Guides/Reports
Health Systems
Sixty-seven percent of AHA member hospitals are part of health systems, the majority consisting of three to 10 hospitals.
Health systems range in size, geography and facility type. Three-quarters are not-for-profit, with another 10% identifying as Catholic church-related and 10% as for-profit investor-owned. The remaining are non-federal government of varying types.
As key thought leaders, health system executives provide guidance to support AHA Board and executive team strategies on key policy and advocacy activities of great importance to systems and the field. They are most often the major employer in their communities and serve as conveners of key stakeholders to leverage new strategies to improve access to care, ensure care is affordable and of its highest quality while working to lower total cost of care.
Explore Health Systems Topics
Engaging Our System Leaders
We foster dialogue among system executives and offer opportunities to actively shape polices and set direction for the association and field.
Hospital Mergers Archived
Hospitals and health systems are responding to the rapid changing landscape in health care by joining together to drive high-value and high-performing health care.
Regulatory Relief
Every day, hospitals, health systems and post-acute care providers confront the daunting task of complying with a growing number of federal regulations. They are constantly challenged to understand and implement new or revised regulations, while maintaining their core mission of providing high-quality patient care.Providers appreciate that federal regulation is intended to ensure that health care patients receive safe, high-quality care, and prioritize it as a critical part of their day-to-day work.
Drug Prices
Hospitals bear a heavy financial burden when the cost of drugs increases. They are not only major purchasers of drugs, but patients often end up in the hospital when they cannot afford to take their medications as prescribed. To that end, the American Hospital Association is proud to be a member of the Campaign for Sustainable Rx Pricing -– a diverse coalition of doctors, hospitals, pharmacists, employers, health plans, seniors, patients, consumers and others coming together to find common ground and solutions.
Tax-Exempt Status
Not-for-profit community hospitals do more than care for the injured and infirm; they promote and protect the health and well-being of their communities. Not-for-profit hospitals are distinguished by certain charitable obligations that have evolved over time as they work to meet the changing health needs of their communities.
Reducing Health Care Disparities
AHA is focusing on ensuring that everyone in the U.S. has access to the care they need when they need it, and that it is safely and efficiently delivered.
Telehealth
From emergency department care to remote patient monitoring for chronic care management and access to care from specialists, telehealth is changing the way health care is provided –- both expanding patient access to routine and specialty care while improving patient satisfaction and outcomes.
Medicaid
The Medicaid program provides health care coverage to more than 70 million people, or one in five Americans, and is the nation’s largest single source of health coverage. Beneficiaries are low-income populations, including children and their families, adults, seniors and disabled individuals.
Workforce
An aging population, better care coordination and integrating behavioral and physical health care are all challenges the changing health care workforce must address.
The American Hospital Association’s Workforce Center supports hospitals facing unique workforce issues by providing the most up-to-date models and research on care delivery, supply and demand of health professionals, and clinical work environments.
Emergency Readiness Resources: Acronyms
Emergency Readiness Resources: Acronyms
Related Resources
AHA Center for Health Innovation Market Scan