Governance and Organizational Structure Flashcards
Ad hoc committee
A committee formed to address a specific purpose for a specified time period.
Chain of command
The formal channel that defines the line of authority, as well as reporting relationships up and down an organization’s hierarchy.
Clinical staff bylaws
A formal document of the governance procedures for physicians and licensed independent practitioners in an organization; approved by the governing body and sometimes called medical staff bylaws.
Clinical staff organization
The structure of a healthcare organization’s clinical staff members for carrying out policies, meeting expectations for quality of clinical care, and communicating with the organization’s governing body.
Compliance program
A program designed to ensure an organization meets statutory and regulatory requirements; may be based on legislation or a voluntary effort such as accreditation.
Consent agenda
A group of agenda items passed without discussion unless a member requests a review; used to focus attention on priority matters.
Credentialing
The process of validating a professional’s eligibility for medical staff membership and/or privileges to be granted on the basis of academic preparation, licensing, training, certifications, and performance.
Division of labor
Specialization of work that breaks down tasks in a production process so that personnel become highly proficient in components of the process.
External auditor
A certified public accounting firm that attests that the accounting practices followed by an organization are sound and that the financial reports fairly represent the state of the business.
Governance bylaws
A corporate document that specifies quorum rules of order, duties of standing committees and officers, and other procedures for the conduct of business.
Joint venture
A corporation jointly owned by two or more independent corporations; joint ventures always have capital invested by both or all partners, and they usually have joint governance and management teams.
Licensed independent practitioner
A caregiver granted legal status to provide specific kinds of healthcare.
Management letter
Comments of external auditors to the governing board that accompany their audited financial report.
Mission
A statement of purpose-the good or benefit a healthcare organization intends to contribute couched in terms of an identified community, a set of services, and a specific level of cost or finance; many healthcare organizations are moving to population health missions, explicitly accepting responsibility for the broader goal.
Reserved powers
Decisions permanently vested in the central corporation of a multicorporate system.
Span of control
The number of subordinates reporting to a supervisor.
Strategic business unit
A profit center in an organization that focuses on a product line or market segment.
Strategic scorecard
Measures of overall enterprise performance grouped in major dimensions-customers, staff and suppliers, operations (quality and cost), and finance; reported to the governing board and appropriate for service lines, the healthcare organization as a whole, or its major components.
Trustees
Members of the governing board of not-for-profit organizations who volunteer their time; the title reflects their acceptance of the assets in trust for the community; also may be called directors.
Values
An expansion of an organization’s mission that expresses basic rules of acceptable conduct, such as respect for human dignity or acceptance of equality.
Vision
An expansion of an organization’s mission that expresses intentions, philosophy, and organizational self-image.
