AHA Stat Blog

Today, we continue to grapple not only with the COVID-19 pandemic, but also a dangerously polarized election, ongoing civil unrest in the face of untenable systemic racism … and now, 94 major wildfires that are devastating our West Coast neighbors, families and friends, as well as recent hurricanes that have brought new challenges to our colleagues in the South.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will withdraw its Medicaid fiscal accountability proposed rule from its regulatory agenda.

The COVID-19 pandemic makes working in health care especially exhausting both physically and mentally. These front-line care workers face putting their families and colleagues at risk for exposure to the virus, working extended shift hours and confronting an unimaginable death toll.

An all-too-common activity among some researchers is cherry picking data to support pre-conceived arguments. One of these false narratives is that hospitals and health systems are uniquely responsible for increased health care prices. But an examination of comprehensive data tell a different story.

Americans everywhere have watched with increasing dismay and alarm as 94 major wildfires continue to incinerate wide swaths of our beautiful Western states. As of this writing, the infernos — which are most heavily concentrated in California, Washington, Oregon and Idaho — have scorched nearly 5 million acres, an area approximately the size of Connecticut and Rhode Island combined.

Flu season soon will be upon us. And this year, it will take place in the middle of our ongoing battle against COVID-19.

This morning, like most mornings, I looked at a picture outside of my office that was taken on Sept. 11, 2001. The picture shows doctors, nurses, administrators and other caregivers standing outside the emergency department of my local community hospital in Arlington, Va., waiting to treat victims of the attack at the Pentagon. 

The gift of a new life shouldn’t come at the expense of an existing one. Yet every year, more than 700 women die from pregnancy- and delivery-related complications. Another 50,000 women suffer severe health problems related to pregnancy. And, these complications are disproportionately affecting Black and American Indian/Alaska Native women.

Months into the COVID-19 pandemic, the health care supply chain remains strained due to the high demand for personal protective equipment. In this blog Q&A, Mike Schiller, senior director of supply chains for the Association for Health Care Resource and Materials Management, discusses the past, present and future state of the health care supply chain during the ongoing COVID-19 public health emergency.

For the last several months, disturbing and unproven theories have gained traction – mostly on social media – about the death count for COVID-19.

A century ago, nominating a presidential ticket during political conventions was an arduous marathon. The Democrats opened their convention with 14 names in serious contention, while the Republicans had to whittle down their list from a dozen hopefuls.  

Learning mental health first aid could ease the exacerbation of behavioral health conditions during the COVID-19 public health emergency, writes Katherine Bunting, chief executive officer of Illinois-based Fairfield Memorial Hospital. Learn more about the importance of knowing how to respond and training opportunities.

There were 54 million U.S. residents 65 or older in 2019, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The agency projects that number will grow by nearly 30 million (to 84 million) by 2050. 

August is traditionally the time to take a break, go on vacation, or just slow it down and relax for a bit. For many people, that’s off the table this year. COVID-19’s impact on health, our economy and our ability to gather in groups has been a game changer for people’s personal plans.

Sustaining hospitals and health systems and positioning them for success moving forward is a chief focus of Navigating a New Reality: Health Care Leaders Confront the Future, a three-day virtual conference, Sept. 14-16, sponsored by the AHA Center for Health Innovation and the Society for Health Care Strategy and Market Development .

There is yet no peace treaty or declaration of surrender in our own war with COVID-19, but we too must look ahead and start planning for what health care should look like in a post-pandemic world.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals remain cornerstones of their communities, as they’ve always been. They continue to serve and heal, provide jobs, food, social services and education around sound health practices. 

Rural hospitals, already facing enormous challenges, quickly adapted when COVID-19 reached their communities. In this blog, John Supplitt, senior director of AHA Rural Health Services, points to the many examples of rural teams using innovative measures to improve quality of patient care during the pandemic.

A divided Congress. A lapsed deadline to pass important legislation. And uncertainty about how the situation will end.