A rapidly aging population, empowered consumers, new technologies, new scientific findings, unrelenting cost pressures, quality concerns—these are just a few of the many trends affecting the future of healthcare.

To prepare for that future, hospital and health system chief executive officers (CEOs) and board members must understand the dynamics of these trends and how they are likely to influence each of the organization's key constituencies, including payers, physicians, and consumers. This 2002 conference of board chairmen, chairwomen, and CEOs of the members of The Governance Institute was organized to help respond to this challenge.