New format adds forum for seasoned board members
CHA has renamed and restructured its annual governance conference. Under the new format, not only can trustees new to Catholic health care gain foundational knowledge about the ministry; now, all ministry board members can gather to discuss pressing issues.
Formerly called "Holding In Trust: Catholic Health Care Governance," the revised program is "Catholic Governance Conference." It will take place in February in Scottsdale, Ariz. As in the past, the newly reformatted conference will include a section introducing new board members to the foundations of Catholic health care. This section, which will run from 1 p.m. Feb. 25 to noon Feb. 26, will cover the fundamentals of Catholic health care, including Catholic social teaching, organizational ethics and the responsibilities of ministry trustees.
The main conference, taking place from noon Feb. 26 to 3:30 p.m. Feb. 27, will provide ministry board members — both those new to the role and those who are not — with an opportunity to learn about the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Ministry experts will explain the post-reform environment, describe CHA's advocacy priorities and activities, and explain the implications for the ministry. There are separate fees for each section of the conference.
Sr. Mary Haddad, RSM, CHA senior director of sponsor services, said CHA restructured the program at the urging of ministry board members who "wanted an opportunity to come together and talk about the issues" that are most important in Catholic health care now. Past program evaluations showed a marked interest in a program on the Affordable Care Act, and so CHA is making reform the February program's focus.
Cathleen Eldridge is board chair of Cincinnati-based Catholic Health Partners and owner and president of Eldridge Consulting. She is a past Holding in Trust attendee who welcomes the changes under the Catholic Governance Conference. She said ministry trustees "are interested in staying connected, in discussing the topics that are important to us, especially with the changes and challenges happening in health care."
She said ministry board members struggle with how to make a difference in the direction of an organization when they are making decisions. Networking with other ministry leaders will help them learn how to do so effectively, she said.
"People who have experience in this will have the opportunity to come and focus on new and current issues and compare notes on how we're handling these topics. It's a chance to share best practices," she said.
CHA emailed information on the conference to ministry leaders last month. Information on the conference is available online.
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