AHA Stat Blog

A white paper from the USC-Brookings Schaeffer Initiative for Health Policy on a provision in the draft Build Back Better Act (BBBA) takes serious shortcuts and overlooks how certain provisions fit into a broader, much more complex set of payment policies.

Across the country, I see hospitals and health systems doing incredible work to improve societal factors that influence the health of individuals and communities. That’s why I’m excited that the AHA is spotlighting a number of strategies that reinforce the crucial role of hospitals and health systems in serving their communities — it’s all part of a digital campaign that launches today.

As every health care leader today can testify, the pandemic has tested the resilience of our health care workforce like never before. And as we know, without a resilient health force, we cannot exist. Our entire health care system breaks down. It's as simple as that.

The stark differences in maternal health outcomes between Black and White women are widening at an escalating pace, especially due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The recent expansion of COVID-19 booster shots for certain adult Americans means that millions more people are now eligible to seek extra protection against the deadly virus.

Affordable health care ranks among the top concerns for many Americans. It’s a concern that hospitals and health systems fully share … and we have been working hard to address.

The authors of a recent study that looked at CARES Act Provider Relief Funds allocated to health care institutions made arbitrary choices about which payments to include in the analysis. This resulted in incomplete or skewed findings.

A recent study published in JAMA Health Forum (“Association Between COVID-19 Relief Funds and Hospital Characteristics in the U.S.”) that examines CARES Act Provider Relief Funds allocated to health care providers misses the point of those payments and makes arbitrary choices about which payments to include. 

On this episode, I talk with Maureen Bisognano, a prominent authority on improving health care systems. Maureen served as Institute for Healthcare Improvement president and CEO for five years and IHI executive vice president and chief operating officer for 15 years.

Medicare Advantage plans provide essential health insurance coverage for approximately 22 million Americans, or about one-third of all Medicare beneficiaries.

A recent AHA survey of hospitals and health systems found that 89% of respondents experienced an increase in payment denials over the past three years, and 51% reported experiencing a “significant” increase in denials.

Workplace violence spurred AHA’s Hospitals Against Violence advisory group to create a framework to support hospitals’, health systems’ and security leaders’ efforts to safeguard staff and patients, writes Mary Beth Kingston, R.N., chair of the group, chief nurse officer at Advocate Aurora Health and AHA Board member. Read how this new framework employs the four critical pillars necessary for implementing comprehensive violence mitigation strategies: trauma support, a culture of safety, violence intervention and risk mitigation.

Working in health care delivery can be stressful and tiring under normal circumstances. And the COVID-19 pandemic has exerted incredible pressures on the emotional and physical well-being of our health care professionals. 

Cybercrimes directed against hospitals and health systems have been on a massive upswing worldwide for several years, accelerating even more during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hospitals and health systems must move from “doing digital” to “being digital” to compete in a rapidly evolving market. AVIA, a leading digital transformation partner for health systems, designed the “4 big moves” to provide a road map for hospitals and health systems looking to embrace digital and emerge as leaders in health care.

Pandemic fatigue is real for many in our communities, but with flu season starting, now is not the time to let up. This year’s flu season could be extremely challenging for our communities and our hospital teams. Fortunately, we have a vaccine to protect almost everyone ages 6 months and older.

Hospitals and health systems put the health and welfare of their patients first. For some of the nation’s largest commercial health insurers, unfortunately, that is not always the case.

When we speak about hospitals and community benefit, it’s often a story focused on numbers. But it’s always about the people we serve. 

Getting all health care personnel vaccinated against COVID-19 is the right thing to do to keep patients, staff and communities safe. Using a federal regulatory approach to achieve this important goal introduces new challenges that the AHA is working to address. 

On this episode, I discuss emergency preparedness, caregiver resiliency and health equity — all through the lens of the COVID-19 pandemic — with Fritz Francois, M.D., chief medical officer and patient safety officer at New York University Langone Health and a professor at NYU Grossman School of Medicine.