Advancing Health

America is already running short on physicians, and every health labor forecast projects it will only get worse in the next decade or so. Even more alarming the percentage of Black male physicians in the field has been basically unchanged for the past 80 years and isn’t showing signs of growth even now. It’s more important than ever to ask what can be done to attract, recruit and train more talent...

The just-concluded NFL season saw the retirement of one legendary quarterback and the rise of another ready to take his place. Just as athletic leaders change places, so too do health care leaders make way for the next generation. In this episode, we learn more about the AHA Next Generation Leaders Fellowship. Sponsored by Accenture, the year-long program focuses on mentoring promising leaders for...

In most hospitals, highly-trained staff members know just what to do in the case of an emergency, whether it is a fire, hurricane, or even an active shooter. But what happens when that emergency comes in the form of a dangerous cyberattack? Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C., has developed a system-wide “off” switch that staff can activate if it is clear that the hospital has come un...

Hospitals and health systems continue to face serious economic challenges relating to escalating expenses and staffing shortages. One health system met the challenge head on. Mary Marran of Care New England explains how they kept their focus on short-term economic recovery plans, while addressing an urgent long-term need — improving access to behavioral health care.

On this Leadership Dialogue Series podcast, two chairs of the American Hospital Association’s Board of Trustees come together to share their insights on the state of health care in our country, and what hospitals and health systems can look forward to in 2023. John Haupert, president and CEO of Atlanta-based Grady Health System and the 2023 chair of AHA’s board, is joined by the leader he just suc...

For years, hospitals and health systems have shared the goal of developing an interoperable health care information system that shares data across providers. The advantages are significant: faster, more accurate transfer of patient records that can result in more effective treatment. Less of an administrative burden for doctors, nurses and other caregivers. Overall, a smoother system that better s...

Since the onset of the COVID 19 pandemic in March 2020, our nation’s hospitals have paid a significant financial toll … and psychiatric hospitals are no exception.  Inpatient psychiatric admissions declined heavily throughout the pandemic. And while health professional shortages have long impeded behavioral health care access, the recent and forthcoming retirements of more than half of the current...

In part 4 of this podcast series, Nancy Myers, vice president of leadership system innovation at the American Hospital Association, is joined by clinical services director Lynette Harvey of the Camarillo Health Care District and high risk program manager Maureen Hodge of Community Memorial Health System, both in Ventura County, California. The discussion: understanding the role of hospital and com...

Family caregivers are not just for pediatric and geriatric patients anymore. Family members are caring for patients of all ages and with a wide range of health care needs – from primary care to tertiary advanced care. In today’s episode, Nancy Myers, vice president of leadership system innovation at the American Hospital Association, is joined by gerontologist Dr. Maziar Goshtasbi and high risk pr...

Today’s podcast is brought to you by Quest Diagnostics. Value-based health care is truly a game changer — a model that pays care providers based on patient outcomes, not on the amount of services delivered. It is the wave of the future, the direction that nearly all hospitals and health systems are moving toward towards regardless of size or services provided. Every hospital function has a role to...

Burnout is not new, but the COVID-19 pandemic has helped fuel this workplace phenomenon. As teams banded together over the last two-plus years to support each other and the communities they serve, many of the boundaries and expectations around work and life shifted. The societal impact of the pandemic has redefined expectations for work - and life - and brought us terms like the great resignation...

Thanks for listening to the Advancing Health podcast! We hope you have found it useful and informative! As we wind up 2022 we wanted to re-release two of our most popular episodes from the last year. Advancing Health returns with new episodes in 2023. Until then we hope you and your family have a safe and wonderful holiday and a Happy New Year!

Happy holidays and thanks for listening to the Advancing Health podcast. We hope you have found it useful and informative! As we wind up 2022 we wanted to re-release two of our most popular episodes from the last year. Advancing Health returns with new episodes in 2023. Until then we hope you and your family have a safe and wonderful holiday and a Happy New Year!

Welcome to final episode of the American Hospital Association's special podcast series #JustLead, a look at how hospitals and health systems that have been recognized with AHA awards for innovation collaboration and health equity, are transforming healthcare to better serve their communities. Over the past few years the concept of equity in health care has increasingly been moving from words in an...

The caregiver experience is one that’s deeply personal and unique. Understanding how to support caregivers means hearing their stories, and better understanding their needs and challenges, so that collaboratively-developed programs at the community level can support them. Nancy Myers, vice president of leadership system innovation at the American Hospital Association, leads this second episode of...

Caregiving for a family member or friend affected by a chronic or long-term health condition is an important public health issue affecting millions of people. As the need for family caregivers grows, it’s critical to understand and respond to the physical and mental health burdens they face. In this special Hospital-Community Partnership podcast series, Nancy Myers, vice president of leadership sy...

“We want to make sure that every provider has the ability to protect itself and its patients, and not have to worry about budgets or funding to do the right thing.” Those words from a leading health care cybersecurity expert are music to the ears of hospital and health system leaders whose systems have been the target of criminal cybersecurity intrusions … both attempted and successful. So, how ca...

Welcome to the American Hospital Association special podcast series. #JustLead, a look at how hospitals and health systems that have been recognized with awards for innovation, collaboration and health equity are transforming health care to better serve their communities. Today we are joined by an honoree of the AHA 2022 Carolyn Boone Lewis Equity of Care Award, Jefferson Health in Philadelphia. H...

Ask a hospital patient to name their #1 wish, and most will say: “I wish I were home right now.” These days, as an increasing number of hospitals and health systems rethink their care delivery models, that wish is starting to come true. Many care providers these days are considering an acute hospital-at-home approach as one of the safest and one of the most effective care options for certain patie...

The nation’s population of older adults is increasing, but the system of emergency medicine isn’t optimally designed for their specific, complex and multi-layered needs. So what can the field do to better adapt to an aging population? Medical support frameworks for older adults remain inadequate, particularly in the emergency department. In today’s discussion about older adult care in the ED, Mari...

As the health care field continues to undergo significant change in its business and care models, it’s clear there is no “one-size-fits-all” approach to facing the future. Communities of different sizes have different needs. Scale is important, and that’s where health systems have much to offer. On this Leadership Dialogue Series podcast, AHA Board Chair Wright L. Lassiter III is joined by Eugene...

Everyday hospitals and health systems are doing some of the most innovative work in America, finding new ways and new partners to collaborate with to advance the health of their communities. Today on the podcast, Dr. Ana Calderon Randazzo, executive director of the Children’s Diagnostic and Treatment Center at Broward Health, based in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida chats with the AHA about the Center's C...

Rural America is in crisis. A spike in suicides and deaths by substance abuse has strained communities already struggling with a lack of clinical and inpatient resources. But there is hope. In part two of this special podcast series, John Supplitt, senior director of Rural Health Services, AHA and Jordan Steiger, senior program manager, AHA clinical affairs and workforce, are joined by Stephanie G...

Welcome to the American Hospital Association’s new podcast series #JustLead, a series highlighting how hospitals and health systems that have been recognized with AHA Awards for innovation, collaboration, and health equity, are transforming health care for their communities. One of the five programs recognized with a 2022 AHA Dick Davidson NOVA Award is The Doorway at Cheshire Medical Center, in K...

Rural America is in crisis. A spike in suicides and deaths by substance abuse has strained communities already struggling with a lack of clinical and inpatient resources. But there is hope. Led by their local health systems, two rural communities in Colorado and North Carolina have rallied to meet the challenge — and they’re changing the fortunes of those that live and work there. In this two-part...