Press Release: AHA and West Health Launch National Accelerator to Scale Technology-Enabled Patient Care Solutions

WASHINGTON (April 29, 2026) — The American Hospital Association (AHA) and the West Health Institute today announced a new three-year initiative to help hospitals and health systems operationalize and scale proven technologies across care environments to improve patient outcomes and support care teams.

As health care technology continues to evolve, organizations are working to translate new capabilities into systemwide improvements. However, doing so requires clear pathways and shared learnings to scale what works. West Health and the AHA share a vision of a health care system where effective technologies are easier to adopt, scale and sustain so patients consistently receive safe, high-quality care.

The West Health Accelerator at AHA’s Health Research & Educational Trust (HRET), supported by a $12 million commitment from West Health, is designed to turn innovation into everyday practice by helping hospitals adopt and scale technology-enabled solutions that improve patient care, safety and operational performance. The national Accelerator concentrates on three priority areas where technology can deliver measurable improvement at scale: electronic health record optimization, virtual care, and artificial intelligence utilization and integration.

“Health care is a uniquely human experience, relying not only on technology but also on the compassion, skill and judgment of clinicians and care teams,” said Michelle Hood, AHA executive vice president and chief operating officer. “This collaboration is designed to expand and strengthen health care innovation by consistently using technology solutions to strengthen care delivery, advance quality and safety, and improve outcomes that matter to patients and their families.”

Participating hospitals and health systems will have access to a new digital hub where they can examine proven, ready-to-deploy solutions, benefit from hands-on implementation support and guidance from AHA and West Health experts, and engage in peer-learning networks. Additionally, a curated network of hospitals and health systems will serve as national models, highlighting and sharing their own tech-enabled transformation and lessons learned.

“We are at a point where many tools exist to meaningfully improve care. By aligning the right technologies with the realities of modern patient care, we can redesign how health care is delivered in this country. This is not about inventing the future — it’s about deploying it,” said Shelley Lyford, CEO and Chair of the West Health Institute and Gary and Mary West Foundation. “Our collaboration with AHA will bring together the capabilities needed to create a systemwide impact.”

The West Health Accelerator at AHA’s HRET expands on successful accelerator models launched with leading institutions over the last year, including Mass General Brigham in Massachusetts, which is transforming hospital care for older adults, and Northwestern Medicine in Chicago, where the health system is expanding access to mental health services through primary care providers.

About the American Hospital Association (AHA)

The American Hospital Association (AHA) is a not-for-profit association of health care provider organizations and individuals that are committed to the health improvement of their communities. The AHA advocates on behalf of our nearly 5,000 member hospitals, health systems and other health care organizations, our clinician partners – including more than 270,000 affiliated physicians, 2 million nurses and other caregivers – and the 43,000 health care leaders who belong to our professional membership groups. Founded in 1898, the AHA provides insight and education for health care leaders and is a source of information on health care issues and trends. For more information, visit the AHA website at www.aha.org.

About AHA’s Health Research & Educational Trust

Founded in 1944, the Health Research & Educational Trust (HRET) is the not-for-profit research and education affiliate of the American Hospital Association (AHA). HRET’s mission is to transform health care through research and education. HRET’s applied research seeks to create new knowledge, tools and assistance in improving the delivery of health care by providers and practitioners within the communities they serve. For more information, visit the HRET webpage at www.aha.org/center/hret.

About West Health

Solely funded by philanthropists Gary and Mary West, West Health is a family of nonprofit and nonpartisan organizations that include the Gary and Mary West Foundation and Gary and Mary West Health Institute in San Diego and the Gary and Mary West Health Policy Center in Washington, D.C. West Health is dedicated to lowering healthcare costs to enable seniors to successfully age in place with access to high-quality and affordable health and support services that preserve and protect their dignity, quality of life and independence. Learn more at westhealth.org.

###