Since legislation was passed making hospital governing boards explicitly accountable to their communities through the community service plan, Healthcare Trustees of New York State has monitored and provided insights to the guidelines developed for the process. With two years' experience reviewing plans from hospitals across the State, "Community Service Plans: A Blueprint for Board Planning" has been written to introduce trustees to the process and to help them realize the value of the report that is produces, both to them and to the community.

With the publication of this guide, we intend to inform trustees in a practical manner as well as provide insight to the trustee perspective on this issue. We provide practical information, such as the historical time line included in the document as well as point out the value of the plan in hospital governance duties. When relevant, we've also provided samples or descriptions of plans to help trustees know what to look for when reading their own institution's plans.