St.Vincent Health Operating Principles

1. Integrated Governance and Management
Ensure that network governance processes and management relationships are designed to foster a genuine network-wide approach to decision-making and healthcare delivery, and maximize organizational and operational synergy.

2. Community Focus
Maintain and enhance a strong connection with community constituencies through network governance at all levels.

3. Strong Parent
Invest sufficient authority in St.Vincent Health so that it can be decisive and proactive in directing, not just overseeing, the allocation and use of network resources in response to community needs, competitive challenges and market opportunities, and forge greater delivery system integration over time.

4. Accountability for Performance
Provide appropriate formal and informal mechanisms to ensure ongoing performance measurement and accountability by St.Vincent Health and by other organizational components of St.Vincent Health.

5. Streamline Governance
Coordinate the number of separate boards and board committees; the frequency and efficiency of meetings, and encourage substantial cross-membership between the St.Vincent Health Board and the Hospital Boards, and between Network Operating Units (NOUs) boards where appropriate.

6. Functional Alignment of Network Operating Units (NOUs)
Promote coordinated network development by functionally aligning existing NOUs and encouraging organizational consolidations to reduce unnecessary redundancy where appropriate.

7. Physician Involvement and Partnership
Ensure that physicians participate in network governance and management decision-making processes and develop innovative partnership relationships.

8. St.Vincent Health as an Integrated System
St.Vincent Health and NOUs shall be an integrated healthcare delivery and financing network with operational and financial integration and, to the extent possible, shall function as a unified entity. As such the Network shall be organized and operated so as to qualify for: (i) consolidated financial reporting in accordance to GAAP and (ii) a single economic unit as defined by anti-trust laws. St.Vincent Health shall oversee and direct local operations through network guidelines, reserve powers, corporate membership, appointment of NOU directors, vertical management, strategic planning and provision of corporate services.

9. Staff Development
St.Vincent Health is committed to attract and retain the best people, while continually striving to provide significant opportunities for personal and professional growth.