AHA Press Releases

The American Hospital Association (AHA) today announced that Russ Harrington, president and CEO, Baptist Health in Little Rock, Ark. will be awarded its 2014 Board of Trustees Award.

The American Hospital Association (AHA) today announced that Daniel Sisto, former president, Healthcare Association of New York State (HANYS), will be awarded its 2014 Board of Trustees Award.

Today’s report contains some good news for patients but reminds hospitals and clinicians that our work is not done. The quality journey is a marathon, not a sprint; hospitals are not yet at the finish line, but they are on the right track.

Kimberly McNally, MN, RN, a trustee at UW Medicine in Seattle, today was named to the Board of Trustees of the American Hospital Association (AHA). The board is the policy-making body of the AHA and has ultimate authority for the governance and management of its direction and finances.

The bill introduced today would provide welcome relief to hospitals that are unfairly penalized by readmission penalties because they care for large numbers of poor patients, often with very complicated and multiple medical problems. It helps ensure that hospital performance improvement efforts are focused on readmissions that are preventable.

The American Hospital Association today announced its support for S. 2082, the Two-Midnight Rule Coordination and Improvement Act of 2014. Introduced today by Senators Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Deb Fischer (R-NE), the legislation would delay enforcement of the Medicare inpatient admission and review criteria known as the two-midnight policy.

We are pleased that CMS has extended its enforcement moratorium on the two-midnight policy for an additional six months, as the AHA has urged.

Catherine J. Barr, president of Bethesda Hospital in Saint Paul, Minn. and senior vice president for community services, including long-term acute care, home care, hospice and palliative care within the HealthEast Care System, is the 2014 chair of the American Hospital Association's (AHA) Section for Long-Term Care and Rehabilitation Governing Council.

James W. Eyler, FACHE, CEO, Coliseum Psychiatric Center, Macon, Ga., is the 2014 chair of the American Hospital Associations (AHA) Constituency Section for Psychiatric and Substance Abuse Services.

Reginald Coopwood, M.D., president and CEO of Regional Medical Center at Memphis, will lead the American Hospital Association's (AHA) Section for Metropolitan Hospitals as chair of its 24-member governing council for 2014.

In honor of its broad-based efforts to improve the lives of the most vulnerable members of its community, Crozer-Keystone Health System in Delaware County, Pa. is the recipient of the 2013 Foster G. McGaw Prize for Excellence in Community Service, one of the most esteemed community service honors in healthcare.

Paul R. Bengtson, chief executive officer of Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital in St. Johnsbury, Vt., will lead the American Hospital Association's (AHA) Section for Small or Rural Hospitals in 2014.

The American Hospital Association (AHA) today announced that Bill Newbold will chair the AHA's 2014 Committee on Volunteers.

Angela L. Scioscia, M.D., chief medical officer (CMO) at the University of California (UC) San Diego Health System, is the 2014 chair of the American Hospital Association's (AHA) Section for Maternal and Child Health Governing Council.

The American Hospital Association (AHA) today announced that Bina Eggensperger will be chair and Fred P. Gattas, Jr. will be chair-elect for the AHA's 2014 Committee on Governance (COG).

M. Michelle Hood, FACHE, president and CEO of Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems (EMHS) in Brewer, Me., is the 2014 chair of the American Hospital Associations (AHA) Constituency Section for Health Care Systems Governing Council.

The AHA is deeply disappointed that the agreement extends the sequester on "mandatory" programs that includes Medicare provider payment cuts for an additional two years beyond their current expiration date in 2022 and 2023.

We are extremely disappointed that the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will move forward with sweeping changes that may hurt hospitals' ability to provide outpatient care.

Susan L. Starling, president and CEO of Marcum & Wallace Memorial Hospital (MWMH) in Irvine, Ky. and a member of Catholic Health Partners, is the 2013 winner of the American Hospital Association's (AHA) Shirley Ann Munroe Leadership Award.

America's hospitals are pleased that the Administration has issued the final rule implementing the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act.