This is an excerpt from a member-only article. To read the article in its entirety, please login or subscribe.

The top performing hospitals in the country have boards of directors that don't confine quality to one department. Instead, they mandate it from the top down, according to a new study titled Quality. The studywas conducted by the Governance Institute in San Diego and the Evanston, IL- based Solucient, both healthcare information companies.It found that boards of directors at the nation's 100 top performing hospitals wielded their authority to » link CEOs' pay and performance reviews to patient safety and quality goals » oversee appointments and work with the medical staff » regularly review patient satisfaction scores » set the agenda for the board's discussion about quality » involve the medical staff in setting the agenda for the board's discussion about quality