Advancing Health

Health care professionals dedicate their lives to healing others, yet are among the most at risk for workplace violence. In this Leadership Dialogue conversation, Tina Freese Decker, president and CEO of Corewell Health and 2025 AHA board chair, sits down with Claire Zangerle, DNP, R.N., CEO of the American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL) and senior vice president and chief nurse execut...

In the rural areas of the Four Corners region of the Southwestern United States, every minute counts when a heart attack strikes. In this conversation, Josh Neff, CEO of CommonSpirit Mercy Hospital, discusses a new cutting-edge communication platform that sends patient EKGs directly from the ambulance to the cardiologist in real time. Josh explains how this simple, affordable tool is cutting treat...

What if the key to transforming patient experience starts with your workforce? In this conversation, Nell Buhlman, chief administrative officer and head of strategy at Press Ganey, and Chris DeRienzo, M.D., chief physician executive at the American Hospital Association, explore the data-backed connection between employee engagement and patient outcomes. With real examples — from transformation tea...

What does it take to become a truly age-friendly hospital? In this conversation, Shelley Hart, R.N., clinical nurse specialist at Froedtert Menomonee Falls Hospital, explores the hospital's inspiring journey toward delivering exceptional care for older adults. Through innovative delirium prevention programs, goals of care conversations, and simple acts of human connection, Shelley shares how the t...

The “4M’s” framework that supports age-friendly health care for older patients continues to expand in hospitals and health systems across the nation. In this conversation, Carolyn Bogard, DNP, R.N., director of care coordination and palliative care at El Camino Health, talks about her system’s use of data to harness the passion care providers feel for improving outcomes and streamlining care deliv...

The passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act will present many policy changes and challenges for America's hospitals and health systems. In this Leadership Dialogue conversation, Tina Freese Decker, president and CEO of Corewell Health and 2025 AHA board chair, talks with Rick Pollack, president and CEO of the American Hospital Association, about the sweeping impacts this legislation will have in...

Cyberattacks on hospitals are urgent threats to patient safety, care delivery and public trust. In this conversation, Ajay Gupta, board chair of Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic and CEO of HSR.health, speaks about the vital role hospital boards play in preparing for and responding to cyber incidents. What strategic questions should boards be asking, and how can cyber preparedness make or break a hospit...

Potential Medicaid cuts could have devastating impacts on rural communities, particularly for behavioral health care access. In this conversation, Jon Ulven, Ph. D., behavioral health psychologist and chair of adult psychology at Sanford Health, details the fragile behavioral health landscape in rural America and how Medicaid cuts could deepen gaps in health care access and resources. Dr. Ulven al...

Legal advocacy isn’t just a tactic — it’s a vital force protecting the future of health care. In this Leadership Dialogue conversation, Tina Freese Decker, president and CEO of Corewell Health and 2025 AHA board chair, talks with Chad Golder, general counsel for the American Hospital Association, about the complex legal landscape hospitals and health systems must navigate to ensure continued care...

Medical training is intense, and the toll it takes on emotional well-being is often overlooked. In this conversation, Boston Medical Center’s (BMC) Jeff Schneider, M.D., the associate chief medical officer, designated institutional official, and chair of the Graduate Medical Education Committee at Boston Medical Center, and Simone Martell, director of the employee resilience program, discuss how B...

Sepsis is one of the deadliest threats hospitals and health systems face when caring for patients. In this conversation, Ochsner Health's Stephen Saenz, sepsis program manager, and Teresa Arrington, director of robust process improvement for quality & patient safety, reveal how a mix of smart technology, clinician-led design and flexible implementation reduced sepsis-related mortality by...

What if access to fresh food could transform entire neighborhoods? In this conversation, Vickie Johnson, executive vice president and chief community officer at Cleveland Clinic, discusses how the medical center is confronting food insecurity by treating food as a vital part of health care. Combining data, community trust and local partnerships, Cleveland Clinic is nourishing long-term well-being...

Father-inclusive prenatal care is reshaping maternal and infant health outcomes. In this conversation, Wrenetha Julion, Ph. D., R.N. of Rush University Medical Center, and Paul Florsheim, Ph. D. of University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, discuss the collaborative Preparing for Parenthood program, success stories on how to engage fathers early in the pregnancy journey, and what suppo...

To celebrate Community Health Improvement (CHI) Week, June 9 – June 13, two experts from Corewell Health share how an impactful health care ecosystem model is supporting local Michigan communities, and why creating region-specific programs, from school-based clinics to school nursing initiatives, has been effective for improving community health. Visit https://www.aha.org/center/community-health-i...

To kick off 2025 Community Health Improvement (CHI) Week, June 9 – June 13, three experts from HonorHealth discuss how the health care network is addressing community needs beyond traditional care. From addressing social determinants of health like food insecurity to launching innovative programs such as the Adult Day Health Care Center, HonorHealth is taking bold steps to strengthen the fabric of...

June 6 is the ninth annual Hospitals Against Violence (#HAVhope) Friday, a national day of awareness to highlight how America’s hospitals and health systems combat violence in their workplaces and communities. In this conversation, SSM Heath's Amy Wilson, DNP, R.N., chief nurse executive, and Todd Miller, vice president of security, discuss how collaboration between clinical and sec...

June 9 – June 13, 2025 is Community Health Improvement (CHI) Week — a week that looks at the important work hospitals and health systems are doing to support the overall health of their patients and communities. In this conversation, Duke University's Anna Tharakan, lead project manager on Closing the Gap on Hypertension Disparities, and Bradi Granger, Ph. D., research professor at Duke University...

Access to youth and adolescent behavioral health care is a major challenge facing rural communities. In this conversation, Adrienne Coopey, D.O., a child and adolescent psychiatrist at the West Virginia University Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute, discusses how a fully virtual collaborative care model is helping deliver early behavioral health interventions and improve access and outcomes for ch...

The uncertainty of tariffs could lead to challenging situations in America's health care landscape. In this Leadership Dialogue conversation, Tina Freese Decker, president and CEO of Corewell Health and 2025 AHA board chair, talks with Brian Pomper, partner at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, and Akin Demehin, vice president of quality and safety policy at the AHA, about the past and present st...

The role of chaplains continues to evolve in health care organizations, with chaplains being integrated into large-scale well-being initiatives. In this conversation, Jason Lesandrini, Ph. D., assistant vice president of Ethics, Advanced Care Planning, Spiritual Health and Language Access Services at Wellstar Health System, and Kelsey White, Ph. D., assistant professor and chaplaincy faculty resea...

Mental health and substance use disorders in older adults are frequently underdiagnosed and underserved. In this conversation, Zaira Khalid, M.D., senior staff geriatric psychiatrist at Henry Ford Behavioral Health Hospital, discusses the unique physical, emotional, and social needs of patients over 65, the hospital's compassionate and multi-disciplinary approach to whole-person care, and how to r...

May 7 is World Maternal Mental Health Day. In this conversation, Women & Infants Hospital's Shannon Sullivan, president and chief operating officer, and Caron Zlotnick, Ph. D., director of behavioral medicine research, discuss the stigma surrounding maternal mental health, the challenges new mothers face, and the innovative programs that are having success in maternal well-being and postpartum...

May is American Stroke Month. In this conversation, Aaron Lewandowski, M.D., emergency medicine physician and the emergency medicine stroke representative at Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital, and Alex Chebl, M.D., interventional neurologist and director of the Henry Ford Stroke Center and the Division of Vascular Neurology at Henry Ford Health, discuss how artificial intelligence (AI) is revolu...

From ransomware attacks to data breaches, the stakes for hospitals and health systems to protect their patients have never been higher. In this Leadership Dialogue conversation, Tina Freese Decker, president and CEO of Corewell Health and 2025 AHA board chair, talks with John Riggi, national advisor for cybersecurity and risk at the American Hospital Association, about how health care leaders...

Developing a strong board culture of quality and safety is a heavy but necessary lift for any health system. In this conversation, University of Utah Health's Kencee Graves, M.D., hospitalist and palliative medicine physician, and David Colling, vice chair, Community Board of Directors, discuss how a “Quality 101” approach helped bridge knowledge gaps between clinicians and board members, and why...