Minnesota hospital trustees earn certification

Leaders from Park Rapids, Grand Marais hospitals recognized

Two Minnesota hospital trustees were honored July 9 at the Minnesota Hospital Association (MHA) Summer Trustee Conference for completing a board member certification program.

Clayton R. Peterson is a trustee for St. Joseph's Area Health Services Inc. of Park Rapids. Thomas W. Spence serves Cook County NorthShore Hospital in Grand Marais.

The voluntary training program verifies trustees' efforts to be informed about health care issues, to sharpen their leadership skills and to create best practice methods for governance. To qualify, participants must earn, for example, 35 education units in topics as varied as ethics, government regulations and patient safety and quality.

"Certification helps assure stakeholders that Minnesota's hospitals hold themselves to high standards and are accountable for their governance performance," said Lawrence Massa, MHA president and CEO. "These trustees are actively demonstrating their commitment to the principles that make them exceptional assets to the patients and communities we serve."

Both Peterson and Spence currently serve on MHA's trustee council.

Peterson began his term with St. Joseph's board of directors on July 1, 2008. In addition to his work on the board, Peterson also serves on St. Joseph's Quality Improvement Committee. He has previous administrative experience as president and CEO for Mercy Hospital and Health CareCenter in Moose Lake, administrator for Long Prairie Memorial Hospital and Home, vice president of regional health services for Allina Health System, and president and CEO for Cambridge Medical Center. Peterson served as chair of MHA's board in 1988. Learn more about Clay Peterson.

Spence has been a member of the Cook County Hospital District board since January 2007. He is a practicing attorney and he serves on the board of directors for the Arrowhead Electric Cooperative.