Dartmouth Health is the most rural academic medical center in the country, and like other rural hospitals and health systems, it faces challenges that affect its ability to attract and recruit top talent.  In this conversation, Joanne M. Conroy, M.D., CEO and president of Dartmouth Health, and 2024 chair of the AHA Board of Trustees, shares how Dartmouth Health has implemented workforce solutions that can be successful anywhere.  

Hospitals and health systems are committed to the mission of patient safety, and the steady improvement in patient safety across the field has been encouraging. But a lingering question remains – can it be sustained? In this conversation, Oren Guttman, M.D., anesthesiologist and vice president of High Reliability & Patient Safety at Thomas Jefferson University, discusses the mindset of resilience engineering, the future of patient safety and the big questions this work reveals.

Indigenous women are more likely to experience complications from pregnancy and childbirth than non-Indigenous women, leading to higher rates of anxiety and depression within those communities. In this conversation, Jennifer Richards, Ph.D., assistant professor at the Center for Indigenous Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and Jennifer Crawford, Ph.D., clinical psychologist and assistant professor at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, discuss the...

Approximately nine million military veterans receive their health care through the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), and nearly half of them are 65 and older. In this conversation, Kimberly Wozneak, national lead for Age-Friendly Health Systems, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, discusses how the VHA is weaving four foundational age-friendly principles into its care to support the growing number of aging veterans. To learn more about the Age-Friendly Health Systems movement and the...

With ongoing workforce challenges, the health care industry is in desperate need of skilled and experienced workers. Military health care veterans, such as medics and corpsmen, are one solution to potentially easing the shortage. In this special Veterans Day conversation, Anne Mork, R.N., vice president/chief nursing officer of ambulatory and nursing support services at UW Health, and Luke Sticht, former vice president and chief nursing officer of American Family Children's Hospital, discuss...

Military-Informed Care: What it Means for Veterans and Their Families  The care needs of military-connected families can look different from those of other patients. Higher emotional or mental stress, and longer rehabilitation, are just a few of the challenges that these families can face. In observation of Veterans Day, Steve Schwab, CEO of the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, and Kara Walker, M.D., executive vice president and chief population health officer at Nemours Children’s Health, discuss...

For historically underserved populations, stigma and lack of access to behavioral health services can present huge barriers to treatment.  In this conversation, Matthew Hoag, director of integrated behavioral health at Denver Health, shares how the organization is innovating through integration to meet the behavioral health needs of its communities, including with its state-of-the-art mobile opioid treatment unit.

The increase in telehealth services has transformed care delivery in America by expanding access for millions. In this conversation, Johnna Nynas, M.D., OB/GYN at Sanford Health Bemidji, discusses the dramatic expansion of maternal telehealth capabilities in Minnesota, as well as an inspiring telehealth program that reaches families in rural areas of the state.

Even a few decades ago, non-physician practitioners, also called advanced practice providers (APPs), barely existed in the health care industry. Today, APPs are found practically everywhere.  In this conversation, Michelle Schweitzer, NP, executive director of advanced practice providers at WakeMed, discusses the growing role her APP colleagues play in health care delivery, and how the rise of these unique caregivers benefits both patients and providers.

Health system integration is one of the many ways hospitals can meet the mission of advancing health, and there can be wide-ranging benefits – from enhanced economies of scale to pooled capabilities. In this Leadership Dialogue conversation, Tom Priselac, president and CEO emeritus of Cedars-Sinai, discusses overseeing 30 years of growth and integration at the health system, and the perspectives required to integrate across multiple care areas.  This is an edited conversation. To watch the...

As Baxter strives to restart its production of critical IV fluids in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, hospitals and health systems nationwide are reviewing and reevaluating their responses to current and future supply chain disruptions. In this conversation, Mark Taylor, M.D., surgical director for surgical operations at Cleveland Clinic, discusses the health system's ongoing IV fluid conservation strategies and the importance of constant and targeted communication during supply chain...

With numerous care locations across Florida, Lee Health has endured three major hurricanes over the past two years: Hurricane Ian in the fall of 2022, and more recently, Hurricanes Helene and Milton. In this conversation, Scott Nygaard, M.D., chief operating officer at Lee Health, discusses the impact these natural disasters have had on the organization, and how their emergency preparedness, response and recovery efforts have helped guide continued care for both patients and caregivers. This...

Hospital and health system boards are always looking to solve the most pressing challenges in health care. Asking the right questions and providing proper guidance can help establish plans to combat these issues. In this conversation, James Liggins, Jr., senior counsel at Warner Norcross + Judd, and vice chair of the board of directors at Bronson Healthcare, discusses his work developing a tool for board members that allows them to effectively understand and address areas of concern for their...

Jefferson Health was a finalist for the AHA's 2024 Quest for Quality Prize, which celebrates hospitals and health systems that are committed to providing exceptional safe, and patient- and family-centered care. In this conversation, Jefferson Health's Cara Martino, DNP, R.N., enterprise vice president of clinical improvement and transformation, and Trish Henwood, M.D., executive vice president and chief clinical officer, discuss the organization's ever-growing patient population, and how an...

For health care organizations, recruitment and diversity for the board of trustees is vitally important. In this conversation, Schonay Barnett-Jones, trustee at Children’s National Hospital and AHA board member, discusses strategies for recruiting a diverse board of trustees to any health care organization, and how to engage and retain the next generation of future board members. To learn more about the American Hospital Association's Trustee Services, please visit https://trustees.aha.org/

The recent Hurricane Helene disrupted the production and supply of IV fluids — a reminder of our nation’s fragile health care supply chain. In this conversation, Michael Schiller, executive director of the Association for Health Care Resource & Materials Management (AHRMM), and Michael Ganio, senior director of pharmacy practice and quality with the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), discuss the need to create a conservation plan for critical patient supplies that could...

Customers at All in the Wrists barbershop in Indianapolis don't just get a haircut and beard trim at their appointment — they also receive blood pressure checks for hypertension, diabetes education, and important resources to assist with health care barriers. In this conversation, Marvin Taylor, owner of All in the Wrists, and Brownsyne Tucker Edmonds, M.D., vice president and chief health equity officer at Indiana University Health, discuss the importance of barbershops in the African...

Englewood Health and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital were both finalists of the AHA's 2024 Foster G. McGaw Prize, which recognizes the efforts of hospitals and health systems to improve the health and well-being of their communities. In this conversation, Andres Nieto, director of community health outreach and marketing with NewYork-Presbyterian, and Jamie Ketas, vice president of population health with Englewood Health, discuss how communities and health systems can intersect to improve...

Creating mental health resources is an important "step one" in broadening patient access. Step two? Getting people to take advantage of that access. In this conversation, Gaurava Agarwal, M.D., chief wellness executive at Northwestern Medicine, shares how the health system approached access awareness within its communities, and the steps needed to ensure that mental health support services are available.

October is National Hispanic Heritage Month. In this conversation, Jennifer Cohen, M.D., medical director of Newborn/Infant Intensive Care Unit at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, King of Prussia, and Katie Costantini, director of maternal care services at Chester County Hospital, discuss the barriers that can affect maternal care in Hispanic populations, and how deploying bilingual volunteers provided the opportunity to learn what worked and what could be be improved.

While each organization charts its own unique DEI path, being able to track effectiveness is a key component to providing safe and equitable care. In this "Safety Speaks" conversation, Hackensack Meridian Health's Avonia Richardson-Miller, senior vice president and chief diversity officer, and Rajan Gurunathan, M.D., vice president, discuss their organization's DEI efforts, assistance from AHA's Health Equity Roadmap, and how advanced metric dashboards has played a pivotal role in success....

Some pediatric and adolescent patients are considered to have medical complexity — multiple conditions that require numerous health care service lines. In today's new Caring for Our Kids episode, explore how Children's Colorado has designed seamless care for medically complex kids and their families.

Improving patient safety is every caregiver's concern, but what does this look like in health care's rapidly changing environment? In this Leadership Dialogue conversation, Steven Diaz, M.D., chief medical officer at MaineGeneral Health and board member at the American Hospital Association, discusses his passion for patient safety, how his organization strives to meet quality care for its community, and how AI could potentially be incorporated into the overall work of patient safety. This is...

Accessing mental health and addiction services can be especially difficult in rural communities, and solutions can be scarce. In this conversation, Brenda Romero, administrator at Presbyterian Española Hospital, discusses the methods for accessing treatment and the importance of the hospital's innovative and community-focused work.