Using the board quality committee to drive the value proposition.

The measures that are examined also should include those that relate to patient outcomes in the 10, 15, or even 20 highest-volume conditions in a hospital’s population. Including such measures in the quality committee’s analysis focuses the organization and its resources on the most common complications and readmissions, especially those that drive financial performance. Keep in mind that clinical-improvement teams reduce the number of patient complications and that the cost of care decreases by $10,000 per complication avoided, on average.a Seek a Wide Range of Expertise A high-performing board quality committee includes experts in clinical improvement, safety, lean, and the patient experience—the four quality domains—plus a CFO who can translate improvements into dollars and cents.