Advancing Health

Millions of people across the country cast their ballots in the 2022 mid-term elections. While some votes are still being counted and certain races remain too close to call on the day after Election Day. On today’s podcast, Lisa Kidder Hrobsky, AHA's senior vice president of federal relations, advocacy and political affairs, leads a discussion with two veteran political consultants – Dave Bockorny...

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, AHA’s 2022 NOVA Awards recognized five programs, among them “Community Connect,” from Children’s Minnesota in Minneapolis/St...

The School Blue Envelope Suicide Prevention Program – a creation of Spectrum Health in Grand Rapids, Mich. – is among the five programs recognized with a 2022 NOVA Award. The program lays out specific steps school administrators can take if they learn that a student has thoughts of suicide. In this podcast, two Spectrum Health experts join AHA’s senior associate director for media relations to dis...

In the midst of all the change surrounding the health care field right now, the impact of climate change has sometimes been overlooked. But for Dartmouth Health in New Hampshire, that is starting to what else? … change. The health care field is increasingly aware of the impact of climate change. More and more, organizations are thinking about how to address environmental sustainability. On this Le...

Every day, 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. Each is turning to a different approach for patient care. Welcome to the American Hospital Association's new podcast series, Just Lead, a series highlighting how hospitals and health systems that have been r...

Some 63 million rural residents across the U.S. depend on their area hospital as their primary – and often only – source of accessible medical care. Yet a variety of factors have caused the closure of 136 rural hospitals from 2010 to 2021, with a record 19 closures in 2020 alone. Most reasons are economic. They include low reimbursement rates, staffing shortages, low patient volume and regulatory...

In this episode, Shanna Cox, associate director for science in CDC’s Division of Reproductive Health, and Aisha Syeda, senior program manager for AHA’s strategic initiatives, discuss the reasons behind the increase in hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, its health outcomes, and what hospitals can do to identify and prevent associated complications. Additionally, Cox shares strategies and resource...

#JustLead featuring NorthShore University HealthSystem by American Hospital Association

#JustLead is a new AHA’s podcast 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. Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans was a 2022 finalist for AHA’s Quest for Quality Prize, presented annually to honor leadership and innovation in achieving high-qualit...

#JustLead is a new AHA’s podcast 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. WellSpan Health of York, Pa., was a 2022 finalist for AHA’s Quest for Quality Prize, presented annually to honor leadership and innovation in achieving high-quality health...

The number of drug overdose deaths in America increased by nearly 30% from 2019 to 2020. Since then, the COVID-19 pandemic has only accelerated the problem. Today, the great majority of overdose deaths involve an opioid, and almost 90% of individuals who are badly in need of substance use disorder treatment receive none. In this podcast, Rebecca Chickey, senior director, Behavioral Health Services...

October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month. Although the issue is spotlighted right now, the truth is that attention needs to be paid to cyber security awareness every minute of every day. Hospitals and health systems can’t afford to let down their guard for a moment, because the activities of cyber criminals never stop. In this podcast we have a unique opportunity to hear from a high leve...

Hospital care teams are inundated each day by hospital alarm systems that alert them to changes in a patient’s status. Many providers say there are too many and not all deserve the same degree of attention. Listen to how one provider, Eisenhower Health, has taken important steps to reduce “alarm fatigue.” Today's podcast is brought to you by Spacelabs Healthcare.

The COVID-19 vaccine is one of the most exciting global health developments in recent history. What’s also exciting are the key lessons learned from the national rollout of the vaccine -- knowledge that gives hope for a future of better health for all. In this episode, Dr. John Varbaro, chief medical officer at Bergen New Bridge Medical Center, joins Kathy Cummings, director of communications for...

As the US population continues to age, leaders at hospitals and health systems are increasingly partnering with community-based organizations to address the social and non-medical health needs of older individuals, including nutrition and transportation assistance, social connection, and caregiver support. Area Agencies on Aging are one of the community-based organizations that hospitals and healt...

Hypertension while pregnancy or postpartum can increase the risk of other complications that impact the mom and baby. CDC’s Million Hearts named the Missouri Hospital Association a 2021 Hypertension Control Exemplar for its efforts to prioritize hypertension control among pregnant and postpartum patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Aisha Syeda, senior program manager of AHA’s strategic initiativ...

According to the CDC, firearms are used in approximately 50% of all suicides. In this podcast, Dr. Emmy Betz, a professor of emergency medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and director of the Firearm Injury Prevention Initiative joins Laura Castellanos, associate director, Hospitals Against Violence initiative at the American Hospital Association. Together they explore the con...

Recently, the hospital leadership team of Ouachita County Medical Center, in Camden, Ark., made the “heart-wrenching decision” to close a rural health clinic that the hospital had operated for 25 years. Leaders and staff also took wage cuts and reduced work hours. Take that one sad event … multiply it by more than 135 times over the past dozen years … and you’ve got some idea of the alarming econo...

In medical care, prior authorization was originally intended to ensure patients received appropriate care that was in line with tested methodologies. Today, “prior authorization” has become a dreaded term…often signaling delayed care and undue financial burdens posed to patients and care providers alike. In some cases, the process of prior authorization has actually put patient lives at risk. What...

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a heavy toll on our health care teams with many suffering from stress, trauma, burnout and increased behavioral health challenges. When physicians, nurses and health care professionals experience extended periods of stress and burnout, they often feel as though they are letting down their patients, their families, and their colleagues. The impact of these prolonged...

Welcome to the American Hospital Association's special podcast series, Just Lead, a look at 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. The results have been encouraging. The American Hospital Association Quest for Quality Prize is presented annually to honor health c...

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the dedicated team members at America’s hospitals and health systems have worked tirelessly to care for patients, comfort families and protect communities during this unprecedented public health crisis. However, the pandemic has taken a heavy toll on our health care teams with many suffering from stress, trauma, burnout and increased behavioral health chal...

Welcome to the American Hospital Association's special podcast series, Just Lead, a look at 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. So what does this mean for their patients? Today we are joined by the recipient of AHA’s 2022 Carolyn Boone Lewis Equity of Care Awa...

Hospitals and health systems must be clear on goals of their opioid stewardship program and intentional about a process for measuring and monitoring progress. Over time, these metrics will help demonstrate organizational success and can be used to support broader initiatives to fight the opioid epidemic, such as advocacy efforts for legislative action. In this final episode of AHA’s five-part seri...

Ordering the right test at the right time is crucial to providing evidence-based patient care to achieve the highest quality outcomes. It can also help increase financial sustainability for a hospital. Both of these objectives can be accomplished through a successful laboratory stewardship initiative. PeaceHealth understands this quite well. Join us to hear insights from PeaceHealth on their exper...