(Niagara At Large is posting the following information from the blog of Kevin Smith, the provincially appointed supervisor of the Niagara Health System, for our readers’ information. The relationship between the former NHS board, responsible for key decision making around hospital services in Niagara, Ontario, and many members of the public was acrimonious to say the least.
It will be very interesting to see who among our region’s citizens are chosen to sit on the new board and whether any of them are individuals who sat on previous NHS boards over the past decade.)
News from the Blog of NHS Supervisor Kevin Smith
Posted Monday, June 25, 2012 in Dr. Kevin Smith’s Blog
An important part of my job as NHS Supervisor is to rebuild the Board of Directors for Niagara Health System.
NHS Supervisor Kevin Smith. File photo by Doug Draper
As I noted in my Interim Report, I feel strongly that the communities of Niagara Region are best served by a single Board for their hospitals. I have made it clear that I believe this Board needs to seek community input to be successful, and must work to ensure there is transparency in the way the Board is selected. A key step toward reinforcing our culture of transparency and enhanced community input is the establishment of a Community Based Nominating Committee for the Board.
In order to begin selecting the first new Board for Niagara Health System, I intend to appoint an arms-length committee of community leaders with governance experience– the CBNC. These individuals will not become members of the new Board, but will steward the process to aid in the selection of its new members. This group will also rely on the Ontario Hospital Association’s Guide to Good Governance as a key resource, and the organization will continue to do so moving forward. The CBNC will recommend potential candidates with the right skills and abilities to carry out their responsibilities. The suggested candidates for the Board will be forwarded to me as Supervisor, at which time I will select the first Board from the CBNC’s list, taking into account ability and willingness to serve. When I am no longer Supervisor, I am recommending a similar process stay in place. More details on this ongoing process will be available in the future.
In order to have the new Board in place for the Fall/Winter, I believe we need to begin the initial nomination process now, and form the CBNC as soon as possible.
If you or someone you know is a community leader with governance knowledge and experience – and who doesn’t want to apply to the hospital Board – please consider applying to the Community-Based Nominating Committee. This committee represents a very meaningful way to serve your community, and help ensure the best governance is in place for your hospitals. To apply or recommend a candidate, please email me at nhssupervisor@gmail.com with the subject line ‘CBNC’ In coming weeks I will announce the members of this committee, along with a call for applicants to the NHS Board of Directors.
Also I would like to take this opportunity to once again express my gratitude for the many contributions of past members of the Board and Board committees of the NHS. These dedicated volunteer leaders from your community contributed countless hours to improving the health care delivery in Niagara and their service is much appreciate.
(Niagara At Large invites you to share your views on this post below, remembering that NAL only posts comments by individuals who are also willing to share their first and last names.)
Niagara At Large 
“HOPEFULLY” He is an opportunity to finally get some transparency and much needed accountability into a very flawed system, a system that allowed previous NHS Boards and the NHS Administration to flaunted and completely disregard the purpose of their “APPOINTMENTS”.
“To Interact with the Stakeholders in the making of a Health System that is accountable and available to everyone wherever they might live in the Niagara Region”
The almost total lack of involvement with the stakeholders in the past caused heartache, pain and complete distrust and MUST NEVER BE ALLOWED TO HAPPEN EVER AGAIN and just maybe an elected Board is the answer. An “ELECTED” Board that would be more accountable to the Region’s stakeholders.
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“This group will also rely on the Ontario Hospital Association’s Guide to good Governance”. Perhaps I am mistaken but the Ontario Hospital Association is a bunch of bureaucrats who have been a part of the problem. An elected board would be preferable and should not be a bunch of lawyers, teachers, administrators or bank CEO’s as they often are, but rather lay people or people with medical experience and by that I don’t mean “supervisor” of this or that.
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I would NOT rely on the OHA for anything as it seems their CEO once stated in a local rag that the emergence of a two tier system was in his view a positive transition and that Kaledia in Buffalo (after his consultation with them) would be happy to offer their services to the peoples of the Niagara Region. The Road to privatization PAVED by our “Appointed” lackies.
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