I'm currently writing a term paper about hospitals in the US and CEO compensation. Unfortunately I'm from Germany, so I have no immediate experience with the US hospital system and I find it very difficult to find information about it. So there are public, nonprofit and for-profit hospitals; district hospitals are public hospitals which are located primarily in rural areas. They have the right to levy special taxes and the board of directors is elected by residents of the district. But what about the other public hospitals? They are financed by general taxes? Are there elections for the board of directors as well or are they appointed?