AHA Stat Blog

March 12–18 is Patient Safety Awareness Week.

The values of rural America mirror those of health care quality: people first. The challenge of delivering equitable, effective care is particularly acute in rural areas, where residents face unique barriers to accessing these services.

Hospitals and health systems are committed to empowering patients with all the information they need to live their healthiest lives.

There are excellent opportunities in the coming months to connect with colleagues across the country on the most important issues facing our field.

As caregivers and healers, hospitals and health systems are the antithesis of violence. They are in the business of treating patients, healing communities and saving lives.

On this episode, I talk with Jennifer Havens, CEO of UnityPoint Health – Grinnell Regional Medical Center, a 49-bed hospital serving several counties in Iowa.

The Senate Health, Education, Labor & Pensions Committee last week held a hearing aptly titled “Examining Health Care Workforce Shortages: Where Do We Go from Here?” Clearly, all of our efforts to inform policymakers and the public about the urgent need to address the workforce challenges have resonated on Capitol Hill, as the tone and focus of this hearing demonstrated.

Developing innovative approaches and creative solutions to tackle the unprecedented challenges in health care calls for skilled, knowledgeable and innovative leaders. Empowering the next generation of health care leaders is the aim of the AHA’s Next Generation Leaders Fellowship.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released the results of its assessment of hospital compliance. Importantly, CMS is the official arbiter of compliance with the transparency rules.

America’s hospitals and health systems are places of healing, hope, comfort and caring. Today, they also face many challenges that jeopardize their ability to always be there ready to care.

If you’re interested in expanding your knowledge and skills and making transformative changes at your hospital or health system, visit AHA.org to learn more about this competitive fellowship program.

For three years, hospitals, health systems and health care workers have been on the front lines of the greatest public health crisis our nation has faced in a century.

Nearly 1,200 health care leaders from rural hospitals, health systems and health clinics, as well as rural associations and community health organizations, will convene Feb. 19–22 in San Antonio for the AHA Rural Health Care Leadership Conference.

Before COVID-19 seized center stage in our national conversation about the future direction of health care, the word most often heard driving that discussion was transformation.

Cyberattacks are increasing globally and in the U.S., with health care organizations, especially hospitals and health systems, being prime targets.

Our nation’s health care system leaders are increasingly aware of existing gaps in care and outcomes across different patients and are well-positioned to take actions that advance high-quality, equitable care for all, especially those from historically marginalized groups.

This year I’ll be continuing the AHA Leadership Dialogue series and talking with health care, business and community leaders on trending topics in the field.