AHA Stat Blog

All hospitals and health systems, regardless of size, location and type of ownership, are deeply dedicated to caring for their patients and communities in a wide variety of ways. A report from May by the respected accounting firm EY demonstrates that for every dollar invested in non-profit hospitals and health systems through the federal tax exemption, nearly $9 in benefits is delivered back to communities.

On this episode, I talk with Mikelle Moore, senior vice president and chief community health officer at Intermountain Healthcare, based in Salt Lake City, Utah.

With over 95% of the population receiving at least one dose of the vaccine – and nearly 84% fully vaccinated – we were interested in learning how Puerto Rico had been so successful at mitigating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

we are deeply concerned that last week’s Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services proposed rule would increase Medicare hospital outpatient prospective payment system rates by just 2.7% in calendar year 2023 compared to 2022. Given the current historic rates of inflation and continued labor and supply cost pressures, a much higher update is warranted.

Black women are three to four times more likely to experience a pregnancy or childbirth-related death than White women. The health and well-being of women on their maternal journey – before, during and after childbirth are critical aspects of equitable health care.

The United States has the highest maternal mortality rate among developed nations.

In 2020, Congress designated 988 as an easy to remember 3-digit dialing, texting, and chat code to assist people experiencing mental health and/or substance use emergencies. 988 will complement the current National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, which is currently answered by over 200 local crisis centers across the country.

The AHA has been making the case to CMS urging it to adjust the market-basket update to account for the unprecedented inflationary environment hospitals and health systems are experiencing, and eliminate the productivity cut. We also have asked Congress to weigh in with the agency to make these changes in its final regulation.

Recent reports have mischaracterized Medicare’s proposals to account for the impact of COVID-19 in its quality measurement programs as “hiding” important and useful patient safety data from the public.

Over the past few years, we have seen an increase in tech-based approaches to improving maternal outcomes and the birthing journey.

In 2020, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) overhauled the Hospital Overall Quality Star Ratings methodology with the expressed purpose of making ratings more transparent, equitable, stable and predictable.

This month we celebrate National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, so it is appropriate that we consider the impact of our words as we work to reduce the stigma around mental health issues.

One demographic in the U.S. that has been constant in recent years is the aging of the population.

When the best minds in health care come together on a national stage you can count on sparks flying, great discussions, new ideas emerging and the entire profession taking a step forward.

After months of hot debate and strenuous give-and-take, 38 delegates signed the Constitution of the United States on Sept. 17, 1787.

This blog by Lindsey Dunn-Burgstahler of the AHA Center for Health Innovation highlights three emerging ideas with the potential for a big impact on health, all shared at the 2022 Aspen Institute’s Aspen Ideas Festival.

The AAMC Center for Health Justice’s Maternal Health Incubator last month kicked off with this jolting reminder. The 2-day event convened diverse individuals to collectively understand the data needed for addressing maternal health inequities effectively.

On this episode, Wright L. Lassiter III, Chair, American Hospital Association, talks with Erin Fraher, associate professor in the Department of Family Medicine and research associate professor in the Department of Surgery at UNC School of Medicine in Chapel Hill, N.C. She also is director of the Carolina Health Workforce Research Center, one of five national health workforce research centers in the U.S.

Earlier this year we formed the AHA Board of Trustees’ Task Force on Workforce, a key part of our ongoing efforts to sound the alarm about this national emergency and take steps to address it. The task force has worked to identify ideas, policies and solutions to support our current workforce and assure that we have enough health care workers to meet the future needs of our nation.

All of America’s hospitals and health systems, regardless of size, location and ownership type have provided essential care to their patients and communities during this historic COVID-19 pandemic, all while facing tremendous financial challenges and pressures.