Press Release

Statement on Partnership for Patients Announcement

Contact:
AHA Press Room - (202) 797- 4840
After April 12th - Marie Watteau - (202) 626-2351 or Matthew Fenwick, (312) 422-2820

Washington D.C.

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Rich Umbdenstock
President and CEO
American Hospital Association

April 12, 2011

The nation's hospitals are dedicated to providing safe, effective care to the communities they serve and work tirelessly to ensure patients get the right care at the right time.  On behalf of our member hospitals, the AHA commits its support to the Partnership for Patients.

For more than a decade, hospitals have taken numerous steps to develop a culture of safety within their organizations and as a result, today hospitals are safer and more transparent than ever before.  Just last week the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality released a report that showed a 35% reduction in central line associated bloodstream infections.

This demonstrates the huge commitment of hospitals to improve care but we recognize we have more to do.  What we have learned is that progress can be made when parties work together.  The AHA will be an active partner with HHS in this effort and we will spotlight best practices and share them broadly with the field and link them to the assistance HHS is making available.

America's hospitals applaud the Secretary for bringing everyone - consumers, doctors, hospitals, federal and state regulators and other payers - together to continue to strengthen our health care system for all patients.

About AHA

The AHA is a not-for-profit association of health care provider organizations and individuals that are committed to the improvement of health in their communities. The AHA is the national advocate for its members, which includes more than 5,000 member hospitals, health systems and other health care organizations, and 38,000 individual members. Founded in 1898, the AHA provides education for health care leaders and is a source of information on health care issues and trends.