“The MHA Excellence In Governance Fellowship has given my board members an experience like no other.”
– Sponsoring organization CEO
“The MHA Excellence In Governance Fellowship sets the benchmark for contemporary and practical governance education. Board members that graduate from the program make tremendous contributions to governance in our organization and our community mission has been advanced.”
– Sponsoring organization CEO
“It was very important for me to build a network, learn best practices and gain skills to make me a better board member. It’s truly a great opportunity for a hospital to build the ‘dream team’ they want for their board.”
– Graduate Fellow
Who Becomes a Fellow?
Fellows come from the governing boards of hospitals, health systems and other healthcare organizations. A minimum of one year of board experience is required for consideration to become a fellow. Many organizations use the fellowship as a platform to educate board members who are advancing to the chairman role.
An Innovative Program for Healthcare Boards
Long-term stability for hospitals and health systems has uncertainties caused by inpatient, outpatient and emergency services being subject to constraints on prices and employer expectations, tech moving aggressively into healthcare, for mergers and acquisitions considerable regulatory hurdles and transparency requirements and regulators focused on integrating social determinants and behavioral health into primary and preventative health.
Hospitals and health systems must invest in their board members to ensure the highest level of competencies. An outstanding board member needs broad knowledge, strategic thinking and an ongoing commitment to leadership excellence.
The Michigan Health & Hospital Association designed this rigorous and comprehensive offering to provide educational opportunities in governance leadership through a powerful combination of expert faculty, specially designed curriculum and interaction. The MHA Excellence in Governance Fellowship is highly collaborative in nature, bringing fellows together in a variety of learning formats, including retreatlike interface, virtual communications and dialogue, and peer learning circles.
The MHA believes that the CEO and board member partnership is key to any successful healthcare organization. Because we are committed to fostering this partnership, CEOs of the selected fellows receive regular communication and information to support the fellow in his or her study.
“I found the fellowship to be very valuable in terms of networking, sharing diverse perspectives, strengthening the foundation of knowledge around healthcare, and better understanding the landscape in the state and how much MHA contributes positively to it. I am finding myself much more deliberate and confident about my board responsibilities as a result of this fellowship. I can’t thank you and my sponsor enough for this great opportunity!”
– Graduate Fellow
The Organizational Value
- Superior board capacity through the development of advanced governance knowledge and skills.
- Board members with highly developed leadership skills.
- Board members who know how to be relevant and engaged.
- Board members who are ambassadors and champions for the organization and the chief executive.
- Connected board members with a vast network of peers to help with challenging governance issues.
- Board members who are thoughtful — not reactionary — and understand the roles and responsibilities of the board and the CEO.
- Board members with broad competencies and a mission focus that translates into bottom-line results.
Individual Value
- An exceptional experience that provides the skills and knowledge to advance the mission and vision of the organization beyond the ordinary.
- An unparalleled opportunity to exchange ideas and explore challenges and solutions with trustees and healthcare experts.
- An opportunity to study trends in governance and healthcare and their significance to hospitals and the community.
- An understanding of pragmatic and practical ways to identify and implement board actions that enhance organizational effectiveness.
- A network of governing board colleagues to call on when challenges arise.
- Limited class size for maximum interaction, learning and peer-to-peer exchange.
Retreat 1
Effective Governance and the Board’s Role in Quality and Patient Safety
Examine the principles and skills needed to be an effective leadership board, and develop skills to adequately assess and analyze the quality of care and patient safety in the organization. Fellows will explore in depth:
- The role of the governing board member in establishing and affirming mission.
- Financial, strategic and quality oversight, including accountability for both personal and organizational performance.
- Board and management roles and how to provide oversight — not interference.
- The appropriate systems to allow board members to measure and monitor quality and patient safety.
- How to measure quality improvement using dashboards.
- How to choose and use the appropriate indicators.
Retreat 2
Clinical Expertise and Community Connectedness
Explore and discover the importance of clinical leadership in safety, health equity, teamwork, continuous learning, and the value of partnership to the healthcare enterprise. Fellows will gain a better understanding of:
- How consolidation, incentives for hospital-physician alignment and changing reimbursement are affecting hospital-physician relationships.
- Legal considerations for physician employment, practice acquisition, joint ventures and other physician compensation models.
- The interdependence of physician, executive and board leadership in improving health and patient experience and reducing health disparities.
- How boards support high reliability, psychological safety and other elements that are essential to establishing a safe culture.
- Providing access to needed healthcare services.
Retreat 3
Personal Mastery and Accelerating Change
Investigate, analyze and learn how to develop personal capacity to lead and drive change at a pace that keeps the organization relevant. Fellows will learn to:
- Continuously build leadership muscle.
- Evaluate strategies by weighing risks and rewards and the impact on the health and quality of life in their community.
- Apply their new knowledge and skills to help create accountability, consistency and reliability.
- Appreciate the importance of inquiry, influence and consensus building.
- Build capacity of skilled, diverse professionals and cultivate resilience among caregivers.
Retreat 3 Bonus Experiences:
- Two days of cutting-edge education and top-level networking at the MHA Annual Membership Meeting.
- Graduation of the MHA Excellence in Governance fellows!
Virtual 90-Minute Sessions
With smartphones, tablets and apps changing the face of modern life, it’s only natural that these technologies would change educational opportunities too. Fellows will meet in 90-minute virtual sessions in the months they are not meeting in person. Fellows must have access to a computer with high-speed internet. The fellowship virtual sessions will be broadcast on Zoom, a platform compatible with Windows, Mac, Linux, iOS and Android.
Virtual sessions allow fellows to explore critical issues and approaches to challenges. Content experts and experienced leaders will address topics like:
- Building resilience and reducing burnout.
- Integrating physical and behavioral health.
- Staffing shortages and winning the talent war.
- AI, technology and cybersecurity.
-
- Effectively advocating for change.
Faculty
The success and value of the MHA Excellence in Governance Fellowship is embodied in the committed and highly qualified faculty involved in the program. The fellowship uses expert faculty in the areas of healthcare delivery, governance, legal issues, quality and patient safety, and leadership.
Time Investment
Fellows are expected to invest the time and energy needed to complete all of the activities planned for the fellowship. This learning experience is designed so that significant peer-to-peer learning will occur. Therefore, fellows should plan to attend all in-person and virtual meetings throughout the fellowship. Homework assignments will require a small amount of additional time.
Team Incentives for Multiple Registrations and Repeat Supporters
Many hospitals use the fellowship to develop board members and, in particular, those moving into officer positions. We think that is a rousing endorsement! Multiple board members from the same organization are invited to apply to become fellows. Tuition is discounted for more than one board member enrolling from the same organization. Your organization wins both financially and through the ongoing development of skilled board members — that’s just one more solid reason to nominate board members for this outstanding program!
Tuition
| Governing board member from an MHA-member organization | $7,200 per person |
| Two or more board members from the same MHA-member organization | $6,000 per person |
For organizations that are not members of the MHA, contact Erin Steward for fees.
Tuition covers the three in-person sessions, all virtual sessions and the registration fee for the 2025 MHA Annual Membership Meeting (a $1,000 value). Individual travel, lodging and other related expenses are not included in the tuition. Tuition is due no later than Sept. 6, 2024.
All cancellations and withdrawals must be submitted in writing. For cancellations and withdrawals on or before Aug. 2, 2024, tuition will be returned, less a processing fee of 25%. Alternates may be accepted following review.
In-person retreats 1 and 2 will be held at the MHA headquarters, 2112 University Park Dr., Okemos, MI. If needed, hotel accommodations can be made at the Courtyard by Marriott Okemos, 3545 Meridian Crossing Drive, Okemos; or the Holiday Inn Express & Suites Okemos, 2350 Jolly Oak Rd., Okemos.
Retreat 1: Oct. 2-3, 2024
Retreat 2: March 19-20, 2025
Retreat 3: June 24-25, 2025
Retreat 3 and Graduation Details
- Fellowship concludes and graduation occurs during the 2025 MHA Annual Membership Meeting at the Grand Hotel, Mackinac Island.(Fellows meet June 24-25; MHA Annual Membership Meeting is June 26-28.)
MHA Excellence in Governance Fellowship 2023-24 Fellows
Wayman Britt
Wayman Britt Enterprises
Trinity Health Michigan (board)
Maria Davis, PhD
Olivet College
Sparrow Eaton Hospital (board)
Julie Deppner
Silver Maples of Chelsea
Chelsea Hospital (board)
Timothy Gawronski
Trinity Health Medical Group – West
MichiganTrinity Health Medical Group – West Michigan (board)
Julie Helber, EdD
Michigan State University
Chelsea Hospital (board)
Ronald Hofman, MD
Alger Pediatrics, PC
CoreWell Health West (board)
Attah Obande
Elizabeth Rosario Law
Trinity Health Grand Rapids (board)
Daniel Roper, MD
Trinity Health Grand Rapids
Trinity Health Grand Rapids (board)
Patrick Shannon
Little Bay Band of Odawa Indians
Mackinac Straits Health System (board)
Johannie Torres
CoreWell Health West
CoreWell Health West (board)
Matt Wey
Marsh & McLennan Companies
Trinity Health Grand Rapids (board)
The complete brochure, available in a fillable PDF format, can be accessed here. Additionally, an online application form is available.