Partnership Governance Insights from Foster G. McGaw Prize Recipients

Posted on by Robert Otto Valdez PhD

FosterMGaw_logo_2A year ago, my colleagues at the American Hospital Association’s Center for Healthcare Governance issued a report entitled, “Learnings on Governance from Partnerships that Improve Community Health”, lessons learned from Foster G. McGaw Prize recipients.  The study touched on many important issues in undertaking community partnerships including governance responsibilities and authority, reporting structures and processes, partnership staffing, partnership resources and funding and other challenges.  Clearly, engaging in cross-sector community partnerships is not simple but Foster G. McGaw Prize recipients and their communities have been at it for some time.  So, it is worth reviewing a few of the insights gained from this report.

Hospitals and health systems are often “anchor institutions” in most communities. They may also be the primary funders of initiatives.   They play a pivotal role as conveners or facilitators of community partnerships, as many communities lack a public health department that might play this role elsewhere.  As facilitators and governance participants they “should view themselves as “servant leaders” who are good collaborators, analytical, passionate, inclusive and engaging.”

What does a successful community partnership look like?  Partnerships bring together and engage stakeholders from business, local government, local non-profits in housing, food security, education, and other sectors.  Thus, success often is the result of innovation, flexibility, taking advantage of synergies, shared interest.  These require coordination and clear communication.  But, an intense commitment is not enough without an “outcomes-driven mission and vision”.

Successful partnership governance relies on developing a high level of trust and full engagement of all partners so that together they can envision a future where the health and well-being of their community is better than it is today.  Programs, initiatives, funding, structures may differ as each community has its unique needs and characteristics.  Thus, the successful partnership and its governance must be able to evolve with circumstances but remain unwavering in pursuit of wellness.

Foster G. McGaw Prize

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Published by Robert Otto Valdez PhD

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Professor of Family & Community Medicine and Economics at the University of New Mexico. He received his Ph.D. from the RAND Graduate School for Public Policy Studies where he specialized in studies of health care financing and quality of care for children. He studied Health Policy & Administration at the University of Michigan and History and Science at Harvard University. He served as the Founding Executive Director of the RWJF Center for Health Policy at UNM. He previously served as founding Dean at the Drexel University School of Public Health. From 1985 through 1999, he was Professor of Health Services at the UCLA School of Public Health and directed the health services doctoral studies program. Dr. Valdez started his health policy career as a lead researcher for the historic RAND Health Insurance Experiment. He is internationally recognized as an expert in health services research, the U.S. health care system, and health policy analysis. From 1993 to 1997 he served at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health, Public Health Service and Director of Interagency Health Policy, Health Care Financing Administration. Prior to joining DHHS, he served as a Senior Advisor to the White House on health care reform. In 1998, he served as Special Senior Advisor to the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans. He currently serves as Chairman, New Mexico Community Foundation and Chairman, American Hospital Association Foster G McGaw Prize Committee.