Around 60 people got a lesson in hospital governance in Elmwood.
The Tuesday evening session was presented by the South Bruce Grey Health Centre.
Board Chair Dan Gieruszak says the session is part of the training for board members, but they decided to open it up to the general public.
Joshua Liswood, a lawyer with the Miller Thomson firm in Toronto specializes in health care law.
He says organizations like the South Bruce Grey Health Centre are private corporations that operate a public facility with public money.
Liswood says not for profit corporations in Ontario are privately run, but are controlled by a board, and instead of having shareholders, individuals buy memberships.
He says while having municipal representation on hospital boards was once very common, the trend is moving away from it.
Liswood says municipal representatives often say its difficult to balance being accountable to their communities while also having to act in the best interests of the board.
South Bruce Grey Board Chair Dan Gieruszak is also a Brockton Councillor.
He admits he often feels it’s difficult to be balance the loyalties, but understands that there is increasing concern over avoiding any potential conflicts of interest.
However, Gieruszak says being a member of two or more boards is common for elected officials in rural areas, and steps are always taken to deal with potential conflicts if they arise.
Gieruszak’s appointment to the board was not made because he is a municipal councillor.
He applied for the position in the same way any other person could.
Friends of Kincardine Hospital member Glenn Sutton says South Bruce Grey still has to be more transparent and governance issues have to be looked at.
Kincardine Mayor Larry Kraemer says he was surprised to learn that hospital boards are not restricted when it comes to deciding what items are discussed in closed session.
The Mayor has suggested municipal representation would improve the relationship between the hospital board and the community.
He still believes there would be benefits to more municipal participation on hospital boards.