The body which is legally responsible for the hospital’s policies, organization, management, and quality of care. It is often called the “hospital board,” “board of trustees,” “governing board,” or “board of directors.” Individual members of the body are “trustees” or “directors,” depending on the name of the body. The governing body is accountable to the owner of the hospital, which may, for example, be a corporation, a unit of government, or the community. There is a growing tendency to call the governing body the “board of directors” in order to emphasize its role in establishing policy and directing the hospital toward goals. The term “board of trustees” is losing some favor because trusteeship may be equated with safeguarding rather than achieving.