Pollack kicks off convention; AHA board chair shares rural well being challenges, hope for the long run 
Nearly 1,100 rural well being care practitioners and leaders convened in Orlando for AHA’s thirty seventh Rural Health Care Leadership Conference. The annual occasion brings collectively rural hospital CEOs, senior executives, scientific leaders and trustees to share methods, insights and assets distinctive to the agricultural well being system.  

Sessions on Feb. 12 started with remarks from AHA President and CEO Rick Pollack, who welcomed attendees and famous the vital function hospitals play significantly in rural communities. He addressed the necessity for rural hospitals to organize for the long run utilizing transformative options whereas sustaining entry to high quality well being care regardless of myriad challenges rural hospitals face, equivalent to workforce shortages, disrupted provide chains and reimbursement shortfalls. But with these challenges comes optimism, for rural hospitals are in a singular place to form the way forward for well being care supply via entry, belief and innovation.  

“As our population ages – which is faster and greater in rural America – we’ll see a growing demand for managing chronic conditions,” Pollack mentioned. “And here’s the thing, people want to get care in their own community – closest to their homes, near their families, friends, neighbors and support systems. And [rural hospitals] are best positioned to provide this care, capturing this wave of need.”  

AHA Board of Trustees Chair Joanne Conroy, M.D., CEO and president of Dartmouth Health, mentioned the significance of advocating for rural hospitals and communities, particularly round monetary stability, workforce, telehealth and behavioral well being. As a rural well being care system CEO and doctor, Conroy shared firsthand examples of the necessity to safeguard rural well being care entry and guarantee continued high quality take care of rural communities.

Leaders focus on innovation and options to entry challenges for rural care settings 
Leaders from rural well being care amenities throughout the nation shared their experiences and perception Feb. 12 throughout a plenary session on innovation and entry to rural well being care. AHA Board of Trustees Chair-elect Tina Freese-Decker, president and CEO of Corewell Health in Grand Rapids, Mich., hosted the afternoon session. “Rural health care is ripe for innovation,” she mentioned. “But it is challenging, we all know that. Many times, we can feel stuck with providing the same service or not changing our services because of our limited resources or because of the expectations from others. But if we don’t do something new and bold, who will? And then what will happen to our community if we are not relentlessly pursuing better health for all?”

A panel dialogue adopted, which was moderated by AHA Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Michelle Hood, and featured leaders from 5 rural hospitals who shared their insights and experiences on innovation, overlaying subjects together with monetary stability, workforce shortages, care supply and entry. 

Concluding the session was a hearth chat about main care providers supplied by retailers, payer-owned suppliers and superior main care disrupters, which featured representatives from CVS Health and Dollar General. The dialogue was moderated by Chris DeRienzo, AHA senior vp and chief doctor government.

Queen’s North Hawaii Community Hospital honored for collaborative management and transformational change 
AHA Board of Trustees Chair Joanne Conroy, M.D., introduced the 2023 Rural Hospitals Leadership Team Award to Queen’s North Hawaii Community Hospital, based mostly in Waimea, for his or her work on eliminating well being disparities among the many Native Hawaiian neighborhood. Queen’s North Hawaii Community Hospital President Stephany Nihipali Vaioleti accepted the award on behalf of the hospital.