Loma Linda University Health Launches ‘Conversations on Governance’

By DonaJayne Potts, Loma Linda University Health

Loma Linda University Health now offers an innovative way to support and strengthen board governance of Seventh-day Adventist health-care and education systems around the globe.

Launched in January, “Conversations on Governance” is a free online board governance development course for international Seventh-day Adventist board members and leaders. With six online sessions each year, the two-year certificate program is available in three languages: English, French, and Spanish.

The Seventh-day Adventist Church is established in 212 countries — operating nearly 200 hospitals, 450 clinics, and more than 8,500 educational institutions worldwide.

“Good governance is at the heart of any successful organization,” Loma Linda University Health president Richard H. Hart said. “The board is responsible for developing policies and taking actions to ensure sufficient and appropriate human and financial resources for the organization to accomplish its mission.”

In the course series entitled “Good Governance: What Boards Need to Know,” participants learn about governance principles, fiduciary responsibilities, differences between governance and management, and the importance of seeing beyond personal interests and local political pressures. “Attendees are encouraged to actively participate by sharing examples of their successes and failures and provide feedback and ideas to others in the class,” Hart said.

Nearly 340 Seventh-day Adventist health-care and education leaders from 61 countries registered for the first session held online on January 21, 2021.

Hart assembled a team of experts in Seventh-day Adventist board governance to serve as faculty for each 90-minute learning session and accompanying coursework, including Lowell Cooper, retired General Conference vice president; Bob Kyte, former General Conference general counsel and retired president of Adventist Risk Management; Don Pursley, retired vice president for finance at Loma Linda University; and Elie S. Honoré, retired president of Adventist Healthcare Services Inter-America.

“This governance development program will support the global network of Adventist hospitals from large, tertiary-care medical centers to small rural, primary-level hospitals to meet today’s disparate challenges,” faculty member Lowell Cooper said. “As the sophistication of governmental and large private hospitals increases, Adventist hospitals likewise need to maintain state-of-the-art governance to continue to provide the healing ministry of Jesus Christ to all in need.”

Organized by the Global Health Institute of Loma Linda University Health, “Conversations on Governance” is supported by Adventist Health International and the General Conference Adventist Health Ministries.

The original version of this story was posted on the Loma Linda University Health news site.