Hospitals & Health Networks looks at the pressures facing the trustees of  nonprofit rural hospitals, noting that, among other challenges:

• “Rural hospitals face growing pressures on multiple fronts, including reimbursement changes tied to value-based payments and raising concerns about health care access in rural communities.

• “These pressures are forcing greater demands on rural hospital trustees, who must make ever more complex decisions about service lines and whether to affiliate with larger health systems.

• “Greater demands on rural hospital boards means that more than ever, rural hospitals need trustees who are knowledgeable about the latest hospital industry trends and challenges.

• “When considering an affiliation with a larger health system, rural hospitals must place the healthcare needs of their local communities above all other considerations.”

The article discusses the  professional backgrounds  and other experiences, and  the personalities, needed in putting together an effective hospital board of trustees in this very disruptive time in healthcare.