Integrated governance and provision of quality Health care in non-profit institutions: a case of Gertrude's children's hospital

Abstract

Governance has become an issue of worldwide importance. The corporation has a vital role to play in promoting economic development and social progress. It is the engine of growth internationally, and increasingly responsible for providing employment, public and private services, goods and infrastructure. The efficiency and accountability of the corporation is now a matter of both private and public interest, and governance has, thereby, come to the head of international agenda. The concept of 'Integrated Governance' refers jointly to the corporate governance and clinical governance duties of health care institutions. This study was concerned in studying integrated governance practices in provision of quality health care in non-profit institutions. Gertrude's Children's Hospital was used as a case study. The research objectives of the study were to establish the governance practices at Gertrude's Children's Hospital and also to establish whether there is any link between corporate governance and provision of quality health care. To facilitate and achieve the objectives of the study, an in-depth interview on corporate governance was conducted with the chief executive officer (CEO) and the chair of the board of trustees. The medical director gave an interview on clinical governance. The research fmdings showed that Gertrude's Children's Hospital generally correlated well with best practice on corporate governance. The results further showed that there is correlation between good corporate governance and provision of quality health care. xi However, there lacked clear written guidelines and terms of reference for clinical governance at the hospital. Clinical governance issues were addressed 'piecemeal' by different committees. It is appreciated that other factors other than corporate governance play an important part in provision of quality health care. Those extraneous factors were not considered in this study. This not withstanding, the research objectives were met.