By Cecilia Nasmith

Northumberland County

A Zoom session on March 18 will spotlight one way anyone interested in local health care can make a difference – by becoming one of the Northumberland Hills Hospital's board of directors' Community Members.

If you're interested in volunteering with the Northumberland Hills Hospital board of directors as a Community Member, mark your calendar for March 18 to learn more at a 7 p.m. virtual board volunteer open house on Zoom.

The board is inviting expressions of interest from local residents in this rewarding volunteer opportunity for anyone interested in local health-care delivery, and you can tune in at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87939072585?pwd=vawJqFqtQW0XVuRaQHBc3nLPDChrxw.1

Board members are drawn from throughout the West Northumberland community served by NHH, bringing a mix of skills and experiences to meet the responsibilities expected of it by the province. These include providing strategic direction to the hospital's management team, selecting the Chief Executive Officer and Chief of Staff (and evaluating their performance), providing oversight to the physician credentialing process, and monitoring the hospital's operational and financial performance.

The unique role of a Community Member (aside from the opportunity for public input into the board's decision making) is to serve on its two committees – Quality and Safety Governance, and Facilities and Campus Development. They are also welcome to attend board meetings and participate in full-board discussions.

Community Members can serve up to five one-year terms. Though the individual time commitment can vary, the general expectation is that he or she will participate in one committee meeting and one full board meeting every other month between September and June – in all about four hours. These meetings are conducted in a mix of virtual and in-person formats, and generally fall in the early-morning or early-evening hours.

Community Members may be appointed to the board when vacancies occur, depending on each member's skills, interests and experience (and, of course, if such an appointment maintains appropriate geographical representation as documented in board bylaws).

The board is looking forward to welcoming new Community Members who share the NHH core values of integrity, quality, respect, compassion and teamwork, and who support the hospital's shared purpose of People First.

Board chair Cyndi Gilmer said these virtual open-house opportunities have been fruitful, in the past, in connecting with and recruiting many talented and dedicated residents.

“If you or someone you may know is passionate about making a meaningful difference in the quality and service of health care in West Northumberland County, we'd love to hear from you,” Gilmer said.

Prior to the open house, anyone interested is encouraged to review the Expression of Interest form and Frequently Asked Questions sections at https://nhh.ca/AboutNHH/BoardofDirectors.