Last week a series of emails that became public revealed communication between executives at UnitedHealth Group and researchers studying the frequency of surprise medical billing.
AHA Stat Blog
Latest
The opioid epidemic has been an incredibly challenging public health crisis in communities across our country. And it’s clear the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the challenges.
COVID-19 has posed a steep learning curve for health care providers over the past 18 months. Hospitals and health systems have responded by sharing more knowledge, insight and best practices with each other than ever before.
Elisa Arespacochaga, AHA’s vice president of clinical affairs and workforce, outlines the critical importance of clinician well-being programs to help address physician burnout and suicides and workforce shortages, particularly during the COVID-19 public health crisis. Read more.
And it’s not only what we say to patients and their families that matters but how we talk with care teams in private. Many times we may not even realize we are being insensitive or spreading stigma.
Given the recent upsurge in COVID-19 cases around the country, we can’t say how much longer the official public health emergency will last. But we do know that many regulatory waivers put into place by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services at the start of the pandemic have worked very well and deserve to live on past the current crisis.
The next generation of moms and families are more-frequently experiencing new tech-based approaches to improving one’s pregnancy or birthing journey.
Who exactly is a “stakeholder” when it comes to improving health equity?
With the remarkable advances in health care, treatments for serious illnesses like cancer and diabetes are saving millions of lives each year and helping people live longer.
The American Hospital Association and its Society for Healthcare Strategy and Market Development (SHSMD) July 15 hosted “Addressing COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy in Your Community,” a webinar centered on examining the root causes of vaccine hesitancy and how health care organizations can tailor their messaging to these groups to promote confidence.
The COVID-19 Provider Relief Fund has been a lifeline for hospitals, health systems and health care providers, allowing them to continue to put the health and safety of patients and health care personnel first. In many cases, the funds ensured they were able to keep their doors open.
AHA’s Institute for Diversity and Health Equity has been working for more than 25 years to advance health equity, diversity and inclusion by supporting hospitals, health systems, patients and communities. While the health care field has made some progress, we still have a long way to go.
By integrating behavioral health into physical care and tapping into community partnerships, hospitals and health systems can develop culturally competent clinical solutions to better serve historically underrepresented individuals, writes Manish Sapra, M.D., executive director of the behavioral health service line at New York-based Northwell Health. Read more in this blog, and find more resources on AHA’s Minority Mental Health Awareness Month page.
The widespread belief that we have completely turned the corner in our fight against COVID-19 does not apply equally to all parts of the country. In many states and communities, the rate of COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths are moving in the wrong direction.
On this episode, I have an important conversation with Robert Trestman, M.D., chair for psychiatry and behavioral medicine at Carilion Clinic and a professor at the Viriginia Tech/Carilion School of Medicine in Roanoke, Va.
COVID-19’s disproportionate impact on Black, Latino, Native Americans and other communities of color is well-documented and deeply troubling. It’s also the latest in a long history of health inequities and health disparities affecting racial minorities in our society.
UnitedHealth Group announced a jaw-dropping $6 billion in earnings in a single quarter. But not enough has been said about a big contributor to these profits: not paying for health care services.
The AHA Leadership Summit – one of AHA’s flagship events – will be held virtually July 28-29. AHA Executive Vice President Michelle Hood previews the conference, designed to help health care executives and trustees lead organizational transformation. Read more.
The mission of all hospitals and health systems, regardless of size and type of ownership, is to care for their patients and communities. In fact, an Ernst and Young report from 2019 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.
As summer moves along, the U.S. is marking a pivotal point in the pandemic. A majority of Americans — nearly 55% — now have received one COVID-19 vaccine dose, and 48% are fully vaccinated.