AHA Stat Blog

The mission of all hospitals and health systems, regardless of size and type of ownership, is to care for their communities and patients. In fact, an Ernst and Young report from 2017 demonstrates that for every dollar invested in non-profit hospitals and health systems through the federal tax exemption, $11 in benefits is delivered back to communities.

A recent Health Affairs post gives an incomplete account of the implications of allowing new and expanded physician-owned hospitals to bill Medicare and Medicaid. 

As we get ready to mark World Immunization Week (April 24-30), it’s an appropriate time to celebrate the incredible gift of vaccines.

When President Biden signed legislation on Wednesday eliminating the 2% across-the-board cut to all Medicare payments until the end of 2021, it extended needed relief to doctors, hospitals and other providers caring for patients and vaccinating communities. 

On April 7, the American Hospital Association brought together experts from across the health care field for a national conversation dedicated to maternal health equity. 

A recent American Economic Review article provides an outdated and recycled take on the effect of hospital consolidation on wages. The article first appeared as a working paper several years ago.

Hackensack Meridian Health’s clinical experts have learned a wide variety of important lessons and strategies for managing COVID-19’s toll on mental health, write three of the health system’s leaders. Read more about the steps Hackensack took to improve the mental health of its workforce and how you can reproduce them yourself.

One legacy of our response to COVID-19 surely will be how it has accelerated the adoption of virtual care. It is one of the more encouraging developments during the losses of the pandemic. 

When Congress returns to Washington, D.C., on Monday, lawmakers’ attention will turn to one of the largest infrastructure spending packages in our nation’s history. 

The availability of swift, accurate and reliable diagnostic testing during the public health emergency has been extremely important.

Many of the digital solutions we relied on during the pandemic will remain, making digital health equity, including digital access and literacy, even more important. As hospitals and health systems design and implement digital solutions, it will be imperative to take proactive steps so all individuals have the opportunity to engage with these tools.

We know that a person’s health is influenced more by their social and economic circumstances than by access to medical services. However, making a real difference for people who struggle with social needs remains a significant challenge. 

In 2019, 1 in 5 women suffered from a mental health disorder. Now, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, even more women are reporting increases in challenges associated with mental illness as they continue to take on responsibilities they had not been prepared for. 

2021 marks year three of the AHA Physician Alliance, created to help hospital and health systems better engage and partner with physician leadership and to strengthen that voice in the American Hospital Association’s  policy efforts.

In this episode of Leadership Rounds, I talk with Alvin Hoover, CEO of King’s Daughters Medical Center in Brookhaven, Miss., who is serving on the front lines of rural health care.   

As more vaccine supplies become available and more jurisdictions expand priority categories or do away with them altogether, hospitals and health systems continue to work overtime to serve as access points.

Throughout the pandemic, innovative partnerships have helped hospitals and health systems ensure ongoing care for patients, health care workers and their communities. Here are some of the success stories that have shone brightly at every phase of this public health emergency. Plus, there’s an opportunity to learn how we can help accelerate COVID-19 vaccinations.

A new Market Insights report from the AHA Center for Health Innovation describes how to use data to build new capabilities that improve health outcomes for patients and communities.

Health care is about human connection: people taking care of people. The people of America’s hospitals and health systems do this each and every day, and the COVID-19 pandemic has shone a spotlight on the vital role they play in our nation’s health and safety. 

The incredible job that hospitals and caregivers have done over the past year saving lives, treating very sick patients and protecting their communities has been acknowledged and enabled by Congress through relief aid several times since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.