The outgoing chair of the South West Local Health Integration Network has some advice for local hospital boards.
Fern Woolcott says people shouldn’t enter the role of hospital board director lightly.
Woolcott — who ender her term as Chair on June 16th — says the role is getting harder.
She notes it requires greater time commitments as well as new responsibilities and legal accountabilities.
Woolcott says the hospital boards of today require a different skill level made up of individuals who can lay out strategic plans and utilizes resources more effectively.
As for the relationship between the LHIN and local hospital boards — Woolcott feels it has come a long way — but there is still a way to go.
She says while some of the fear regarding the LHIN is gone – there is still apprehension out there.
Woolcott says honest open dialogue is the best way to overcome this.
She adds hospitals are also going to have to forge even stronger partnerships to weather the economic challenges ahead facing health care.
