the CEO. The CEO is accountable to the board if he or she fails. Written board policy defines the boundaries of responsibilities between the board and management and is absolutely essential to any board.
I am curious if our hospital board has one.
Tommy Gary
Greenwood
