Item Description:
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County Board affirms the mission of Hennepin Healthcare System, Inc. (HHS) and its governance model; directs County Administrator; requests HHS Board - offered by Commissioner Fernando
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WHEREAS:
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WHEREAS, on January 1, 2007, Hennepin County Medical Center’s (HCMC) operational oversight transitioned from Hennepin County to a subsidiary Public Corporation, Hennepin Healthcare System, Inc. (HHS); and
WHEREAS, HHS is an integrated system of care that serves as a critically important safety-net and teaching hospital for residents of Hennepin County and the State of Minnesota, with a nationally recognized Level I Adult and Pediatric Trauma Center, an acute care hospital, a clinic system, an outpatient Clinic & Specialty Center, an Emergency Medical Services fleet, and more; and
WHEREAS, the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners have ensured the continuous operations of HHS since its establishment as a subsidiary corporation, and previously when HCMC was still a department within Hennepin County Government; and
WHEREAS, under Minnesota Statutes § 383B.901, HHS is a public corporation, operating as a subsidiary of Hennepin County, with its own board of directors (HHS Board) and governance model; and
WHEREAS, under Minnesota Statutes § 383B.908, the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners has reserved powers related to HHS, including but not limited to specific approvals over mission, finances, and governance; and
WHEREAS, under HHS Bylaws, the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners further has reserved powers and specifically “Approval of all legislative initiatives and positions of the [HHS] Corporation and coordination of all lobbying efforts” (see HHS Bylaws, Article III Governing Member, Section 3.4 Reserved Powers of the County, (xvi), p. 8); and
WHEREAS, the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners established “Healthcare access” among its top three legislative priorities in the 2024 IGR Platform, to support a wide range of County-owned healthcare facilities and services (NorthPoint Health and Wellness Center, 1800 Chicago, Red Door Clinic, behavioral and mental health, Medical Examiner’s Office, Hennepin Healthcare System, and more); and
WHEREAS, under Minnesota Statutes § 383B.903, the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners has a role relating to appointment of the HHS Board, and pursuant to HHS Bylaws, the HHS Board “shall consist of between eleven (11) and fifteen (15) Directors” (HHS Bylaws, Article IV Board of Directors, Section 4.3, p. 11); and to fulfill vacancies, the “[HHS] Governance Committee shall present its slate of candidates to the [HHS] Board of Directors for approval and the [HHS] Board of Directors shall forward its recommended slate to the County Board,” and the “County Board shall choose to accept or reject the entire proposed slate of such candidates,” (HHS Bylaws, Article IV Board of Directors, Section 4.11, p. 13); and
WHEREAS, there are up to five vacancies projected for the upcoming 2025 HHS Board slate (HHS Executive Committee meeting held on September 25, 2024).
Resolution:
BE IT RESOLVED that the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners directs the County Administrator to establish two additional positions within Hennepin County’s Intergovernmental Relations department to focus on Health-related legislative efforts, and to externally post the positions no later than October 18, 2024; and
BE IT RESOLVED that the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners requests the HHS Board to incorporate the following, when recommending the 2025 HHS Board slate to the County Board:
• Multiple appointees who represent Labor and workforce interests;
• Multiple appointees who increase the percentage of HHS Board membership who receive direct care
at HHS; and
• Overall HHS Board membership which reflects patient populations.
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Background:
Key dates in remaining 2024 calendar:
• Tuesday October 1, County Board meeting
• Thursday October 10, County/HHS Board Briefing (no other dates currently established)
• Wednesday October 23, HHS Board meeting
• Tuesday October 29, County Board meeting
• Wednesday November 6, Final HHS Board meeting (next meeting usually late January)
• Tuesday November 12, County IGR Committee meeting (proposed Legislative Platforms)
• Tuesday November 19, County Board meeting
• Thursday December 12, Final County Board meeting (votes for 2025 budgets and levies)
recommendation
Recommendation from County Administrator: No Recommendation