GOVERNANCE PLAN DRAFT Operating Guidelines for the Central New York Population Health Improvement Program Advisory Structure HealtheConnections 109 South Warren Street State Tower Building, Suite 500 Syracuse NY 13202 (315) 671-2241 healtheconnections.org
Article I: Program Name The Central New York (CNY) Population Health Improvement Program (PHIP) Article II: Corporate Status The CNY PHIP is organized and operated under HealtheConnections, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. Article III: Purpose Section 3.1: Mission The CNY PHIP aims to improve care, improve population health and lower healthcare costs in the CNY region. PHIP activities will support and advance the New York State Prevention Agenda, the State Health Innovation Plan, and the Delivery System Reform Incentive Payment (DSRIP) Program in the CNY region. Section 3.2: Vision The CNY PHIP and its associated governance and advisory structure will establish a neutral forum for identifying, sharing, disseminating and helping implement best practices to promote population health and reduce health care disparities. The effort will reflect an open, candid, and participatory process in which the views, perspectives, and needs of all affected communities are included in decision-making. Article IV: Governance and Advisory Structure and Functions There are a number of governance and advisory layers to the CNY PHIP necessary to support its functions, each is briefly described below: Regional Agent (RA): HealtheConnections (HeC) is the management and legal entity responsible for CNY PHIP implementation and oversight. As such, HeC has both final responsibility and final authority over CNY PHIP. The role of HeC includes interacting with the PHIP funder (New York State Department of Health) on PHIP matters; ensuring that PHIP goals, objectives and deliverables are met; providing technical and financial support to a set of six County Agents; assuring that the governance and advisory structure functions properly; compiling and disseminating best practices and population health data for CNY; and coordinating and supporting regional health improvement initiatives. County Agents (CAs): CAs are county-based organizations under contract with HeC to represent the six counties included in the CNY PHIP region, including Cayuga, Cortland, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga and Oswego counties. The CAs are responsible for engaging county level stakeholders in PHIP activities and participating in regional health improvement initiatives. 1
Regional Advisory Committee (RAC): The RAC is a broad based group of advisory members which represent both regional and county perspectives. The overall function of the RAC is to engage leaders in the public health, health care, human service, business, and other stakeholder sectors and leverage their expertise and relationships to further the long term vision and sustainability of PHIP. More specifically, the role of the RAC includes: Leverage existing relationships to support PHIP implementation. Identify, advise, prioritize and support regional PHIP initiatives, policy and long term strategic planning. Assist with the identification of funding sources and opportunities for sustainability. Share information regarding regional initiatives impacting PHIP. Share information regarding PHIP and opportunities for integration in regional initiatives. Steering Committee: The Steering Committee is comprised of individuals from each of the PHIP CAs. The overall function of the Steering Committee is to engage county level representatives in the granular details of regional PHIP functioning and implementation. More specifically, the role of the Steering Committee includes: Advise on PHIP goals, objectives, initiatives and annual plans. Perform the evaluation or research necessary to form basis for advice. Represent county stakeholders and advise on county-specific community needs and priorities. Disseminate information on the community represented. Assist with implementation of regional PHIP initiatives. County Agent (CA) Advisory Groups: Inclusion of the CA Advisory Groups is to underscore that the overall functioning of the governance and advisory structure is dependent on meaningful input at the community level. While these Operational Guidelines recognize the CA Advisory Groups, guidance and operations of CA Advisory Groups is driven by the individual CAs which support them. Core elements of a CA Advisory Group are expected to include bidirectional communication, meaningful engagement, transparency, a process for decision making and broad stakeholder engagement. Governance Structure Chart 2
Article V: Membership Section 5.1: Regional Advisory Committee Membership The RAC shall consist of 20-25 individuals who represent county or regional views on public health, health care, human service, business, and other stakeholder sectors. The RAC will develop standing or ad hoc committees necessary for the successful completion of its work. The RAC shall include an RA designee, each of the CA designees serving on the Steering Committee as well as multi-sector representation including but not limited to: Stakeholder Sectors Health, behavioral health, & disabilities service providers Rural health networks Insurers, and other payers Consumer & patient advocacy organizations Behavioral health advocacy organizations Disability rights organizations Local public health officials, other elected officials Local human service agencies Business community Unions Schools Higher education institutions Local housing authorities Local transportation authorities Section 5.2: Regional Advisory Committee Selection Nominations for the RAC will be solicited from the Steering Committee membership by the RA. The RA will review nominations and present a slate of recommended members to the Steering Committee for approval. Both the RA and Steering Committee members will share responsibility for outreach and recruitment of members. Each potential RAC member will be contacted by an RA or Steering Committee member, provided a written overview of PHIP, roles and responsibilities of the RAC and a draft meeting schedule. Section 5.3: Regional Advisory Committee Terms Regional Advisory Committee members will be assigned a one year term with the ability to serve additional terms as appropriate. Section 5.4 Steering Committee Membership The Steering Committee will consist of 7 voting members, one member from the RA and one from each of the 6 CAs. Additional representatives from the RA and CAs can be in attendance at Steering Committee meetings as appropriate for the meeting agendas. 3
Section 5.5 Steering Committee Selection The designated voting RA representative will be the Director of Population Health Improvement. The RA representative will solicit a nomination from each of the 6 CAs. The RA representative will work with each individual CA to finalize the CA representative for the Steering Committee. Section 5.6 Steering Committee Terms Steering Committee members will be assigned a two year term. Article VI: Meetings Section 6.1 Regional Advisory Committee Meetings Meeting Schedule: The RAC will meet a minimum of quarterly throughout the PHIP funding period. Standing or ad hoc committees developed by the RAC will meet on a monthly basis, more frequently as necessitated. Meeting Facilitation: The RA will serve as the meeting facilitator for Regional Advisory Committee meetings. Section 6.2 Steering Committee Meetings Meeting Schedule: The Steering Committee will meet a minimum of monthly throughout the funding period. Meeting Facilitation: The Steering Committee will engage a shared facilitation approach, where the RA will co-facilitate the meetings with a CA representative. A rotating facilitation schedule will be established at the introductory meeting. Article VII: Decision-making & Voting Consensus- Decisions will be made by consensus when possible. In the event of inability to reach consensus a majority vote will determine decisions. A quorum must be established in order to make voting or consensus decisions. A minimum of 50%+1 of all voting members will represent a quorum. If a quorum cannot be established based on voting members attendance (in person or on the phone) at the time of decision-making, the issue will be tabled until the next meeting. Decisions relating to use of funds provided by the NYSDOH are subject to approval by the NYSDOH. 4