LOUISIANA GOVERNANCE ACADEMY

Training and Technical Assistance
In its continuing efforts to provide training and technical assistance to its members, LPCA is offering an opportunity for your Board members to become more effective in their governance of your health center. As you know, your board of directors is the group of people legally charged with the responsibility to govern your health center. Completion of the Louisiana Governance Academy will ensure that your Board members are skilled and knowledgeable of their roles and responsibilities.

What is Governance?
The governance role has as its goal protection of the public interest. Governance responsibilities for boards include selecting the top executive (the Chief Executive Officer) and assessing his or her performance, reviewing and authorizing plans and commitments, ensuring compliance with legal and contract requirements, and evaluating.

The Louisiana Governance Academy is a training series designed to provide excellence in governance skills to the board members of federally qualified health centers. Training ensures individuals the skills necessary to successfully lead and develop their health centers.  Board members may receive two levels of Governance Certification through the Louisiana Governance Academy. 

Board Member Achievement Certification

Board members must complete all Basic Skills Courses (12 hours).  The cost of  training for Board Member Achievement Certification is $3000.  The training is held in the LPCA Conference Room.  On-site training is available at a cost of $3000 plus travel expenses.  This is usually a 1 1/2 - 2 day training.  This certification will matriculate to the Excellence in Governance Certification.  Board members will have opportunities to earn Advanced Course training hours at Learning Sessions held periodically at LPCA  and the LPCA Annual Conference.  Advanced Course on-site training can also be scheduled at a later date.

Excellence In Governance Certification

Board members must complete 30 hours of governance training.  This includes  all Basic Skills Courses (12 hours) and all Advanced Courses (18 hours).  The cost of training for the Excellence in Governance Certification is $750 per course plus travel expenses, if  held on-site. 

Basic Skills Core Courses (12 hours)

1. The Roles and Responsibilities of Board Members (3 hours)
This component of the training will examine what a prudent and reasonable board member should look like. It will discuss what the BPHC expectations are of FQHC boards, strategic planning, and fund raising. It will also discuss Robert’s Rules of Order for carrying out a meeting and the responsibilities of the executive committee member. Attention will be paid to recruiting and training potential board members and fund development.

2. Establishing Personnel Policies and Procedures (3 hours)
This seminar will examine the methods of establishing policies and procedures for FQHCs. It will review the nuts and bolts of recruiting and evaluating the executive director, understanding the organizational chart and the policy making role that board members have. Attention will be given to developing job descriptions and personnel manuals; establishing recruitment and retention plans; understanding federal employment guidelines; developing guidelines for patient satisfaction; and maintaining facilities.

3. Financial Responsibilities and the Impact of FQHC Compliance (3 hours)
This training will discuss the financial responsibilities of board members including reviewing financial statements; establishing an internal financial structure, general fiscal liabilities, Conflict of Interests, and the impact of FQHC compliance.

4. What Board Members should know and understand: Clinical Aspects (3 hours)
This session will emphasize the importance of having a high quality health center with dedicated, professional, and credentialed providers and staff. Training will given on the required primary care services to be delivered, delivery models, recruitment and retention, medical records systems, contractual arrangements-the do and dont's; the responsibilities of clinical and medical directors; and their relationship with the Board

Basic Skills Advance Courses (18 hours)
• Evaluating the Executive Director (4 hours)
• Management Systems and Facilities (4 hours)
• Successful Fund Raising (4 hours)
• Understanding Nonprofit Financial Statements (3 hours)
• Understanding Health Care Policy and Advocacy (3 hours)

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