Advancing Health

Community health workers (CHWs) serve as a bridge between social and clinical care, providing essential outreach and advocacy to populations with unmet social needs. Understanding the importance of CHWs, Montefiore Medical Center created the Community Health Worker Institute to standardize CHW training and ensure that the patients they serve receive the best possible care. In this conversation,&nb...

In addition to caring for patients, many health care providers have an equally important role at home — being parents to young children. Given the pressures of parenting, what are hospitals and health systems doing to retain new parents, especially moms, in the health care workforce? In the final episode of this award-winning series, learn how health care organizations are supporting new moms to e...

The constant strain of workforce and financial issues are proving difficult to solve for rural health care providers. In this conversation, Barbara Sowada, president of the Board of Trustees at Memorial Hospital, discusses the role board members can play in helping their hospitals and health systems navigate today’s pressing problems, and how the AHA’s resources and educational materials can provi...

Despite the fact that half of all mental health issues begin before age 14, most parents can have difficulty talking with their kids about mental health concerns. AdventHealth for Children has created "Be a Mindleader,” a preventive campaign to help parents and their kids open the door to difficult, but necessary conversations on mental health. In this conversation, Jessica Galo, directo...

There are a host of medical issues that can come with pregnancy and giving birth. An often-overlooked aspect of pregnancy and motherhood is that some new mothers do better with intensive outpatient perinatal care, which is an elevated level of support. Ascension Alexian Brothers - Behavioral Health Hospital is among a small number of providers specializing in providing intensive outpatient perinat...

In the current health care landscape, hospitals and health systems have been focusing their attention on tackling the social determinants of health in their communities. To achieve this, they are working hand in hand with community stakeholders, reaching areas where zip codes can often determine health outcomes. In this conversation, Joanne M. Conroy, M.D., CEO and president of Dartmouth Health an...

Recruiting a young and engaged workforce is particularly challenging for rural care providers. Innovative solutions such as signing bonuses and tuition payment are familiar tools many health care employers are using in employee recruitment. In this conversation, Susan Wathen, vice president of human resources at Hannibal Regional Healthcare System, discusses their unique approaches to finding and...

The mental and physical well-being of the nation’s caregivers has been a main priority for health care leaders across the country, but implementing support programs across large organizations can be challenging. NYC Health + Hospitals has faced the challenge with their Helping Healers Heal network, a peer-to-peer support program that helps care teams stay physically and mentally healthy. In this c...

Psychiatric hospitals and community mental health centers (CMHCs) often work independently in their efforts to meet patients’ needs. Butler Hospital decided to break down these silos by forging a close and cooperative relationship with a CMHC — The Providence Center. In this conversation, Mary Marran, president and CEO of Butler Hospital, describes how the enhanced partnership between th...

John Bluford’s distinguished career in hospital and health system administration has spanned more than four decades, and he has been recognized by Modern Healthcare and Becker's Hospital Review as one of the Most Influential People in Healthcare. He is also the founder of the Bluford Healthcare Leadership Institute (BHLI), a professional development program that introduces talented...

Rural hospitals in the United States are struggling to maintain obstetric services, and in the last five years more than 300 birthing units across the country have shut down. San Luis Valley Hospital is fighting this trend, implementing creative strategies to keep obstetric services open for their communities. In this conversation, San Luis Valley Hospital's Monica Hinds, R.N., director of emergen...

Welcome to “Rural,” a yearlong series devoted to rural hospitals and health systems in America. Being a new parent is challenging in the best of circumstances, but it is even harder for expecting and new moms struggling with social and behavioral health needs. In this conversation, two experts from Intermountain Health discuss their "First 1,000 Days of Life" program that provi...

For cybercriminals, the backdoor into the protected systems of hospitals and health systems often comes via a third party. In this second of a two-part conversation, hosted by the AHA's National Advisor for Cybersecurity and Risk John Riggi, Providence’s Adam Zoller, chief information security officer, and Katie Adams, cybersecurity director of clinical technology services, discuss the potential c...

More than one in every three Americans had their health care records stolen or compromised in 2023, creating threats to hospitals and health systems across the nation. For cybercriminals, the backdoor into the protected systems of hospitals and health systems often comes via a third party. In this first of a two-part conversation, hosted by the AHA's National Advisor for Cybersecurity and Risk Joh...

Investing in the health and well-being of communities is a core mission for all hospitals and health systems. Their community investment can take many forms, including new housing programs, transportation outlets for patients and on-site daycare facilities. In this conversation, Joanne M. Conroy, M.D., CEO and president of Dartmouth Health and 2024 Chair of AHA's Board, talks with David...

In the health care field, women occupy only 15% of C-suite executive positions, and for women of color that percentage is even smaller. The importance of gender and racial diversity in health care leadership is clearer than ever, and organizations dedicated to equity in executive roles are building successful visions for the future. In this conversation, Roxie Wells, M.D., senior vice president ch...

The number of adults age 65 or older will reach about 95 million in the United States by the year 2060. Hospital emergency departments will need to showcase their flexibility by adapting models of care to address the unique care needs of older adults. In this conversation, Julie Dye, clinical nurse specialist in geriatrics at Sharp Grossmont Hospital, discusses the benefits of participating in the...

Employee vacancies have hit the health care field hard, making it difficult to consistently provide the high-quality care communities expect from their hospitals and health systems. Dartmouth Health faced this problem head-on, establishing a robust set of apprenticeships and career pathway training programs to ensure their workforce is being professionally developed, and most importantly, ret...

For decades, Metropolitan Anchor Hospitals (MAHs) have provided critical health care and social services to diverse populations in the nation’s cities. MAHs and health systems, like NYC Health + Hospitals, are foundational to their community, providing comprehensive, equity-focused care. In this conversation, Deborah Brown, senior vice president of external and regulatory affairs at NYC Health + H...

Without a strong and healthy workforce, providing exceptional health care will always be difficult. Addressing the root causes of emerging and continuing workforce issues will always remain a top priority for the AHA and its members. In this conversation, Ron Werft, president and CEO of Cottage Health, and Felicia Sadler, vice president of quality at Relias, discuss the valuable insights and...

After launching in November 2022, it took ChatGPT just two months to become the fastest growing consumer app in history — proof of the rapid adoption of AI technology. In this conversation, three experts from the American Hospital Association discuss the game-changing applications of ChatGPT and AI for health care data analytics, and some of the potential pitfalls.

For hospitals and health systems of every size and location, it’s critically important to adapt to the needs of their communities. Over the years, SBH Health System has shown its adaptability, evolving with shifting demographics and social determinants of health. In today’s conversation, Joanne M. Conroy, M.D., CEO and president of Dartmouth Health and 2024 Chair of AHA's Board, talks with David P...

This special series explores the medical complications that can accompany pregnancy, successful prenatal and postpartum treatment programs, and how hospitals and health systems are addressing the social needs of new mothers. Pregnancy is a major stressor on a woman’s body, with cardiovascular conditions being one of the most prevalent complications and leading causes of maternal mortality.  I...

Hospitals and health systems are rightly called cornerstones of their communities, and none take that mission more seriously than Advocate Health. The health system works with local partners to address a variety of community needs, providing nearly $6 billion in community benefits in 2023. In this conversation, Kinneil Coltman, chief community and social impact officer at Advocate Health, discusse...

Hackers and cybercriminals are targeting hospitals and health systems at alarming rates, disrupting operations and threatening direct patient care. In this conversation, Bryan Smith, recently retired section chief of the Cyber Criminal Operations Section with the FBI, discusses how the Bureau tackles the huge challenge of protecting the nation's caregivers from these attacks, and how par...