AHA releases 2019 National Survey on Governance Structure

June 3, 2019

The American Hospital Association announced the releases of its 2019 National Heath Care Governance Survey Report, a comprehensive look at hospital and health system governance structures and practices, with a focus on board of directors’ composition, oversight, culture and structure and support.

Like the 2014 survey, AHA says this report examines findings across all respondents and by system, subsidiary hospital and freestanding hospital board types. The report also includes commentary on survey findings from practitioners with a wide range of expertise, as well as discussion questions to help boards reflect on survey findings in the context of their own structure and practices. A total of 1,316 CEOs responded to the survey, which was conducted during the spring of 2018.

“This year’s survey demonstrates how hospitals and health system boards are rising to meet tomorrow’s challenges through redefining roles, responsibilities and board structures,” said AHA President and CEO Rick Pollack in the announcement. “These changes are not surprising given the continued transformation in where, how, when and from whom patients receive care.”

In addition to positive findings, the AHA’s survey also discovered areas for improvement.

The report findings pointed to several positive trends, including:

·        Consistent growth in use of routine executive sessions and in use of board portals, both considered governance best practices

·         Some growth in racial and ethnic diversity of board members

·         Two-thirds of all responding boards engaging in restructuring efforts to improve their governance

·         Inclusion, by almost half of responding system boards, of board members from outside of communities served, adding fresh perspective to board deliberations

Opportunities identified for improvement include:

·         increasing the number of boards with term limits

·         improving age diversity, with a focus on younger board members

·         instituting continuing education requirements

·         formal CEO succession planning