Chairperson's File
Blog posts from 2025 AHA Board Chair Tina Freese Decker, president and CEO of Corewell Health, and past chairs.
Providing world-class quality health care may seem an audacious goal for a small or rural hospital. At Maury Regional Medical Center, in Columbia, Tenn., leadership, physicians and front-line staff have worked many years to do just that—provide the best possible service and outcomes for patients.…
The National Patient Safety Foundation leads Patient Safety Awareness Week in early March to promote education and awareness about safety issues in health care. Every day, the AHA and NPSF work to support the managers and front-line professionals at hospitals and care systems who work 24/7 to…
The statistics are staggering: The number of Americans diagnosed with diabetes has risen from 1.5 million in 1958 to 18.8 million in 2010, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It is estimated that more than 25 million Americans have diabetes, and about 79 million adults have…
A new member of the health care team is helping to improve clinical outcomes and patient experience at a low cost. Care guides were introduced on care teams at clinics operated by Allina Health, a not-for-profit health care system with 12 hospitals and more than 90 clinics serving Minnesota and…
Redefine. Partner. Integrate. Experiment. Specialize. Many hospitals and care systems are embarking on one or more of these paths to transform health care delivery while providing high-quality, affordable care to patients. At Presbyterian Healthcare Services, based in Albuquerque, N.M., leaders and…
Four generations are working side by side in hospitals and care systems today. Atlantic Health System, a large nonprofit health care system in New Jersey, has created an organizational culture that supports a multigenerational workforce. For example, to support employees age 50 and above—…
In 2005, Guernsey County in rural Ohio had the state's second worst late-stage colon cancer rates for patients. Colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S., according to the American Cancer Society. In response, a task force was created that included medical staff and…
Never underestimate the power of data. Hannibal (Mo.) Regional Hospital focused on collecting and analyzing data to prevent pressure ulcers. The 91-bed hospital serves 18,000 town residents but about 90,000 in its entire service area. The hospital created a multidisciplinary pressure ulcer…
Preventing hospital-acquired infections, reducing surgical complications and reducing readmissions: At hospitals, health care systems and state, regional and metropolitan hospital associations across the country, executives, clinicians and staff are leading successful patient safety and quality…
The path to eliminating disparities in health care has a few roadblocks: limited resources and access to capital, competing regulatory issues and challenges, and resistance to change. But eliminating disparities improves quality of care, efficiency and patient satisfaction, and reduces costs.