Telling the Hospital Story 2026 Flip Book
Download and share examples reflecting hospitals' deep commitment to meeting community needs today while preparing for the challenges of tomorrow.
Member Resource: Building and Maintaining Public Trust and Confidence
Share these new resources with your communications and leadership teams.
Hospitals Leading the Way to a Healthier America
Hospitals have always been at the heart of community health empowering healthier, happier lives for all.
AHA Launches New Multimedia Advertising Campaign to Promote Hospitals
The campaign includes a commercial that will run on national, cable, and digital TV and digital advertising.
Resources Spotlight Crucial Role of Rural Hospitals and Health Systems
The AHA released new resources to help rural hospitals and health systems share their stories and highlight the vital role they play in their communities.
Creative repurposing saves heart during double-lung transplant
Old technology — applied in new and novel ways — can still be a lifesaver.
All Stories
Ensuring Access to Care
Northern Light Mercy Hospital
Portland, Maine
Northern Light Mercy Hospital is expanding access to primary care and heart care in southern Maine, bringing the healthcare services together to improve coordination and availability to patients.
Ensuring Access to Care
Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health
Lancaster, Penn.
Since the early 1990s, Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health (LG Health) has worked to form good relationships with the Amish community by meeting regularly with Amish bishops.
Ensuring Access to Care
Avera Sacred Heart Hospital
Yankton, S.D.
Avera Sacred Heart Hospital and Lewis and Clark Behavioral Health Services have opened the new Park Haven Learning and Recovery Center, an 18-bed residential treatment facility designed specifically for women with substance use disorders, including pregnant women and mothers with dependent children.
Benefiting Communities
Valleywise Health
Arizona
Valleywise Health has become the first healthcare organization in Arizona to implement a new technology designed to provide a gentler and more secure way to stabilize umbilical lines in premature and critically ill newborns.
Benefiting Communities
Maui Memorial Medical Center
Hawaii
At Maui Memorial Medical Center in Wailuku, Hawaii, a new partnership between Maui Health and Mauliola Pharmacy is helping patients leave the hospital with the medications and support they need for a smoother recovery.
Benefiting Communities
Alaska Native Medical Center
Anchorage, Alaska
In Anchorage, hospital beds are increasingly occupied by patients who are medically ready to leave but have nowhere to go while they wait for short-term nursing and rehabilitation services. To help address this growing challenge, the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium is building a new skilled nursing facility on the Alaska Native Medical Center campus.
Innovation, Research, and Quality Improvement
WellSpan York Hospital
Pennsylvania
For years, Dover-area resident Ken Moritz struggled with a worsening heart condition caused by a severe mitral valve leak, which left him fatigued, dealing with ankle swelling, and unable to keep up with daily responsibilities.
Innovation, Research, and Quality Improvement
Manning Family Children's Hospital
Louisiana
LCMC Health’s Manning Family Children’s Hospital in New Orleans became Louisiana’s first to use curative gene therapy in the treatment of sickle cell disease.
Innovation, Research, and Quality Improvement
Banner Health
Phoenix, Ariz.
In this conversation, Corey Casper, M.D., senior vice president and chief research officer at Banner Health, and professor of clinical translational science at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, explores how Banner Health is using clinical research, technology and strategic partnerships to bring new discoveries closer to patients.
Prevention and Wellness
AdventHealth
Florida
In this Leadership Dialogue conversation, Marc Boom, M.D., president and CEO of Houston Methodist and the 2026 AHA board chair, talks with David Banks, president and CEO of AdventHealth. They discuss the organization's strategy to expand primary care across its communities, the importance of giving primary care its own leadership and resources, and why the future of community health depends on building stronger relationships with patients.
Prevention and Wellness
Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital
New Haven, Conn.
Each year, about 19 million children in the United States receive treatment for musculoskeletal conditions, including fractures and broken bones, sports and overuse injuries, and congenital and development conditions.
Prevention and Wellness
University of Michigan Health
Michigan
The University of Michigan Health is expanding efforts to improve care for patients with heart failure through a statewide initiative to identify and close gaps in treatment using data-driven decision making.
Workforce
BayCare Health System
Florida
As Florida’s population ages, healthcare systems are facing a growing need for highly skilled workers.
Workforce
Harrison Memorial Hospital
Cynthiana, Ky.
In part two of this special three-part Advancing Health podcast series, hear how leaders are creating new pathways into the workforce, investing in training, and bringing together the skills and expertise needed to support families in rural communities.
Workforce
The University of Kansas Health System
McPherson, Kan.
Rural Kansas has sweeping plains, golden wheat fields, and a sky that stretches as far as the eye can see. What it doesn’t have is what so many other rural areas also are lacking — a sustainable healthcare workforce.
Building Healthy Communities
Northern Light Mercy Hospital
Portland, Maine
Northern Light Mercy Hospital is expanding access to primary care and heart care in southern Maine, bringing the healthcare services together to improve coordination and availability to patients.
Building Healthy Communities
St. George Regional Hospital
Utah
Visitors to Utah’s St. George Regional Hospital can now explore a new permanent artifact display on the main floor that showcases over a century of local medical history.
Building Healthy Communities
Northwell Health
New York
Northwell Health has introduced a firearm safety screening tool that was integrated into Epic’s electronic health record (EHR) system in May 2026, making it available to thousands of hospitals nationwide.
Building Healthy Communities
Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center
Boise, Idaho
Saint Alphonsus, in partnership with Canyon County Paramedics and the American Red Cross, has launched Idaho’s first ground‑based EMS whole‑blood transfusion program.
Building Healthy Communities
University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences
Little Rock, Ark.
The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) is demonstrating the powerful impact of its Food Is Medicine program.
Building Healthy Communities
Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Kaufman
Kaufman, Texas
Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Kaufman is strengthening community wellness through its Healthy Education Lifestyles Program (HELP), an initiative designed to give patients both clinical support and practical health education.
Building Healthy Communities
Kaiser Permanente Hawaii
Honolulu, Hawaii
Kaiser Permanente Hawaii is strengthening food security across the Aloha State by supporting nonprofits that expand access to nutritious, locally grown food.
Building Healthy Communities
Sharon Hospital
Sharon, Conn.
The Senior Behavioral Health Unit at Sharon Hospital, which serves rural northwestern Connecticut, provides short-term inpatient psychiatric care for adults age 55 or older.
Building Healthy Communities
Huggins Hospital
Wolfeboro, N.H.
Huggins Hospital, a small rural hospital in New Hampshire, offers a comprehensive diabetes education program, bolstered by nutrition services and designed to help individuals manage or prevent diabetes.
Ensuring Access to Care
Northern Light Mercy Hospital
Portland, Maine
Northern Light Mercy Hospital is expanding access to primary care and heart care in southern Maine, bringing the healthcare services together to improve coordination and availability to patients.
Ensuring Access to Care
Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health
Lancaster, Penn.
Since the early 1990s, Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health (LG Health) has worked to form good relationships with the Amish community by meeting regularly with Amish bishops.
Ensuring Access to Care
Avera Sacred Heart Hospital
Yankton, S.D.
Avera Sacred Heart Hospital and Lewis and Clark Behavioral Health Services have opened the new Park Haven Learning and Recovery Center, an 18-bed residential treatment facility designed specifically for women with substance use disorders, including pregnant women and mothers with dependent children.
Ensuring Access to Care
The University of Kansas Health System
McPherson, Kan.
Rural Kansas has sweeping plains, golden wheat fields, and a sky that stretches as far as the eye can see. What it doesn’t have is what so many other rural areas also are lacking — a sustainable healthcare workforce.
Ensuring Access to Care
The Queen's Health Systems
Hawaii
At The Queen’s Medical Center in Honolulu, leaders are expanding access to care beyond the hospital through the Ho‘opili Ola Remote Patient Monitoring program.
Ensuring Access to Care
Harrison Memorial Hospital
Cynthiana, Ky.
In this special Advancing Health podcast series, hear how rural hospital leaders are turning that commitment into action and finding new possibilities for sustaining maternal care close to home.
Ensuring Access to Care
Trinity Health
Michigan
Trinity Health Michigan’s The Farm has been connecting healthy eating with better health outcomes for community members since its start in 2010.
Ensuring Access to Care
Intermountain Health
Utah
What began as a holiday trip to visit grandparents on a church mission in Uruguay turned into a life-threatening medical emergency for 3-year-old Estelle Santiago of Midway, Utah.
Ensuring Access to Care
HaysMed, Gove County Medical Center, Scott County Hospital, Clara Barton Medical Center
Kansas
Seven independent rural hospitals have joined forces to launch the Kansas High Value Network, a new collaborative organization designed to expand access to care, improve clinical outcomes and reduce operating costs while preserving local governance.
Benefiting Communities
Valleywise Health
Arizona
Valleywise Health has become the first healthcare organization in Arizona to implement a new technology designed to provide a gentler and more secure way to stabilize umbilical lines in premature and critically ill newborns.
Benefiting Communities
Maui Memorial Medical Center
Hawaii
At Maui Memorial Medical Center in Wailuku, Hawaii, a new partnership between Maui Health and Mauliola Pharmacy is helping patients leave the hospital with the medications and support they need for a smoother recovery.
Benefiting Communities
Alaska Native Medical Center
Anchorage, Alaska
In Anchorage, hospital beds are increasingly occupied by patients who are medically ready to leave but have nowhere to go while they wait for short-term nursing and rehabilitation services. To help address this growing challenge, the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium is building a new skilled nursing facility on the Alaska Native Medical Center campus.
Benefiting Communities
CHI St. Alexius Health Williston
Williston, N.D.
CHI St. Alexius Health Williston has a new outpatient program to address the growing mental health needs of older adults in northwestern North Dakota.
Benefiting Communities
University of New Mexico Hospital Children’s Psychiatric Center
Albuquerque, N.M.
The University of New Mexico Hospital has completed a major expansion and modernization of its Children’s Psychiatric Center in Albuquerque.
Benefiting Communities
Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center
Idaho Falls, Idaho
Born in Idaho Falls at just 22 weeks gestation and weighing only 1 pound 4 ounces, Logan Ames faced overwhelming odds as a micro-preemie. One year later, Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center celebrated his first birthday, celebrating not only Logan’s survival but also the dedication of the doctors, nurses, and family members who supported him through 163 days in the neonatal intensive care unit.
Benefiting Communities
Medical University of South Carolina
Charleston, S.C.
In this conversation, Anne Seymour of the National Mass Violence Center, and Michael Schmidt, Ph.D., professor of microbiology and immunology at the Medical University of South Carolina, explain how crime victim compensation programs can help survivors of mass violence cover medical bills, mental healthcare, transportation and other recovery costs.
Benefiting Communities
Ascension SE Wisconsin Hospital — St. Joseph
Wisconsin
More than two decades after its launch, Ascension Wisconsin’s Blanket of Love program continues to help families thrive by providing expectant parents with access to critical health, education and community resources.
Benefiting Communities
St. George Regional Hospital
Utah
Visitors to Utah’s St. George Regional Hospital can now explore a new permanent artifact display on the main floor that showcases over a century of local medical history.
Innovation, Research and Quality Improvement
WellSpan York Hospital
Pennsylvania
For years, Dover-area resident Ken Moritz struggled with a worsening heart condition caused by a severe mitral valve leak, which left him fatigued, dealing with ankle swelling, and unable to keep up with daily responsibilities.
Innovation, Research and Quality Improvement
Manning Family Children's Hospital
Louisiana
LCMC Health’s Manning Family Children’s Hospital in New Orleans became Louisiana’s first to use curative gene therapy in the treatment of sickle cell disease.
Innovation, Research and Quality Improvement
Banner Health
Phoenix, Ariz.
In this conversation, Corey Casper, M.D., senior vice president and chief research officer at Banner Health, and professor of clinical translational science at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, explores how Banner Health is using clinical research, technology and strategic partnerships to bring new discoveries closer to patients.
Innovation, Research and Quality Improvement
Valley Children's Healthcare
Madera, Calif.
Valley Children’s Healthcare in Madera, Calif., is protecting patient care, investing in energy independence and advancing its sustainability goals, all with a touch of whimsy.
Innovation, Research and Quality Improvement
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center and UW Medicine
Washington
At Fred Hutch Cancer Center and the University of Washington in Seattle, researchers are gaining new insights into how a specific prostate cancer treatment affects patients’ quality of life.
Innovation, Research and Quality Improvement
UCHealth Memorial Hospital Central and UCHealth Memorial Hospital North
Colorado
UCHealth’s Memorial Hospital Central and Memorial Hospital North in Colorado Springs are the first hospitals in Colorado to use the i-STAT Alinity traumatic brain injury blood test, a new tool that helps emergency physicians quickly determine whether adults may have suffered a mild brain injury, including a concussion.
Innovation, Research and Quality Improvement
Hackensack Meridian Health
Edison, N.J.
Hospital care for people with Parkinson’s disease costs nearly $8 billion annually and places about one in six hospitalized patients at significant risk for an avoidable complication due to healthcare systems that are not designed to meet their unique, time-sensitive needs.
Innovation, Research and Quality Improvement
Children's Hospital Colorado
Aurora, Colo.
Children’s Hospital Colorado helped the National Alliance of Sickle Cell Centers develop new national standards to improve how developmental and cognitive challenges are identified and managed in people with sickle cell disease (SCD).
Innovation, Research and Quality Improvement
Children’s Mercy Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
A 16-year-old Kansas patient is looking toward a future with fewer health limitations after receiving a heart transplant at Children’s Mercy Kansas City.
Prevention and Wellness
AdventHealth
Florida
In this Leadership Dialogue conversation, Marc Boom, M.D., president and CEO of Houston Methodist and the 2026 AHA board chair, talks with David Banks, president and CEO of AdventHealth. They discuss the organization's strategy to expand primary care across its communities, the importance of giving primary care its own leadership and resources, and why the future of community health depends on building stronger relationships with patients.
Prevention and Wellness
Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital
New Haven, Conn.
Each year, about 19 million children in the United States receive treatment for musculoskeletal conditions, including fractures and broken bones, sports and overuse injuries, and congenital and development conditions.
Prevention and Wellness
University of Michigan Health
Michigan
The University of Michigan Health is expanding efforts to improve care for patients with heart failure through a statewide initiative to identify and close gaps in treatment using data-driven decision making.
Prevention and Wellness
Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital
Virginia
The Unique Boutique at Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital is a store with an exclusive clientele.
Prevention and Wellness
The Queen's Health Systems
Hawaii
At The Queen’s Medical Center in Honolulu, leaders are expanding access to care beyond the hospital through the Ho‘opili Ola Remote Patient Monitoring program.
Prevention and Wellness
St. Louis Children's Hospital
Missouri
Building trust with patients before a crisis can be one of the most powerful tools in preventing violence in healthcare settings.
Prevention and Wellness
Beacon Health System
Indiana
Beacon Health System’s Benefiting Area Babies Equally (B.A.B.E.) program is helping families build healthy foundations for their children by turning positive parenting actions into tangible rewards.
Prevention and Wellness
Saint Francis Hospital
Oklahoma
Saint Francis Hospital has earned national recognition as Oklahoma’s first National Blood Clot Alliance Venous Thromboembolism (VTE) Center of Excellence.
Prevention and Wellness
Cone Health
Greensboro, N.C.
Maternal mortality remains a critical challenge in the United States, and many pregnancy complications are linked to chronic health conditions, including cardiovascular disease.
Workforce
BayCare Health System
Florida
As Florida’s population ages, healthcare systems are facing a growing need for highly skilled workers.
Workforce
Harrison Memorial Hospital
Cynthiana, Ky.
In part two of this special three-part Advancing Health podcast series, hear how leaders are creating new pathways into the workforce, investing in training, and bringing together the skills and expertise needed to support families in rural communities.
Workforce
The University of Kansas Health System
McPherson, Kan.
Rural Kansas has sweeping plains, golden wheat fields, and a sky that stretches as far as the eye can see. What it doesn’t have is what so many other rural areas also are lacking — a sustainable healthcare workforce.
Workforce
PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center
Washington
At PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center in Bellingham, Wash., a commitment to the community has kept Terry Carter, director of nursing, and Joni Dixon, director of patient safety, dedicated to the hospital for 45 and 35 years, respectively.
Workforce
Mercy Hospital Washington
Missouri
Mercy and the School District of Washington have launched a registered youth apprenticeship program to both introduce high school students to healthcare careers and address long-term workforce needs.
Workforce
UAMS, Mercy Hospital Northwest Arkansas
Arkansas
The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) Institute for Community Health Innovation has launched the Advancing Doulas and Perinatal Teams Toolkit, a new resource designed to help hospitals better integrate doulas into maternal care teams and improve outcomes for mothers and infants.
Workforce
M Health Farview
Minneapolis, Minn.
Hospitals and health systems can't meet growing patient demand without full leveraging advanced practice providers (APPs).
Workforce
University of Michigan Health-West
Michigan
At University of Michigan Health-West, a unique family story is unfolding through the work of four dedicated nurses from the Bos family.
Workforce
Sharp Mary Birch Hospital for Women & Newborns
San Diego, Calif.
At Sharp Mary Birch Hospital for Women & Newborns in San Diego, Nick Saade, M.D., saw the patient experience from a different perspective — as a husband and expectant father.