Although the U.S. health care system is the greatest in the world, many of its parts are broken. This includes strained relations between hospitals and physicians and an economic model of care that increasingly challenges us all.

If we are going to find new and creative solutions to these challenges, we cannot do it by using the same techniques that created these problems. Boards that want to take a new approach must bring new people to the table to take part in the discussions. If we want a health care system that not only provides high-quality care but also functions within a sustainable economic model, we have to invite the whole community to help plan and develop system-wide improvement.

CEOs can play a significant role in that process by recommending a diverse candidate pool for the board and then making sure that all trustees receive the same orientation information.

As we diversified the board of Clarian Health—an Indianapolis-based system comprising Methodist and Indiana University Hospitals—we found that some women and minority board candidates did not have the same health care or business backgrounds as candidates traditionally have had. Therefore, during orientation, we went into more detail, explaining both our system’s operations and health care operations in general to ensure that all new board members started out with the same knowledge regarding the issues we face.

To develop a diverse pool of board candidates, I recommend a simple approach: ask women, minorities and others who have diverse backgrounds within your community to recommend people they know. If we only talk among ourselves, the board will just reflect the membership we already have. If your board is struggling to maintain a diverse membership, look at your community and its health needs. Assess the demographics of your service area and compare them with the composition of your board. If the board desires, it can expand its membership criteria to include greater diversity in geography, income levels and other characteristics that go beyond race, gender and ethnicity.

The NMQF award honors an individual or organization that has made an outstanding contribution to the promotion of wellness in minority communities. AIM HI is designed to detect and prevent chronic illnesses, such as diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, and heart and eye disease in African-American males. “We are committed to overcoming obstacles and finding creative ways to help all people in Michigan live healthy lives,” said Nancy Schlichting, Henry Ford Health System’s president and CEO. The health system received the award at NMQF’s 2007 Leadership Summit on Health Disparities in Washington, D.C.