Board Culture / en Thu, 31 Jul 2025 08:13:51 -0500 Wed, 09 Jul 25 14:44:57 -0500 AHA podcast: When Cyberattacks Strike — Is Your Board Ready? /news/headline/2025-07-09-aha-podcast-when-cyberattacks-strike-your-board-ready <p>Cyberattacks on hospitals are urgent threats to patient safety, care delivery and public trust. In this conversation, Ajay Gupta, board chair of Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic and CEO of HSR.health, speaks about the vital role hospital boards play in preparing for and responding to cyber incidents. What strategic questions should boards be asking, and how can cyber preparedness make or break a hospital’s ability to deliver care when it matters most? <a href="/advancing-health-podcast/2025-07-09-when-cyberattacks-strike-your-board-ready" target="_blank"><strong>LISTEN NOW</strong></a><strong> </strong></p> Wed, 09 Jul 2025 14:44:57 -0500 Board Culture AHA podcast: Quality 101 — How University of Utah Health Strengthens Board Culture for Better Patient Outcomes /news/headline/2025-04-21-aha-podcast-quality-101-how-university-utah-health-strengthens-board-culture-better-patient-outcomes <p>University of Utah Health's Kencee Graves, M.D., hospitalist and palliative medicine physician, and David Colling, vice chair of the health system’s Community Board of Directors, discuss how a “Quality 101” approach helped bridge knowledge gaps between clinicians and board members and why making this transformation interactive leads to stronger strategic alignment and better patient outcomes. <a href="/advancing-health-podcast/2025-04-21-quality-101-how-university-utah-health-strengthens-board-culture-better-patient-outcomes">LISTEN NOW</a> </p><p> </p><div class="raw-html-embed"><div></div></div><p> </p> Mon, 21 Apr 2025 15:19:08 -0500 Board Culture AHA brief: The Board’s Role in Addressing Societal Factors that Influence Health  /news/headline/2024-10-30-aha-brief-boards-role-addressing-societal-factors-influence-health <p>AHA Trustee Services’ latest Boardroom Brief discusses how board members should know the societal factors that influence the health and well-being of the patients and communities their hospital or health system serves and how these factors are being addressed. The brief also highlights four roles boards can play to help their organizations: community connector, leading stakeholder, advocate and advisor. <a href="https://trustees.aha.org/boardroom-brief-boards-role-addressing-societal-factors-influence-health">READ MORE</a> </p> Wed, 30 Oct 2024 15:23:28 -0500 Board Culture AHA podcast: Questions Board Members Should Be Asking to Address Vulnerabilities  /news/headline/2024-10-23-aha-podcast-questions-board-members-should-be-asking-address-vulnerabilities <p>In this conversation, James Liggins, Jr., senior counsel at Warner Norcross + Judd, and vice chair of the board of directors at Bronson Healthcare, discusses his work developing a tool for board members that allows them to effectively understand and address areas of concern for their organizations. <a href="/advancing-health-podcast/2024-10-23-questions-board-members-should-be-asking-address-vulnerabilities"><strong>LISTEN NOW</strong></a></p> Wed, 23 Oct 2024 15:37:54 -0500 Board Culture AHA podcast: How the Board Influences a Culture of Safety  /news/headline/2024-09-05-aha-podcast-how-board-influences-culture-safety <p>The governing board is instrumental in providing leadership and support for the culture of safety in hospitals and health systems. In this conversation, Jamie Orlikoff, the AHA’s national adviser on governance and leadership, discusses how trustees can affect a culture of safety. <a href="https://trustees.aha.org/how-board-influences-culture-safety">LISTEN NOW</a> </p> Thu, 05 Sep 2024 14:19:35 -0500 Board Culture Building Board Readiness for Health Equity /node/694283 <p>Advancing health equity requires that your board of trustees align on the key efforts required to align policies, resources and programs. This survey on Board Readiness for Health Equity can be completed by trustees to establish a sense of how the Board views health equity in four key areas of focus:</p><ol><li>Establishing a Board culture that values diversity, inclusive leadership, and health equity;</li><li>Creating Board accountability for health equity;</li><li>Reviewing key metrics on health equity to inform the Board; and</li></ol><p>This survey was previously published by the AHA Trustee Services. See: <a href="https://trustees.aha.org/board-diversity-survey-advance-health-equity" title="AHA Trustee Services: Building Board Readiness for Health Equity">https://trustees.aha.org/board-diversity-survey-advance-health-equity</a>.</p> Wed, 10 Jul 2024 13:53:48 -0500 Board Culture AHA podcast: Helping Boards Help Rural Hospitals  /news/headline/2024-05-10-aha-podcast-helping-boards-help-rural-hospitals <p>Barbara Sowada, president of the Board of Trustees at Memorial Hospital, discusses the role board members can play in helping rural hospitals and health systems navigate today’s pressing problems, and how the AHA’s resources and educational materials can provide valuable assistance. <a href="/2024-05-10-helping-boards-help-rural-hospitals">LISTEN NOW</a></p> Fri, 10 May 2024 14:23:02 -0500 Board Culture The Board's Role in Advancing Health Equity Strategies /advancing-health-podcast/2021-09-23-boards-role-advancing-health-equity-strategies <p>In this conversation, Sue Ellen Wagner, vice president of AHA Trustee Services, is joined by Carol Lovin, executive vice president, chief integration officer, and system chief of staff at Atrium Health. Atrium Health received the <a href="/press-releases/2021-05-19-american-hospital-association-recognizes-atrium-health-2021-carolyn-boone">2021 AHA Carolyn Boone Lewis Equity of Care Award</a>.</p> <p>Lovin shares how Atrium Health’s board has worked to advance and support health equity strategies across their health system.</p> <hr /> <p> Your browser does not support the audio element. </p> <p><em>If the podcast does not play on this page, <a href="https://trustees.aha.org/system/files/2021-09/Trustee-Podcast-9-10-21_0.wav">play the podcast in a separate browser window</a>.</em></p> <hr /> <p><em>Please note that the views of the presenter do not always reflect the views of the AHA.  </em></p> <p><em>Please contact AHA at <a href="tel:1-800-424-4301">800-424-4301</a> or <a href="mailto:ahahelp@aha.org?subject=Question about The Board's Role in Advancing Health Equity Strategies podcast.">ahahelp@aha.org</a> with questions.</em></p> Thu, 23 Sep 2021 09:28:06 -0500 Board Culture AHA Transformation Talks: Educating the health care board to meet tomorrow’s challenges /news/headline/2021-02-25-aha-transformation-talks-educating-health-care-board-meet-tomorrows <p>Judy Rich, R.N., former AHA Board member and Tucson Medical Center CEO, leads a discussion on how to build formal board development plans that help trustees better understand and more effectively guide health care leaders on current strategic issues. Watch the <a href="/aha-transformation-talks/ep4-board-education">10-minute video</a>, part of <a href="/aha-transformation-talks">AHA’s Transformation Talks</a> series on strategies for reimagining health care.</p> Thu, 25 Feb 2021 14:28:30 -0600 Board Culture Alameda Health System CEO Finley strives to improve population health, affordability and access /news/insights-and-analysis/2019-06-12-alameda-health-system-ceo-finley-strives-improve-population <p>As a chemistry student at Emory University, AHA board member Delvecchio Finley worked part time at Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta in a range of areas — from parking deck security to medical records to admitting patients to the emergency department as a registrar to having a clinical role in a cardiovascular intensive care unit. </p> <p>“I got to see a lot of different perspectives in health care delivery and administration, as well as the operations of a complex facility providing services to patients,” Finley said. “It was a really great experience, and it reinforced that I wanted to be in health care.” </p> <p>Today, he leads Alameda (Calif.) Health System as it works to improve population health and expand services into the community to address the crucial importance of prevention and upstream interventions. He also joined the AHA Board of Trustees this year. </p> <p>“The AHA is devoted to advancing health in our communities, and not just health <em>care</em>,” Finley said. “That really resonates with me — that we’re not seeking to simply advocate for the sustainability of health care enterprises in and of themselves, but we’re doing it as a conduit for making sure we are there to support the establishment and maintenance of health in our community.” </p> <p>To better coordinate care and ensure more seamless experiences for patients, Finley said Alameda is implementing a system-wide electronic health record system, modernizing its records system to better integrate and coordinate care, partnering with community stakeholders to address the community’s health care needs, and aligning physicians “in ways that allow us to be more systematic in our approach to the care that we offer.” </p> <p>As hospitals and health systems strive to transform health care delivery to meet the changing needs of patients, many struggle to keep their doors open to the community and help patients afford the cost of care, Finley said. </p> <p>During his three-year term on the AHA board, he hopes to make health care affordability and accessibility his priorities, as well as working with communities to eliminate health care disparities by addressing the social determinants of health. He also appreciates the opportunity to learn from other board members.</p> <p>“To be able to have that information exchange and knowledge transfer with other board members, and then bring it back to your own community and really accelerate your efforts, that’s been wonderful,” Finley said.<br />  </p> Wed, 12 Jun 2019 09:24:56 -0500 Board Culture