Rekindling the flame: routine practices that promote hospital community leadership

Because of the need of focus on their financial survival, hospitals and health systems are not the popular community-oriented institutions they once were--too many have set aside their mission to promote and protect the health of their communities. By conducting on-site interviews with CEOs, other executives, board members, and community partners in seven hospitals across the nation, we discovered 25 management and governance practices used by hospitals that excel in relating to their communities. We have grouped these practices for promoting community health into six functions: (1) identifying community needs; (2) setting goals; (3) allocating financial and human resources; (4) educating leaders, staff, and community members; (5) measuring outcomes; and (6) sustaining the mission. Specific examples are given that describe what we learned. Ultimately, we hope to engender a dialog about other management and governance practices that have proven successful in promoting hospitals' involvement in community health.