CKHA is going to a single corporation and board of directors. Nov 16, 2017. (Photo by Paul Pedro)CKHA is going to a single corporation and board of directors. Nov 16, 2017. (Photo by Paul Pedro)
Chatham

New Model Of Governing At CKHA

The Chatham-Kent Health Alliance is going to a single corporation and board of directors to govern both the Chatham and Wallaceburg hospital sites.

Supervisor Rob Devitt says the integration replaces three boards and marks the final chapter of his supervision at CKHA as he's hoping to return home by April.  Twelve directors will be selected -- one from each of the six wards, one from the First Nations community and five at large to ensure proper representation of Wallaceburg and other rural communities.

Devitt says this new model will end the lack of vision and wrong structure plaguing the hospitals for the last two decades.

"We need to have an organization that is focused on being a hospital system for the people in our community anchored by two sites and it was the ward system and anchored by two sites that I think we've been missing for 20 years," says Devitt.

Successful directors must have corporate financial experience.

Devitt hopes to have LHIN approval by December 31 after 30 days of public input with the first board meeting tentatively scheduled for the end of February. Renewable board terms will be one, two or three years, depending on the director to ensure staggered rotation.

CKHA is also ending ties with the Sisters of St. Joseph after 100 years of service. Devitt says that part of the Chatham hospital will be sold to CKHA but the province is paying for it.

Devitt says the new model will have an enhanced focus on patients and their care because board decisions can quickly show up at the bed side.

"The wrong decision at the board room table can lead to a lack of access, reduced quality and reduced safety, not just for patients but for staff as well," Devitt says.

Devitt says the new culture will be healthy for everybody using and working in the hospital system.

"I think it gives us that right tone and with the right skill set, the board will be talking about truly the governance issues and not delving into the operations. That's why we have management and physicians leaders to do that stuff. It's the policy, the safety, the oversight and that sort of thing," says Devitt.

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