Journal article
Mission, Margin, and the Role of Consumer Governance in Decision-Making at Community Health Centers
Journal of health care for the poor and underserved, Vol.25(2), pp.930-947
05/01/2014
DOI: 10.1353/hpu.2014.0107
PMCID: PMC5590749
PMID: 24858895
Abstract
Objective. We explore the role of consumer trustees in decision-making as community health centers (CHCs) work to navigate the tension between pursuing their mission to provide primary care to all regardless of ability to pay and maintaining their limited finances. Methods. We interviewed 30 trustees from 16 CHCs in 14 different states, asking extensively about decision-making processes at their CHC related to services and finances, as well as perceived advantages and disadvantages of consumer governance. Results. Respondents described mission-dominant, margin-dominant, and balanced decision-making philosophies, and different decision-making pathways for service provision and finances. Consumer trustees were lauded for their role in informing the board of service quality and community needs, but criticized for being professionally unskilled and exhibiting a lack of objective decision-making. Conclusions. While CHC boards do play a role in navigating the tension between mission and margin, executive directors and staff appear to be more influential.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Mission, Margin, and the Role of Consumer Governance in Decision-Making at Community Health Centers
- Creators
- Brad Wright - Univ Iowa, Dept Hlth Management & Policy, Coll Publ Hlth, Iowa City, IA 52242 USAGraham P. Martin - University of Leicester
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Journal of health care for the poor and underserved, Vol.25(2), pp.930-947
- DOI
- 10.1353/hpu.2014.0107
- PMID
- 24858895
- PMCID
- PMC5590749
- NLM abbreviation
- J Health Care Poor Underserved
- ISSN
- 1049-2089
- eISSN
- 1548-6869
- Publisher
- Johns Hopkins Univ Press
- Number of pages
- 18
- Grant note
- T32HS000032 / AGENCY FOR HEALTHCARE RESEARCH AND QUALITY; United States Department of Health & Human Services; Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality T32 HS000032 / AHRQ HHS; United States Department of Health & Human Services; Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 05/01/2014
- Academic Unit
- Public Policy Center (Archive)
- Record Identifier
- 9984363666302771
Metrics
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