The Structure and Function of a Transformational Governing Board of a Nonprofit Medical Clinic as Determined by its Written Policy and as Seen in the Haller Lake Christian Health Clinic

This project is designed to assist the Haller Lake Christian Health Clinic in its governing process through the development of policy. A key assumption in this project has been that the Governing Board of Haller Lake Christian Health Clinic desires to focus its time and energy on leading the clinic and to delegate the administration of the clinic to staff including both the paid staff and volunteer staff. Therefore, the policy developed in this project sets boundaries within which the staff can administrate and boundaries within which the governing board can lead.

The boundaries that are set for the staff are found in two categories of policies. The first category of policy clearly defines the purposes of the clinic. These purposes give the staff goals to work toward. The second category of policy sets staff limitations that define actions that are inappropriate for the staff to take in achieving these goals.

Boundaries are set for the governing board that define the governing process. This category of policy provides practical rules that determine the functioning of the governing board.

A fourth category of policy defines the accountability requirements for the governing board, for staff, and for the entire ministry of the clinic. This policy describes when and how the board and staff evaluate themselves and how the results of this evaluation are passed on to the moral owners of the clinic.

The Appendices will include the recommend policy as it is currently developed. Examples of the evaluations that will be conducted are also included.