The CEO of a health care organization has just presented plans for a new pediatrics center to the board’s executive committee. The members applaud, offer praise and begin asking questions: Could the lobby be reduced to a single story to create more floor space above? Would it be more energy efficient to have fewer windows? Might a lighter color brick make the building stand out from the structures around it?

The ensuing two hours, and substantial amounts of time in later meetings, are spent reviewing the thought behind dozens of decisions—from the shape of waiting rooms to the selection of mechanical systems.

Hospital boards need to be confident that capital dollars are wisely invested. However, without well-defined roles, board involvement in facility planning, design and construction can add unnecessary layers of complexity. So where in this process can trustees’ participation provide the greatest benefit?

Generally speaking, a board’s job is to hold management accountable for the strategic imperatives that advance the hospital’s mission and vision. Facilities are the physical response to a hospital’s goals, and strategic imperatives should be trustees’ touchstones throughout the development of new structures, rehabs and expansions.

In each stage of facilities planning and construction, there are times when board members can help and times when they can hinder the process.

The Foster G. McGaw Award is one of the most esteemed honors for excellence in community service in health care. Every year, this $100,000 award is presented to a health care organization that provides innovative programs that significantly improve the health and well-being of the community. The Foster G. McGaw Prize is sponsored by the American Hospital Association (AHA), The Baxter International Foundation and the Cardinal Health Foundation.

Memorial Healthcare System, reaches out to a market of some 635,000 people—18 percent of whom are uninsured—with myriad programs that transcend traditional notions of a hospital’s role. “Having a healthy community goes beyond medical care,” says Frank Sacco, Memorial’s president and CEO. “It goes to quality of life.” Memorial’s quality-of-life commitment includes support for everything from improving local public housing to ensuring prenatal care for uninsured mothers-to-be.

Memorial Healthcare System is a national role model for improving the health and well-being of the community it serves. In addition to receiving this most recent award, Memorial was the first recipient of the AHA’s 'Living the Vision' award in 1997.