Evolving the board to meet expected and unexpected future needs

• Laura Orr, Senior Partner and Global Board Advisory Leader, WittKieffer
• Rachel Polhemus, Senior Partner, Healthcare, WittKieffer

Hospital and health system boards must continuously adapt and keep pace with industry shifts. Proactive succession planning for future members is essential to ensure the right mix of competencies, expertise and adaptability to meet anticipated strategic needs and unforeseen challenges. Boards must constantly evaluate these needs and seek experienced functional experts as well as "athletes" with broad capabilities and adaptability.

In this session, speakers from the executive search and leadership advisory firm WittKieffer will provide a comprehensive look at how healthcare boards are evolving, the critical competencies needed for the future, and practical approaches to recruiting, onboarding and accelerating the impact of new members.

Condition critical: The emergency department liability experience

• Michael J. Schoppmann, Esq., Chief Executive Officer, MLMIC Insurance Company

The emergency department is one of the leading sources of professional liability claims against hospitals and healthcare providers. The chaotic environment, difficult patient presentations and a lack of communication and care coordination can all contribute to the liability risks. Join us as MLMIC presents data on the leading causes of emergency medicine claims and offers strategies to mitigate the risk of such claims within your organization.

By the end of this session, attendees will be able to:

• identify the most common causes of professional liability claims in the ED;
• recognize the communication issues that contribute to claims in this setting;
• discuss the key lessons learned through the analysis of clinical case studies; and
• understand how effective risk management strategies can improve patient safety and reduce potential liability exposure in the hospital.

Patient experience in New York: What trustees need to know

1 ACHE Qualified Education credit

• Hillary Alycon, DrPH, MPH, CIC, CPPS, CPHQ, LSSBB, Associate Vice President, Quality Management and Infection Prevention, Glens Falls Hospital, Albany Med Health System
• Rick Evans, Senior Vice President and Chief Experience Officer, NewYork-Presbyterian
• Kathy Rauch, RN, MSHQS, BSN, CPHQ, Vice President, Quality Advocacy, Research, and Innovation, HANYS

Evaluating patient experience is essential to providing a complete picture of healthcare quality. Substantial evidence points to a positive association between various components of patient experience, such as good communication between clinicians and patients, and important processes and outcomes.

While New York hospitals perform below the national average on HCAHPS surveys, further analysis shows the impact of population demographics on hospital ratings within the state. During this session, patient experience leaders will share statewide, regional and peer-group data, as well as strategies for gathering information, developing strategic plans and leveraging limited resources to act on feedback and improve patient experience.

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

• explain why patient experience is an important component of healthcare quality worthy of being included in the organization’s strategic plan;
• understand how community demographics may impact HCAHPS survey results;
• identify multiple ways to gather feedback from patients and families about their experience; and
• articulate improvement strategies that are low cost to the organization.

Evaluating CEO performance: A core board responsibility for strategic success

• Laura Orr, Senior Partner and Global Board Advisory Leader, WittKieffer
• Rachel Polhemus, Senior Partner, Healthcare, WittKieffer

A thoughtful, structured and well-executed CEO evaluation process is one of the board’s most powerful tools for driving strategic alignment, leadership development and organizational results. For many boards, however, there’s an opportunity to enhance the approach to make it more consistent, future-focused and impactful.

This session will provide board members with a comprehensive roadmap for effective CEO evaluation. Participants will explore how to establish clear expectations; use both qualitative and quantitative performance indicators; and link results to meaningful feedback, compensation and development planning. Through an interactive case study, board members will learn how to foster trust, facilitate growth-focused conversations and ensure the evaluation process reinforces both accountability and partnership.

This session is designed for board members of all experience levels and offers practical tools and strategies to elevate your board’s CEO evaluation approach and strengthen the CEO-board relationship.

The changing cybersecurity landscape and the board’s role in building a risk reduction strategy

1 ACHE Qualified Education credit

• Thomas Hallisey, Director, Digital Health Strategy, HANYS
• James Purvis, Associate Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer, University of Rochester/UR Medicine

Healthcare facilities are the most targeted sector for cybersecurity attacks. At the same time, significant funding pressures continue, and forthcoming regulations will require governing boards to oversee cybersecurity programs.

During this session, attendees will learn about the overall cybersecurity environment, the scope and goals of the coming regulations, and what the board’s involvement should be in this new age. James Purvis, CISO of UR Medicine, a health system that includes both an academic medical center and rural hospitals, will add context to these concerns and give his perspective on meeting the regulations, assessing the risks and guiding the board’s required involvement.

Effective governance in systems

• Jeffrey A. Kraut, Executive Vice President, Strategy, Northwell Health; Assistant Professor and Associate Dean, Strategy, Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell

As health system affiliations have progressed and matured over recent years, many hospital boards within health systems have transitioned their scope from fiduciary to community or local advisory boards. This transition can raise questions about the board’s new role and its ability to continue meeting the unique needs of that community. Hear directly from Jeffrey Kraut, a Northwell Health executive with extensive experience in system affiliations and creating effective governance models across diverse communities in the Northwell system. As chair of New York State’s Public Health and Health Planning Council, Kraut is uniquely positioned to understand and communicate the impact of different governance and affiliation models.

This presentation will review strategies and steps boards can take to chart a path toward more effective system governance, including roles and responsibilities, community connections, communication and continuing education.