State, Federal, district, and county-owned hospitals are subject to a board appointed by the local governing body. In the case of Hendricks Community Hospital in Danville, IN, a county-owned hospital, the appointments come from the County Commissioner. Problems with this scenario are obvious—the County Commissioner is not required to seek out candidates based on any particular qualifications, and has the power to appoint just about anyone, with the only legal prerequisite that the person be a resident of the county. So-called “patronage” appointments, though not necessarily common, are indeed possible and have occurred, and not having the right people at the table can be problematic for any board.Dennis Dawes has been the chief executive of the hospital for 32 years, and has seen board members and County Commissioners come and go. He, along with his board, came up with an innovative process for ensuring that the appointments from the Commissioner are people who fit certain criteria and would be effective board members.
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