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
AdventHealth
Altamonte, Fla.
In this conversation, Brent Davis, CEO of the primary health division at AdventHealth, shares how improved patient access, coordinated care teams, virtual care, and proactive follow-up are building a more efficient, consumer-focused healthcare system.
Ensuring Access to Care
Sentara Princess Anne Hospital
Virginia Beach, Va.
Virginia hospital teams up with Corvette club to drive home importance of prostate cancer screenings
Just as regular maintenance keeps a car running smoothly, routine health screenings can help detect problems before they become serious.
Ensuring Access to Care
Nantucket Cottage Hospital
Nantucket, Mass.
In this conversation, Amy Lee, president and chief operating officer at Nantucket Cottage Hospital, shares how telehealth is transforming patient care on the island,
Benefiting Communities
Presbyterian Healthcare Services
New Mexico
In New Mexico, Presbyterian Healthcare Services’ "Food as Medicine" approach closely aligns with the goals of the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement.
Benefiting Communities
Kula Hospital
Hawaii
Hawaii state leaders, Maui Health and Kaiser Permanente announced plans to restore and reopen Kula Hospital after the March 2026 Kona Low storms caused significant damage and forced the temporary closure of the hospital, including its emergency department and the Hale Makamae care facility.
Kula Hospital restoration moves forward with state and Kaiser Permanente funding, bringing resilient emergency, inpatient and long-term care back to Upcountry Maui.
Benefiting Communities
Erie County Medical Center
New York
The palliative care department at Erie County Medical Center (ECMC) was the first in Western New York to offer patients a new component of their overall care: help with legal issues from the MedLaw Partnership.
Innovation, Research, and Quality Improvement
UVA Health
Charlottesville, Va.
Scientist develops experimental drug that reverses MS-related paralysis and vision loss in lab model
A UVA Health scientist has developed an experimental drug that reversed paralysis and vision loss in a laboratory mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS), offering a potential new therapy for a disease that currently has no cure.
Innovation, Research, and Quality Improvement
UMass Memorial Health – Harrington
Charlton, Mass.
The Wound Care Center at Harrington at Charlton, part of UMass Memorial Health, offers hyperbaric oxygen therapy to treat complex wounds such as severe diabetic foot ulcers, burns, gangrene, and infections of tissues or bone that cause tissue death.
Innovation, Research, and Quality Improvement
Bingham Memorial Hospital
Idaho
Bingham Memorial Hospital is playing a leading role in a first-of-its-kind cancer care initiative in the Pacific Northwest through a partnership with Portneuf Medical Center and Virchow Medical.
The hospitals are using the Crow’s Nest Biopsy Catchment System to capture and preserve tumor cells typically discarded after routine biopsies.
Prevention and Wellness
UVA Health
Charlottesville, Va.
Scientist develops experimental drug that reverses MS-related paralysis and vision loss in lab model
A UVA Health scientist has developed an experimental drug that reversed paralysis and vision loss in a laboratory mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS), offering a potential new therapy for a disease that currently has no cure.
Prevention and Wellness
UK HealthCare
Lexington, Kentucky
UK HealthCare’s Albert B. Chandler Hospital has introduced a new emergency department screening protocol to help clinicians identify and treat sepsis sooner.
Prevention and Wellness
Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare
Saint Paul, Minn.
In this conversation, Tori Bahr, M.D., section chief of pediatrics at Gillette Children’s, shares how healthcare teams can improve the transition from pediatric to adult care through early planning, coordinated care teams, and a more personalized approach to patient needs.
Workforce
Colquitt Regional Health System
Georgia
Jim Matney is President and CEO of Colquitt Regional Health System.
Workforce
BayCare Health System
Florida
In this conversation, Nikki Daily, chief team resources officer at BayCare Health System, discusses how the organization is addressing that challenge by building career pathways, developing apprenticeships, and partnering with community organizations to create opportunities for the healthcare workforce.
Workforce
Harrison Memorial Hospital (Ky.) Banner Health (Ariz.), Dartmouth Health (N.H.), Hutchinson Regional Medical Center (Kan.), University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (Ark.), Western Wisconsin Health (Wis.)
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.
Ensuring Access to Care
Northern Cochise Community Hospital
Cochise County, Ariz.
In rural Cochise County, Ariz., many older adults struggle with limited incomes, chronic health conditions, and scarce access to essential resources. Geographic isolation and high poverty rates among seniors make basic needs — such as adult incontinence supplies — difficult to afford.
Ensuring Access to Care
Clifton-Fine Hospital
St. Lawrence County, N.Y.
Clifton-Fine Hospital in St. Lawrence County, N.Y., adjacent to the Canadian border, was long challenged by low patient numbers and an outdated, cramped emergency room so small and crowded that staff struggled to treat multiple patients with space or privacy.
Ensuring Access to Care
Oklahoma Children’s Hospital
Oklahoma City, Okla.
Ranger’s care journey was a long one — from Durant, Okla., to Austin, Texas, and finally OU Children’s Hospital in Oklahoma City.
Ensuring Access to Care
CommonSpirit Health
Chicago, Ill.
Even the most experienced health care leaders can feel lost as patients. In this conversation, Ji Im, system senior director of community and population health at CommonSpirit Health, explores why seamless navigation, community partnerships and human connection are essential to reducing friction and improving the health care experience.
Ensuring Access to Care
John Muir Health
Walnut Creek, Calif.
Mental health is a top community health need nationwide. In this conversation, John Muir Health's Jesse Tamplen, vice president of care coordination, and Jamie Elmasu, director of community health improvement, explain how community health assessments (CHAs), data-driven planning and nonprofit partnerships, are expanding access to patients who need it most.
Ensuring Access to Care
M Health Fairview University of Minnesota Medical Center
Minneapolis
As pharmacy closures accelerate nationwide, M Health Fairview is proving what’s possible when a health system steps up.
Ensuring Access to Care
Tufts Medicine
Boston, Mass.
The Tufts Medicine Center for Health Literacy Research + Practice works to reduce health literacy barriers for patients, families, clinicians and health care organizations.
Ensuring Access to Care
Western Wisconsin Health
Baldwin, Wis.
Eilidh Pederson, CEO at Western Wisconsin Health, shares lessons from her unique birth experience, and outlines how rural hospitals can continue to provide needed access to safe, high-quality maternity health services.
Ensuring Access to Care
Monument Health
Rapid City, S.D.
In this Leadership Dialogue conversation, Tina Freese Decker, president and CEO of Corewell Health and 2025 AHA board chair, joins Aimee Kuhlman, vice president of advocacy grassroots and government relations at the AHA, and Paulette Davidson, president and CEO of Monument Health, to unpack what’s at stake.
Benefiting Communities
In this Leadership Dialogue conversation, Marc Boom, M.D., president and CEO of Houston Methodist and the 2026 AHA board chair, sits down with Mark Boucot, president and CEO of WVU Medicine Potomac Valley Hospital, to explore how rural hospitals can leverage technology and partnerships to deliver care close to home.
Benefiting Communities
Manning Family Children’s Hospital
New Orleans, La.
Manning Family Children’s Hospital has become the first facility in Louisiana and the broader Gulf South region to earn verification as a Level I Pediatric Trauma Center.
Benefiting 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.
Benefiting Communities
Intermountain Health St. Mary’s Regional Hospital
Grand Junction, Colo.
The simple rosaries given to patients at Intermountain Health St. Mary’s Regional Hospital offer comfort far beyond their modest appearance.
Benefiting Communities
Milton S. Hershey Medical Center
Hershey, Pa.
Backed by a recent $500,000 federal grant, Penn State Health’s Milton S. Hershey Medical Center will strengthen its role as a Level 2 Special Pathogen Treatment Center, enhancing its ability to care for patients with rare, high-risk infectious diseases.
Backed by a $500,000 federal grant, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center will strengthen its role as a Level 2 Special Pathogen Treatment Center
Benefiting Communities
Onvida Health
Yuma, Ariz.
The University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix and Onvida Health are partnering to establish Arizona’s first rural regional medical school branch in Yuma County.
Benefiting Communities
Charlotte Hungerford Hospital
Torrington, Conn.
Charlotte Hungerford Hospital’s Connecticut Mental Health Center has a certified opiate addiction counselor that helps individuals who are dependent on opiates connect with resources throughout the region.
Benefiting Communities
Morristown Medical Center
Morristown, N.J.
In late November, a man stood outside the Morristown Medical Center holding a handwritten sign that said, "Thank you all in emergency for saving my wife's life. I love you all."
Benefiting Communities
NewYork-Presbyterian
New York, N.Y.
NewYork-Presbyterian announced the launch of its Hospital-at-Home program in November, designed to provide hospital-level care to eligible patients in the comfort of their homes.
Innovation, Research and Quality Improvement
University of Iowa Health Care
Iowa
University of Iowa Health Care is expanding its support for growing families with a series of major upgrades to maternal and newborn services, including a newly enhanced postpartum unit and a state-of-the-art neonatal intensive care unit.
Innovation, Research and Quality Improvement
Duke University School of Medicine
Durham, N.C.
In this conversation, Duke University School of Medicine's Jonathan Posner, M.D., professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, and Matthew Engelhard, M.D., P.h.D., assistant professor of the Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, break down the "Duke PMA" — an AI-powered predictive model designed to identify adolescents at high risk for psychiatric illness.
Innovation, Research and Quality Improvement
Banner Thunderbird Medical Center
Glendale, Ariz.
Banner Thunderbird Medical Center in Glendale, Arizona, has become the first hospital in the western United States to adopt the Aesculap Aeos Robotic Digital Microscope, marking a significant step forward in surgical innovation.
Innovation, Research and Quality Improvement
University of Missouri Health Care
Columbia, Mo.
What began as a routine sports injury for a Missouri college soccer player quickly escalated into a life-threatening medical crisis, ultimately leading to a complex, leg-saving effort at MU Health Care.
Innovation, Research and Quality Improvement
WellSpan York Hospital
York, Pa.
Attack of the munchies at 3 a.m.? Not a problem at WellSpan Health York Hospital, which has introduced Fresh Take Eatery, an AI‑powered robotic kitchen that provides 24/7 access to hot, healthy meals for patients, visitors, and staff, ensuring fresh, on-demand food options at any hour.
Innovation, Research and Quality Improvement
Houston Methodist Hospital
Houston, Texas
Houston Methodist Hospital researchers are reshaping how clinicians think about traumatic brain injury (TBI) by looking beyond the brain itself.
Innovation, Research and Quality Improvement
Reid Health
Richmond, Ind.
“This was never about technology,” said Muhammad Siddiqui.
That sounds like a strange way to describe the project that made Reid Health one of the finalists for the 2026 AHA Rural Hospital Excellence in Innovation Award.
Innovation, Research and Quality Improvement
University of Vermont Medical Center
Burlington, Vt.
When 14-year-old Vermont student-athlete Kian started developing migraines so severe that it was difficult to stand upright, an MRI revealed a serious diagnosis: He had an arteriovenous malformation (AVM), a rare and dangerous tangle of blood vessels in the brain that can bleed and cause seizures or stroke-like symptoms.
Innovation, Research and Quality Improvement
Oklahoma Children’s Hospital at OU Health
Oklahoma City
Oklahoma Children’s Hospital at OU Health has performed the state’s first targeted chemotherapy for a rare pediatric eye cancer, marking an advancement in care for children diagnosed with retinoblastoma.
Prevention and Wellness
Care New England Health System
Providence, R.I.
As people age, bone mass starts to decline — for some, beginning as early as their 30s — and can be exacerbated by medical conditions, medications or lifestyle choices. Weak bones can lead to osteopenia and osteoporosis, which is called a “silent” disease because a person typically does not have symptoms and may not know they have the disease until a bone breaks.
Prevention and Wellness
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.
Prevention and Wellness
LCMC Health
New Orleans, La.
When Enzo woke up in the ICU at University Medical Center New Orleans, he couldn’t feel his legs. A car accident had fractured his C5 vertebra, and his dream of attending the University of Notre Dame to study mechanical engineering and music, suddenly felt out of reach.
Prevention and Wellness
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.
Prevention and Wellness
East Alabama Medical Center
Opelika, Ala.
Nothing can ever completely prepare a woman for pregnancy and childbirth, but East Alabama Medical Center’s Birth Navigator program aims to get as close as possible.
Prevention and Wellness
. In this conversation, Elizabeth Dabrowski, M.D., pediatric endocrinologist at Children's Wisconsin, and Matthew Edwards, R.D., diabetes care and education specialist at Children's Wisconsin Diabetes Prevention Clinic, share how a collaborative approach — including with endocrinologists, dietitians and physical therapists — empowers families to make sustainable lifestyle changes.
Prevention and Wellness
Golisano Children’s at the University of Kentucky
Lexington, Ky.
Snoopy and Woodstock have arrived at Golisano Children’s at the University of Kentucky to brighten the days of pediatric patients.
Prevention and Wellness
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.
Prevention and Wellness
MaineHealth Franklin Hospital
Farmington, Maine
MaineHealth Community Health Farmington, which includes MaineHealth Franklin Hospital, offers health and wellness services and education focused on disease prevention to communities in rural Franklin County.
Workforce
Centra Health
Lynchburg, Va.
In this conversation, Corey Feist, CEO and co-founder of the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes Foundation, and Tiffany Lyttle, R.N., director of cultural integration at Centra Health, explore how hospitals, health systems and states are expanding employee access to mental health care.
Workforce
Sanford USD Medical Center
Sioux Falls, S.D.
Sanford Medical Education, in partnership with the USD Sanford School of Medicine, has received accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education to launch a new emergency medicine residency program in Sioux Falls, S.D.
Workforce
Brattleboro Memorial Hospital
Brattleboro, Vt.
Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, in partnership with the Community College of Vermont, is helping develop the next generation of health care professionals through a medical assisting apprenticeship program.
Workforce
University Medical Center New Orleans
New Orleans, La.
University Medical Center New Orleans has launched a dedicated first responder clinic to provide expedited, specialized care for the city’s emergency personnel, including police, fire, EMS and communications staff.
Workforce
Baptist Health
Little Rock, Ark.
Baptist Health College Little Rock (BHCLR) recently roared into a new era with the unveiling of its first-ever mascot, Bo the Lion.
Workforce
Grand Itasca Clinic & Hospital
Grand Rapids, Minn.
Grand Itasca Clinic & Hospital in Grand Rapids, Minn., is launching a new rural health care residency program in partnership with the University of Minnesota Medical School and Fairview Health.
Workforce
HSHS St. Vincent Hospital’s Women and Infants Center
Green Bay, Wis.
What started as a group of nurses and friends taking a photo during a shift change has turned into a viral social media moment — in the best way.
Workforce
Ochsner Lafayette General and Opelousas General Health System
Louisiana
In the heart of rural Louisiana, Acadiana Workforce Solutions has launched the Country Road Inclusion Project, an initiative aimed at tackling the region’s critical shortage of health care workers.
Workforce
CHI Health St. Elizabeth
Lincoln, Neb.
CHI Health St. Elizabeth's CNA Advance Program offers training, testing and employment to individuals who want to become certified nursing assistants.