Rick Pollack, President and CEO, AHA

When a natural disaster or emergency strikes, where is one of the first places people turn to? Their local hospital.
That’s because hospitals and health systems are always there, ready to care and play a crucial role in disaster preparedness and response by serving as essential community hubs for many aspects of medical care and public health during emergencies.
The never-ending barrage of ransomware and cyberattacks against the health care sector has only strengthened the resolve of hospitals and health systems to reinforce their defenses and protect safe access to care for patients and communities.
Nonprofit hospitals have special obligations to their communities in exchange for being tax-exempt.
There will always be administrative costs associated with operating a hospital. But the lion’s share of a hospital’s resources should be devoted to doing what hospitals do best: provide safe, accessible and exceptional patient care to anyone who needs it.
America’s hospitals and health systems have always aimed to provide the highest quality and safe care to patients, while helping every individual achieve their maximum potential for health.
Hospitals and health systems — and the women and men who work there — are the heart of health care.
It seems like barely a week goes by without a new cyberattack that affects health care providers. Often, it’s a ransomware attack conducted by foreign criminal gangs, which are provided safe harbor by hostile nation states, that targets a mission critical third-party service provider or supplier, like the attack on UnitedHealth Group’s Change Healthcare or the recent attack on OneBlood.
Despite the diligent efforts of hospitals, health systems and medical professionals to prevent violence, health care workers remain five times more likely than any other type of worker to be physically attacked on the job.
It is important to use the August recess that begins next week as an opportunity to engage senators and representatives while they are back home. It is critical for federal lawmakers to understand the challenges hospitals and health systems face.
Patient safety is the top priority of every caregiver. Hospitals and health systems never stop searching for ways to improve quality, performance and results for the individuals and families who entrust them with their care.