Embracing change

"In times of stress, be bold and valiant,” Horace wrote more than 2,000 years ago. Stressful times create great challenges and great challenges create opportunities for change. True leaders draw inspiration from difficult circumstances and prove their mettle with action and courage.

Today, the remarkable trustees profiled on the following pages are living proof. They embrace the upheaval in healthcare organizations as they continue the strenuous journey toward patient-centered care. With 2013 promising another strong dose of turmoil in our industry, board members continue to champion change in the face of unrelenting pressure to reduce costs, maintain quality and protect patients. For this, they deserve our recognition and admiration.

Thanks to trustees such as these, the coming year may also bring something even more welcome: progress toward a transformed delivery system. As we rapidly approach the third anniversary of the signing of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, we will begin to see the results of new and improved models of care. In toiling away to help their organizations adapt to seismic shifts in how care is delivered and reimbursed—and continuously monitoring what's working and what's not—these trustees will drive results and help move our entire industry forward.

Witt/Kieffer is proud to support Modern Healthcare's Trustee of the Year program for the 11th consecutive year. As you read the stories of this year's honorees, take a few moments to consider what they endured to advance their organizations' mission and vision. I also encourage you to reflect upon the noble accomplishments of board members in your own organizations who, without fanfare, are embracing adversity and furthering the transformation of the nation's healthcare system.

Let them inspire all of us to be bold in our thinking and courageous in our efforts to keep the health and welfare of our citizens at the center of our work.

—Charles W.B. Wardell III, president and CEO of Witt/Kieffer, Oak Brook, Ill.