News

The Coalition to Protect America’s Health Care is now the Coalition to Strengthen America’s Healthcare: Protecting 24/7 Care, a rebrand intended to reflect its renewed focus to protect and strengthen patients’ access to 24/7 care.

AHA March 18 shared with the House Ways and Means Committee its proposals to strengthen access to timely emergency medical care, particularly in rural and underserved areas.

The AHA’s Hospitals Against Violence (HAV) initiative shares resources and strategies to promote a culture of safety across the field. To guide health care leaders in efforts to prevent and mitigate violence, the HAV initiative developed the Building a Safe Workplace and Community framework.

A specialist in geriatrics at Sharp Grossmont Hospital in La Mesa, Calif., shares how the Age-Friendly Health Systems initiative and geriatric accreditation for its emergency department helped it improve care for older patients.

The National Resident Matching Program March 15 matched 38,941 medical school seniors and graduates to U.S. residency positions, 3.3% more than last year.

The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission March 15 released its March report to Congress, which includes its recent recommendations for hospital and other Medicare payment systems for fiscal year 2025.

Responding March 15 to a House Committee on Education and the Workforce request for comments on ways to strengthen the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, AHA called for greater oversight of ERISA-regulated insurers to prevent inappropriate care denials, payment delays and self-dealing by vertically integrated insurers.

A March 14 editorial in the Washington Post calling for Congress to enact so-called site-neutral policies is “deeply flawed and incredibly out of touch with the realities hospitals and health systems are experiencing right now,” AHA President and CEO Rick Pollack wrote March 15 in a blog post.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services March 15 announced flexibilities to help states initiate interim Medicaid payments to health care providers impacted by the Change Healthcare cyberattack.

Ninety-four percent of hospitals are experiencing a financial impact from the Change Healthcare cyberattack with more than half reporting “significant or serious” impact, according to results from an AHA survey released today.

In 30 days hospital and health system leaders from throughout the nation will gather in Washington, D.C. for the 2024 AHA Annual Membership Meeting.

President Biden March 13 announced the White House Challenge to Save Lives from Overdose, a national call to action for the public and private sectors to increase training on and access to life-saving opioid overdose reversal medications for communities, employees and customers.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services March 13 released additional information on the Medicare accelerated and advance payments that hospitals, physicians and others impacted by the Change Healthcare cyberattack may apply for through their Medicare Administrative Contractors.

The Environmental Protection Agency March 14 issued a final rule that will require significantly reduced emissions from commercial facilities that sterilize medical devices and other equipment using ethylene oxide gas.

The Department of Health and Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights is initiating an investigation into the Change Healthcare cyberattack, the agency announced March 13in a “Dear Colleague” letter.

In anticipation of the first Health Workforce Well-Being Day March 18, the National Academy of Medicine this week held an event to share success stories and resources to inspire action.

Carolyn Isabelle, director of workforce development at Dartmouth Health, discusses the health system's numerous approaches to recruitment and strategies that support a healthy and engaged workforce.

The AHA and other founding members of the Common Health Coalition March 13 committed to action in four priority areas: coordination between health care and public health; always-on emergency preparedness; real-time disease detection; and exchange of actionable data, particularly to advance equity.

The House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee March 12 passed AHA-supported  legislation to reauthorize through 2029 the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act (H.R. 7153), which provides grants to help health care organizations offer behavioral health services for front-line health care workers.

Congress should consider any statutory limitations that exist for an adequate response from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and Department of Health and Human Services to help hospitals and other providers minimize further fallout from the Change Healthcare cyberattack, AHA wrote March 13 in a letter to Senate Finance Committee leaders.