AHA Stat Blog

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by Ashley Thompson, AHA Senior Vice President, Public Policy Analysis and Development
A recent study published in JAMA Health Forum (“Association Between COVID-19 Relief Funds and Hospital Characteristics in the U.S.”) that examines CARES Act Provider Relief Funds allocated to health care providers misses the point of those payments and makes arbitrary choices about which payments to include. 
by Rod Hochman, M.D.
On this episode, I talk with Maureen Bisognano, a prominent authority on improving health care systems. Maureen served as Institute for Healthcare Improvement president and CEO for five years and IHI executive vice president and chief operating officer for 15 years.
by Rick Pollack
Medicare Advantage plans provide essential health insurance coverage for approximately 22 million Americans, or about one-third of all Medicare beneficiaries.
by Gloria Kupferman
A recent AHA survey of hospitals and health systems found that 89% of respondents experienced an increase in payment denials over the past three years, and 51% reported experiencing a “significant” increase in denials.
by Mary Beth Kingston
Workplace violence spurred AHA’s Hospitals Against Violence advisory group to create a framework to support hospitals’, health systems’ and security leaders’ efforts to safeguard staff and patients, writes Mary Beth Kingston, R.N., chair of the group, chief nurse officer at Advocate Aurora Health and AHA Board member. Read how this new framework employs the four critical pillars necessary for implementing comprehensive violence mitigation strategies: trauma support, a culture of safety, violence intervention and risk mitigation.
by Rod Hochman, M.D.
Working in health care delivery can be stressful and tiring under normal circumstances. And the COVID-19 pandemic has exerted incredible pressures on the emotional and physical well-being of our health care professionals. 
by Rick Pollack
Cybercrimes directed against hospitals and health systems have been on a massive upswing worldwide for several years, accelerating even more during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hospitals and health systems must move from “doing digital” to “being digital” to compete in a rapidly evolving market. AVIA, a leading digital transformation partner for health systems, designed the “4 big moves” to provide a road map for hospitals and health systems looking to embrace digital and emerge as leaders in health care.
by Rod Hochman, M.D.
Pandemic fatigue is real for many in our communities, but with flu season starting, now is not the time to let up. This year’s flu season could be extremely challenging for our communities and our hospital teams. Fortunately, we have a vaccine to protect almost everyone ages 6 months and older.
by Rick Pollack
Hospitals and health systems put the health and welfare of their patients first. For some of the nation’s largest commercial health insurers, unfortunately, that is not always the case.
by Rod Hochman, M.D.
When we speak about hospitals and community benefit, it’s often a story focused on numbers. But it’s always about the people we serve. 
by Rick Pollack
Getting all health care personnel vaccinated against COVID-19 is the right thing to do to keep patients, staff and communities safe. Using a federal regulatory approach to achieve this important goal introduces new challenges that the AHA is working to address. 
by Rod Hochman, M.D.
On this episode, I discuss emergency preparedness, caregiver resiliency and health equity — all through the lens of the COVID-19 pandemic — with Fritz Francois, M.D., chief medical officer and patient safety officer at New York University Langone Health and a professor at NYU Grossman School of Medicine.
by Rick Pollack
The optimism of early summer that we were turning the corner on COVID-19 has been replaced with hard reality. The pandemic will be with us for the foreseeable future, affecting not only our nation’s health, but also hospitals’ and health systems’ ability to improve it. 
by Rod Hochman, M.D.
News coverage continues to show that many hospitals have been stretched beyond capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Each wave has brought incredible pressure on our health care workforce, and the physical and emotional exhaustion is leading to ever greater staff shortages at hospitals. 
by Rick Pollack
For nearly 20 grueling months, hospitals and health systems – and their steadfast front-line caregivers – have risen to the incredible challenges caused by COVID-19. 
by Kurt Hoppe, M.D.
In a new blog, Kurt Hoppe, M.D., faculty member of the Mayo Clinic and member of the AHA’s Post-acute Steering Committee, explains the importance of post-acute care providers in the nation’s COVID-19 response and recovery, as well as the newest updates to the post-acute care payment model plan — of which AHA has several concerns.
by Stacey Hughes
A new report from the Community Oncology Alliance (COA) once again tries to obfuscate the issue of sky-rocketing drug prices by choosing to blame hospitals rather than the drug companies who set the prices and enjoy double-digit profits at the expense of patients and the providers who serve them. 
by J. Corey Feist
Learn about the alarming rates of physician suicide and what we can do to end it. Read the story of Dr. Lorna Breen's family and their mission to support healthcare workers.
by Rod Hochman, M.D.
More school-age children have returned to in-person learning during the last few weeks. More employees are returning to their workplaces. Sports stadiums are filling with spectators again, and theaters and concert venues are welcoming back audiences.