AHA holds Hill briefing on preserving health care access in vulnerable communities

Dec 07, 2016 - 03:20 PM

The AHA and its Task Force on Ensuring Access in Vulnerable Communities today held a Capitol Hill briefing on its recently released strategies to preserve access to essential health services in vulnerable rural and urban communities. The report provides a menu of options to help hospitals based on their unique needs, support structures and preferences. Ray Montgomery, chair of the Task Force’s Rural Subcommittee and president and CEO of Unity Health White County Medical Center in Searcy, AR, and task force members Carrie Saia, RN, CEO of Holton (KS) Community Hospital, and Scott Cooper, M.D., former CEO of St. Barnabas Hospital in Bronx, NY, described the report’s findings for participants and how they arrived at the nine strategies, which range from integrating rural hospitals and health clinics to using technology to provide 24/7 care in isolated areas. “We were looking at the needs of our local communities,” said Montgomery.

Related News Articles

Headline
AHA podcast: Sutter Health’s Bold Behavioral Health Access Expansion 
Dan Peterson, CEO of behavioral health services at Sutter Health, and Matthew White, M.D., chair of the behavioral health service line at Sutter Health, share…
Headline
CMS bulletin summarizes Medicaid, CHIP provisions from budget reconciliation bill 
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released a bulletin Nov. 18 summarizing provisions from the budget reconciliation bill related to Medicaid and…
Headline
DHS issues notice to restore public charge rule
The Department of Homeland Security Nov. 17 published a proposed rule regarding “Public Charge Ground of Inadmissibility.” DHS proposed to…
Headline
Study demonstrates how physician-owned hospitals threaten patient care in rural communities
The AHA and the Federation of American Hospitals Nov. 18 released a study conducted by Dobson | DaVanzo, underscoring the threat to patient care…
Headline
Aetna delays, issues additional details on ‘level of severity inpatient payment’ policy
Aetna’s new “level of severity inpatient payment” policy is now set to take effect Jan. 1, 2026, the company recently announced, along with providing…
Headline
Survey finds Medicaid enrollment fell in FY 2025, expects flattening in 2026, while spending increases  
Medicaid enrollment decreased 7.6% in fiscal year 2025 and is expected to be mostly flat in FY 2026, according to KFF’s annual Medicaid Budget Survey released…