Selecting 2013's Trustees of the Year

One component that often separates the best hospitals and healthcare companies from their competitors is an engaged, innovative and inspirational governing board. Because their guidance and counsel are so important to an organization's leadership, we consider Modern Healthcare's annual Trustee of the Year Awards one of our most significant recognition programs.

The Trustee of the Year competition is once again co-sponsored by executive search firm Witt/Kieffer, based in Oak Brook, Ill. We received 65 impressive nominations in four categories: large hospitals, those with 100 or more staffed beds; small hospitals, those with fewer than 100 staffed beds; not-for-profit healthcare systems; and for-profit healthcare companies.

This year, Modern Healthcare's senior editors chose three honorees. Modern Healthcare is not including an award in the for-profit category because of an insufficient number of nominations to make the judging for that award competitive. Per editorial policy, award sponsors are not involved in the judging or determination of award recipients.

We hope the profiles of this year's award winners, as well as those from previous years you'll find online, will underscore how important and impactful a great trustee can be, and that it will encourage you to nominate an inspiring leader for this award next year.

—Merrill Goozner, editor of Modern Healthcare