Annual AHA Membership Meeting News Coverage

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More than 1,000 people attended the AHA Annual Membership Meeting May 14-16, 2024, in Washington, D.C., to connect with colleagues, hear from policymakers and elected officials and learn from special forums on the most pressing issues in the field. See full coverage of the meeting below.

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by Rick Pollack, President and CEO, AHA
Stand up. Speak out. Be heard. The stakes for the future of health care are too high to do anything less.
Challenging prior authorization policy requirements were addressed in an AHA Annual Membership Meeting panel discussion moderated by Marilyn Werber Serafini, executive director for the Health Program at the Bipartisan Policy Center.
It's always important to bring the issue back to the patient, said Sarah Lechner, senior vice president and chief of external affairs for Hackensack Meridian Health, during a Q&A about building relationships with elected officials when advocating for hospitals and health systems at AHA's 2024 Annual Meeting April 14-16.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Mandy Cohen, M.D., April 16 shared with attendees of AHA’s 2024 Annual Membership Meeting how her team is preparing the nation for the next public health emergency, highlighting how hospitals’ ability to provide the CDC with timely data is already positioning the nation for future success.
Department of Health and Human Services Deputy Secretary Andrea Palm addressed AHA Annual Membership Meeting attendees about the Administration’s work to improve access to care and increase the number of people with health insurance, as well as the Change Healthcare cyberattack and what cybersecurity looks like in the future.
Rep. Brett Guthrie, R-Ky., addressed attendees of AHA’s 2024 Annual Membership Meeting and touched on many of the biggest issues in health care: cybersecurity; prior authorization and denials of care; extensions for expiring telehealth provisions; and how government and hospitals can work together to find solutions to these and other problems.
Three retiring members of Congress — Brad Wenstrup, R-Ohio, Larry Bucshon, R-Ind., and Dan Kildee, D-Mich. — engaged in a genial conversation that covered the current state of Congress, as well as what they view as the major issues and possible solutions facing health care.
Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., April 16 updated AHA members on progress to extend telehealth waivers, offering hope that a solution will arise in end-of-year legislation that Congress will attempt to pass.
As hospital leaders prepared to meet with their lawmakers on April 16 following the conclusion of the AHA's 2024 Annual Meeting, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., urged hospitals to speak up about the challenges and realities they face, particularly as they contend with crippling workforce shortages nationwide.
Rep. Morgan Griffith, R-Va., touted the benefits of telehealth April 15, saying it is uncovering hidden health care savings by encouraging patients to seek more timely care.
During a Q&A with AHA Immediate Past Board Chair John Haupert at the AHA Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C., Sanjay Gupta, M.D., chief medical correspondent for CNN, author and neurosurgeon, highlighted the need to learn more about brain health and how it can be measured.
During its Annual Membership Meeting April 14 in Washington, D.C., the AHA honored 2024 Board Chair Joanne Conroy, M.D., president and CEO of Dartmouth Health.
While artificial intelligence is not new to health care, the current inflection point is an opportunity the health care sector cannot afford to miss, a panel of experts told hospital leaders April 14.
Two Administration officials April 14 discussed how the federal government is working with hospitals and other parts of the health care sector to defend against cyber threats and mitigate cyberatta
Kevin McCarthy spoke at a session of the AHA Annual Meeting that covered his time as Speaker of the House, what issues will be at the center of the 2024 election and the current state of American politics.
Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., expressed to AHA members frustration with the Change Healthcare cyberattack, which he believes jeopardized patients and their personal data. 
The Change Healthcare cyberattack was a significant event that caught many off guard, said the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, reiterating the age
White House Domestic Policy Council Director Neera Tanden spoke to Annual Meeting attendees about the environment hospitals and health systems are facing and the Biden Harris Administration’s efforts to strengthen the health care system so that it works for everyone.
Stacey Hughes, AHA’s executive vice president for government relations and public policy, discussed key messages that hospital and health system leaders should share with their lawmakers on Capitol Hill this week.
AHA President and CEO Rick Pollack began AHA’s 2024 Annual Meeting remarking on the essential work of hospitals and health systems, as well as the many challenges they are facing, including workforce shortages, underpayment, supply chain issues and cyberattacks.