CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — Adena Health is restructuring how it is governed, replacing its single Board of Trustees with a new system-level Board of Directors overseeing five local hospital advisory boards, the health system announced Thursday.
The change was approved unanimously by Adena’s Board of Trustees and the corporate member churches that have shared governance of the health system since its founding, according to Adena. The new structure is designed to strengthen oversight at the system level while preserving local input at each hospital, the health system said.
The new system-level Board of Directors will have up to 17 members, including representatives from Adena’s corporate member churches and at-large members chosen for relevant experience and expertise, Adena said. Two representatives from Adena Fairfield Medical Center will also join the system board as part of Adena’s recent acquisition of Fairfield Medical Center.
Below the system board, five local advisory boards will oversee each hospital: the existing boards for Adena Fayette Medical Center, Adena Greenfield Medical Center, Adena Pike Medical Center and Adena Fairfield Medical Center, plus a newly created advisory board for Adena Regional Medical Center in Chillicothe, according to the release.
“As a Board of Trustees, one of our most important responsibilities is making sure Adena has the governance structure it needs to fulfill its mission and serve our communities for generations to come,” Bob French, Adena’s Board of Trustees chair, said in a statement. “The changes we are making recognize how much Adena has changed and grown while building on the strong foundation that has served the organization for more than a century.”
Adena said the restructuring reflects the system’s growth from a single hospital into a regional health system serving 11 counties with five hospitals. The health system had previously weighed changes to its church-based governance model as it looked to adapt its board structure to its expanding footprint.
“This new structure gives us the ability to think and act more strategically as one health system while continuing to value the local perspectives and relationships that have always been important to Adena,” Adena President and CEO Kathi Edrington said in a statement. “Most importantly, it positions us to continue serving our communities well into the future.”
Adena’s corporate member churches are First Presbyterian Church of Chillicothe, Orchard Hill United Church of Christ, Our Lady, Queen of the Apostles Church, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Tabernacle Baptist Church, Trinity United Methodist Church and Walnut Street United Methodist Church, according to the release. Representatives from the churches worked with Adena leadership and board members to review the governing documents, board structure and responsibilities that make up the new model, Adena said.
“This new structure represents a recommitment between Adena and its corporate member churches,” the Rev. Dr. Jason Link of First Presbyterian Church of Chillicothe said in a statement. “The process has been collaborative, with both Adena and the corporate member churches recognizing the value each brings to the relationship.”
Adena said it worked with the Governance Institute to assess the board competencies and expertise needed to guide the health system going forward. The new governance structure is targeted to begin operating Jan. 1, 2027, according to the release.
The information contained in this story was obtained from Adena Health.
