New data on hospital governing boards.

This article, the first of three, presents data from the 1979 AHA Survey of Hospital Governing Boards, the AHA's first comprehensive collection of data on hospital governing board structures, procedures, and composition. Data are presented on size of boards, number of trustees, frequency of meetings, length of service and other aspects of terms of service, committees, title of top board officer, quorum, and age, education, and sex of board members.