AHA Stat Blog

The tragic events last Friday in Santa Fe, TX, remind us, violence is all too present in our communities. Our hearts go out to all those affected … students, teachers, families, friends, first responders, caregivers, clergy and more.

When Gaynor et al. originally released their “The Price Ain’t Right” report on the relationship between hospital prices and market structure in 2015, there were a number of questions and concerns about how they reached their conclusions.

Health care is changing as the march from volume to value moves forward. And hospitals and health systems are redefining the “H” to meet the demands of the moment, and of the future, in a way that is even more responsive to our patients and communities.

Another week, another drug industry-funded consultant attempting to divert attention away from the high and rising costs of prescription drugs by attacking the 340B drug pricing program.

There are excellent initiatives across the country that are making a real difference in people’s lives.

The same cohort of authors responsible for the Health Care Pricing Project’s flawed 2015 paper recently released an updated version.

On Sunday, May 6, we kick off National Hospital Week and pause to celebrate the 5.5 million women and men who make America’s hospitals and health systems such special places.

The American Hospital Association Grassroots Champion Award recognizes those hospital leaders who most effectively educate elected officials on how major issues affect the hospital’s vital role in the community.

National Hospital Week is a wonderful opportunity to take time to celebrate the health care field and the people who make health care so special.

We’re pleased to see CMS follow through on its commitment to reduce regulatory burden. This is crucially needed as we continue, and accelerate, the transition to value-based care.

All organizations must remain vigilant and ensure the proper cybersecurity procedures and controls are in place and practiced. While the stolen information may not retrievable, steps can be taken to mitigate the Mabna threat and other nation-state-sponsored cyber threats to academic medical centers, hospitals and health systems. This will help safeguard medical research and, most importantly, protect patients.

AHA Trustee Services – accessible on the AHA’s website at trustees.aha.org – now is the hub for AHA’s trustee education efforts.

The theme for this year’s National Minority Health Month, “Partnering for Health Equity,” couldn’t be timelier.

By helping our communities better understand advance directives and health care decision-making at the end of life, we can demystify the topic and increase the number of people who have a plan in place. 

This year presents an important opportunity to educate your legislators on the changes taking place in the health care field. They need to hear from you on how your organization is innovating to create greater value and improve affordability, including forming new models and partnerships to deliver care.

As baby boomers retire, millennials will become an even larger part of the workforce, so engaging them will become more important than ever.

Each April, the AHA joins Donate Life America, the Health Resources and Services Administration and others in highlighting the important role of organ, eye and tissue donation in providing hope and health. 

This week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a Vital Signs report identifying the threats associated with antibiotic resistance (AR) and recommending “early and aggressive action” to prevent resistant pathogens from spreading in health care facilities.