Description of Hospital Governance

Retreat Healthcare is a private, not-for-profit corporation. The Corporation of Retreat Healthcare is governed by a Board of Trustees. The Board consists of nine (9) voting members, each of whom is referred to as a Trustee. A quorum is five (5) Trustees. Trustees are expected to attend 75% of monthly Board meetings.

The Chief Executive Officer serves as one of the nine voting members of the Board of Trustees. He or she is entitled to participate in all meetings of the Board of Trustees except meetings held for the purpose of evaluating the Chief Executive Officer’s performance or taking personnel action with respect to the Chief Executive Officer.

The President of the Medical Staff and the Senior Physician Executive serve as ex officio members of the Board of Trustees for so long as they hold such positions. As ex officio members, they are not entitled to vote. One or more of the ex officio members may, at the request of the Chair of the Board of Trustees, be excluded from executive sessions of the Board of Trustees. The President of the Medical Staff’s service as an ex officio member of the Board of Trustees constitutes a mechanism for the Medical Staff to communicate with all levels of governance involved in policy decisions affecting patient care services at Retreat Healthcare.

Appropriate candidates for Trustee or subsidiary Director selection would be those who have, by education or experience, knowledge of mental health care issues; demonstrated community involvement; strong moral character and integrity; and a willingness and ability to serve Retreat Healthcare in a constructive manner through active participation in the Board.

List of governing body members

Julie Peterson, Chair
Jim Baker
Elizabeth Bankowski
Laurence J. Berger
Larry Cassidy
Kathleen C. Hoyt
Judith Kinley
Robert Pierattini, M.D.
Peter Sherlock
Robert G. Soucy, President and CEO

Summary of Process for Openness and Public Participation

Retreat Healthcare keeps the community informed with regular appearances and/or membership with the Brattleboro Selectboard, Building a Better Brattleboro, Brattleboro Development and Credit Corporation, the Windham County Legislative Delegation, and ongoing collaboration with other community organizations including Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, Healthcare and Rehabilitation Services, Rescue, the Police Department, and area schools. In addition to its regular treatment and professional education services, Retreat Healthcare offers numerous programs to the community free of charge, including the Wellness in Windham County series, co-sponsored with Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, Brattleboro Area Hospice & Brooks Memorial Library, and various lectures, films, forums, and special educational events open to the community. While the feedback of patients, their families, and community members is of great importance to Retreat Healthcare, the Retreat does not, as a private, not-for-profit corporation, have a formal mechanism to incorporate public participation into its strategic planning process.