AHA has its finger on the pulse of health care and is constantly sharing the latest information and best practices around the topics and trends that impact hospitals and health systems most, whether via calls/ webinars, new resources or case studies. Below are just a few examples of topics focused on in 2016.

Behavioral Health. AHA promotes and supports field leadership, in part by highlighting best practices on the integration of behavioral and physical health, as well as best practices on how hospitals and health systems are dealing with the opioid crisis. AHA is working to create greater public awareness by collaborating with key behavioral health stakeholders to reduce stigma, convening community conversations and developing tools to strengthen effective community partnerships. In 2016, AHA sponsored a dozen webinars showcasing behavioral health best practices from AHA members and 10 webinars showcasing members’ best practices for addressing the opioid crisis. For more, visit www.aha.org/behavioralhealth.

Population Health. AHA is at the forefront of promoting population health and community partnerships in order to improve the health of communities. AHA has produced several guides around the issues of community health needs assessments and effective hospital-community partnerships, collaborating with other leaders in the field, including the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute and the Public Health Foundation. Ongoing AHA guides and webinars highlight successful initiatives and trends throughout the nation that are helping to produce real gains in community health status, including case studies, reports and toolkits. For more information, visit www.hpoe.org.

Mitigating Violence. Violence is a serious public health and safety issue for many communities and hospitals across the U.S. Since the victims of violence typically wind up on hospitals’ doorsteps, it makes sense as part of a population health approach to delivering care to try and address violence issues before they result in injuries or harm. AHA has launched the “Hospitals Against Violence” initiative, which focuses on addressing violence within hospitals’ walls but also addressing violence in our communities. Strategies include fostering hospitals’ and health systems’ efforts to combat violence in their communities and facilities by facilitating conversations and learnings about best practices, coordinating useful resources from hospitals and other authorities, and highlighting hospitals’ collaborative efforts with community organizations, law enforcement and other strategic partners that produce positive results. A new webpage, www.aha.org/violence, offers links and resources, while a new webinar series connects members with emerging practices.

Cybersecurity.Perhaps no issue is more pressing for today’s CEOs than cyber threats and the disruption they can cause. We have partnered with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other federal partners to bring actionable information about cyber threats to hospitals via Cybersecurity Alerts and Advisories and have developed a host of resources for hospital leaders and trustees, available at www.aha.org/cybersecurity.

Medicare Physician Payment Reform. AHA is working on multiple fronts to help the field prepare for the policy and operational implications of the new Medicare physician payment system created by the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) of 2015. Our comprehensive resources include issue briefs, webinars and PowerPoint slides, as well as a video series suitable for board and physician education, infographics, detailed advisories and links to additional educational materials. For more, visit www.aha.org/MACRA.

Disseminating Ideas. AHA keeps members and the greater health care community in the know through its daily newsletters, AHA News Now and H&HN Daily. In addition, publications like Hospitals & Health Networks, Trustee and Health Facilities Management deliver vital and timely information on a monthly basis.

Educational webinars, Town Hall webcasts and other programs offer cutting-edge insights.

Executive leadership meetings, attended annually by thousands of health care leaders, include the AHA Annual Membership Meeting, Health Forum/AHA Leadership Summit and Rural Health Care Leadership Conference.

Our Signature Learning Series educational programs provide free, in-depth information and practical examples of successful solutions for the evolving health care landscape.

HealthCareerCenter.com connects employers and top talent in all disciplines through its online job board network. In addition, AHA’s American Organization of Nurse Executives and Physician Leadership Forum look for ways hospitals and clinicians can engage and partner to advance excellence in patient care.