Blog

Blogs from AHA leaders and members on the latest health care issues.

Improving behavioral health is one of the top priorities for hospitals and the communities they serve.  A new guide from the AHA’s Hospitals in Pursuit of Excellence outlines how hospitals and health systems can address the challenges of integrating physical health with behavioral health, enhance…
The burgeoning opioid epidemic takes a devastating toll on patients, their families and their communities. Ending it requires strong leadership and collaboration from all stakeholders, working together at the national, state and community levels. America’s hospitals are playing a key role in the…
Thanks to medical advances, patients are increasingly and safely undergoing a broad range of surgical procedures outside hospitals’ traditional four walls. In fact, two of every three surgeries performed by our member hospitals are now done on an outpatient basis. That’s why recent reports of some…
Rural hospitals are their community’s anchor. By providing 24/7 care, essential public services and access to primary care for the 57 million people that live in rural America, these hospitals are vitally important. That’s why the AHA swiftly reacted to guidance issued by CMS late last year which…
The American Hospital Association is pleased to partner with the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) on the Pursuing Excellence in Clinical Learning Environments project.Launched today, this four-year initiative is designed to promote transformative improvement within the…
Recognizing the work that great hospitals do to help to build stronger communities is critically important. A stellar example is Massachusetts General Hospital, the recipient of the 2015 Foster G. McGaw Prize for Excellence in Community Services. The prize is one of the most esteemed community…
The progress hospitals are making to improve patient care was featured in a recent New York Times blog on fixing difficult problems. The piece highlights the work of hospitals across the country to reduce preventable infections arising from surgeries, pressure ulcers, blood clots and other sources…
Today’s New York Times provides arguments from drug companies justifying the excessive jump in pharmaceutical prices in recent years, saying the higher prices won’t impact patients. 
Hospitals and hospital workers stepping up to meet emerging health care challenges is nothing new. This week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization sounded the alarm about the Zika virus, which poses particular danger to pregnant women and their fetuses. We…
Hospitals and health care systems are striving to achieve the Triple Aim—improving the patient experience, improving the health of populations and reducing the cost of health care. To achieve these goals, hospital leaders are designing new care delivery systems. Adoption of these new systems can be…