AHA Stat Blog

When it comes to the state of American health care, we have much to be proud of. At the same time, we must also acknowledge that the benefits of our nation’s health care system have not always been equally accessible to all of our citizens.

Each year, health professionals and community organizers team up for National LGBTQ Health Awareness Week, held March 21-25).

Now is the time to evaluate how far we have come in closing gaps in health disparities, assess where health care is on the equity journey and take what we’ve learned to strengthen our organizations and communities through collaborative and innovative work — by investing in our neighborhoods and one another.

On this episode, I talk with Debbie Hatmaker, chief nursing officer of the American Nurses Association, the American Nurses Credentialing Center and the American Nurses Foundation.

One month from now, we really hope to see you in Washington, D.C.

Mask mandates are being lifted in cities and towns across the U.S. and more employees are transitioning from remote work at home and returning to their offices, so people are wondering: Are we nearing the end of the pandemic?

There’s no question that health care providers will continue to evaluate the lessons learned from COVID-19 for years to come. One takeaway that few would dispute is that the expanded reach of telehealth has significant implications and potential for expanding access and increased convenience in caring for patients. 

This year’s theme for National Women’s History Month is Providing Healing, Promoting Hope.

Nationwide Children’s Hospital is now implementing what we believe is a truly neighborhood-driven and co-designed community investment initiative in Columbus, Ohio.

One week in early March every year is designated as Patient Safety Awareness Week, a national recognition to encourage everyone to learn more about health care safety.  

NFL coaching legend Vince Lombardi said, “Individual commitment to a group effort — that is what makes a team work, a company work, a civilization work.”

With the biennial DEI benchmark survey now available through March 15, read AHA’s Leon Caldwell’s blog addressing the hesitancy related to taking the survey, as well as strategies to manage said anxieties. For questions related to your participation in the survey, please contact AHA’s survey support team at surveysupport@aha.org.

This week health care leaders and front-line professionals are convening in Chicago to discuss best practices that enhance the patient and caregiver experience, improve quality and increase value. AHA’s Advancing Care Conference is designed to equip participants with customized strategies and an actionable plan to tackle challenges.

For the past week, we have seen heartbreaking images from Ukraine, including newborn babies being moved from the neonatal intensive care unit of a hospital to a makeshift bomb shelter in the basement, depicting the devastation of war. 

We’ve seen that valuable training and professional development help employees feel happier in their work, become more excited about the prospect of success and develop a higher self-worth.

On this episode, I talk with Marcus Whitney, co-founder and partner of Jumpstart Health Investors, focused on innovation and investment in health care. Whitney also is founder and general partner of Jumpstart Nova, a venture fund investing in Black-led health care companies.

As Russia attempts to advance its political interests by its invasion of Ukraine through the use of its military, we have also seen stepped up cyberattacks attributed to Russia in recent days on major networks in Ukraine.

Every year, more than 1.6 million people in the U.S. suffer from heart attacks and strokes and more than 870,000 die from a cardiovascular disease. Though those numbers are alarming, what is more distressing is that 80% of those deaths are preventable.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought many new challenges to America’s health care system. It also has exacerbated existing issues that were already in need of attention before the pandemic. 

Baptist Health in Jacksonville, Florida, reflects on lessons learned and best practices moving forward. We know that our field will continue to be challenged by COVID-19, but this pandemic has taught us a valuable lesson: The future is not going to wait for us, and instead we have to be ready to embrace it.