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The AHA and Maryland Hospital Association today sponsored a forum for Maryland community leaders on the transformation taking place in health care and how providers and community partners can work together to improve the health of their communities. AHA President and CEO Rick Pollack explained the expanding role hospitals are playing in local health care, serving as an “anchor of service and access point in communities,” while MHA President and CEO Carmela Coyle emphasized how hospitals “aim to be proactive instead of reactive” when it comes to improving health. Hosted by the Howard County Local Health Improvement Coalition in Columbia, the forum also featured remarks from Howard Haft, M.D., deputy secretary for public health for the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and Steven Snelgrove, president of Howard County General Hospital. The event concluded with insights on school-based health services and overdose prevention. For more information on the event, part of AHA’s  initiative, visit .