Access to Care in Vulnerable Communities
The AHA Board of Trustees created the Task Force on Ensuring Access in Vulnerable Communities. Comprised of 29 hospital and health system leaders and state hospital association CEOs, the task force held meetings, heard from policymakers and conducted field hearings to speak with hospital and…
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.
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in St. Lawrence County, N.Y., adjacent to the Canadian border, was long challenged by low patient numbers and an outdated, cramped emergency room so small and crowded that staff struggled to treat multiple patients with space or privacy.
Ranger’s care journey was a long one — from Durant, Okla., to Austin, Texas, and finally OU Children’s Hospital in Oklahoma City.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Jan. 29 issued a final rule, “Medicaid Program; Preserving Medicaid Funding for Vulnerable Populations-Closing a Health Care-Related Tax Loophole.”
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…
Explore the AHA's 2026 Advocacy Agenda focusing on healthcare policy and advocacy priorities. Download the PDF for detailed information.
- Advocacy & Public Policy
- AHA
- Access & Health Coverage
- Access to Care in Vulnerable Communities
- Access to Behavioral Health
- Reducing Healthcare Disparities
- Quality & Patient Safety
- Workforce
- Making Healthcare More Affordable
- Advancing Best Practices for Hospitals & Health Systems
- Innovation
- Enhanced Premium Tax Credit (EPTC)
More than 57 million rural Americans depend on their hospital not only as an important source of care but also as a critical component of their area's economic and social framework. Rural hospitals also face the same difficulties shared by many hospitals — including financial stress, workforce…
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…
This Trailblazer explores how health systems are redesigning physician workforce models using virtual specialty care and automation.