/ en Tue, 12 Aug 2025 20:51:29 -0500 Mon, 11 Aug 25 12:00:00 -0500 /advisory/2025-08-11-new-resources-building-and-maintaining-public-trust-and-confidence <div class="container"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-8"><p>Hospitals’ and health systems’ commitment and passion for improving health and well-being have never been stronger. But public support for hospitals is not guaranteed. In today’s environment, hospitals and health systems often face increased scrutiny, criticism and calls for public accountability. Leaders should be aware of vulnerabilities that can negatively impact the perception of their organization and proactively engage with and educate their communities about the tremendous value their hospital or health system provides.</p><p>To bolster efforts on telling the hospital story while building and strengthening community connections, the AHA is releasing a new resource, “Communications Playbook. The Importance of Telling the Hospital Story: Building and Maintaining Public Trust and Confidence.” The resource was developed as a follow-up to AHA’s board task force on public trust and accountability and offers tangible tools, including conversation guides and sample presentations, along with strategic suggestions for engaging trustees, employees, community leaders, patients and their families in efforts to tell the hospital story. When hospitals communicate proactively and build trust locally, they contribute to a stronger national understanding of the vital role the field plays in improving quality of life.</p><h2>What You Can Do</h2><ul><li><strong>Share the </strong><a href="/system/files/media/file/2025/08/The-Importance-of-Telling-the-Hospital-Story-Building-and-Maintaining-Public-Trust-and-Confidence-Communications-Playbook.pdf" title="The Importance of Telling the Hospital Story: Building and Maintaining Public Trust and Confidence—Communications Playbook PDF"><strong>Communications Playbook</strong></a><strong> with your communications and leadership teams.</strong> Determine which of these strategies you are already implementing and where there are opportunities to foster stronger relationship, as well as reinforce a consistent, compelling story about your hospital or health system’s role in the community.</li><li><strong>Use the </strong><a href="/system/files/media/file/2025/08/telling-the-hospital-story-sample-presentation.pptx" title="Download the Telling the Hospital Story Sample Presentation PPT."><strong>communication templates and presentation assets</strong></a> to highlight your hospital’s impact in conversations and communications with local community members.</li><li><strong>Host a briefing or community forum</strong> using <a href="/system/files/media/file/2025/08/The-Importance-of-Telling-the-Hospital-Story-Building-and-Maintaining-Public-Trust-and-Confidence-Communications-Playbook.pdf#page=15" title="Communications Playbook: Hosting Community Conversations">examples from the playbook</a> to start conversations, gather feedback and strengthen local trust in your hospital’s commitment to local health.</li><li><strong>Review the </strong><a href="/public-trust-and-accountability-self-assessment-tool"><strong>AHA Self-Assessment Tool on Public Trust and Accountability</strong></a> released earlier this year. The self-assessment is an internal tool to assist hospital and health system leaders in assessing vulnerabilities and encourage thinking on opportunities to strengthen public trust.</li><li><strong>Submit your hospital’s community health programs.</strong> AHA has refreshed its <a href="/tellingthehospitalstory" title="Telling the Hospital Story landing page">Telling the Hospital Story initiative</a> to showcase community-based programs and highlight how hospitals are advancing wellness, managing and preventing chronic conditions, and increasing access to fresh, nutritious food — including helping people learn how to prepare it. <a href="/2023-06-23-share-your-hospital-story" title="Share Your Hospital Story webform">Let us tell your story too!</a> Share nutrition initiatives, chronic disease prevention efforts or partnerships with local organizations and be featured in AHA’s storytelling campaign.</li></ul><h2>Further Questions</h2><p>For more information on Telling the Hospital Story, please contact Alicia Mitchell, AHA senior vice president of communications, at <a href="mailto:amitchell@aha.org?subject=RE: Member Advisory: New Resources: Building and Maintaining Public Trust and Confidence">amitchell@aha.org</a>, or Emily Gustafson, AHA vice president of digital strategy and public education, at <a href="mailto:egustafson@aha.org?subject=RE: Member Advisory: New Resources: Building and Maintaining Public Trust and Confidence">egustafson@aha.org</a>.</p></div><div class="col-md-4"><p><a href="/system/files/media/file/2025/08/The-Importance-of-Telling-the-Hospital-Story-Building-and-Maintaining-Public-Trust-and-Confidence-Communications-Playbook.pdf" target="_blank" title="Click here to download the Communications Playbook: The Importance of Telling the Hospital Story: Building and Maintaining Public Trust and Confidence PDF."><img src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Page-1-The-Importance-of-Telling-the-Hospital-Story-Building-and-Maintaining-Public-Trust-and-Confidence-Communications-Playbook.png" data-entity-uuid="56142be5-f647-47b9-9350-50ce2de1ae0f" data-entity-type="file" alt="Communications Playbook: The Importance of Telling the Hospital Story: Building and Maintaining Public Trust and Confidence cover." width="695" height="900"></a></p><div class="external-link spacer"><a class="btn btn-wide btn-primary" href="/system/files/media/file/2025/08/The-Importance-of-Telling-the-Hospital-Story-Building-and-Maintaining-Public-Trust-and-Confidence-Communications-Playbook.pdf" target="_blank" title="Click here to download the Communications Playbook: The Importance of Telling the Hospital Story: Building and Maintaining Public Trust and Confidence PDF.">Download the Communications Playbook PDF</a></div></div></div></div> Mon, 11 Aug 2025 12:00:00 -0500 Communications /state-issues-forum-sif/2023-04-25-state-issues-forum-meeting-april-23-2023 <p class="MsoNormal"><b><span>Meeting Materials</span></b></p> <ul type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal"> <p><a href="/system/files/media/file/2023/04/SIF%20Agenda_Apr%202023_Final.docx"><span>Agenda</span></a></p> </li> <li class="MsoNormal"> <p><a href="/system/files/media/file/2023/04/SIF-%20AHA%20Annual%20Meeting%20Presentaion%20Slides.pdf">Slides from April 2023 Meeting (PDF) </a></p> </li> </ul> Tue, 25 Apr 2023 10:45:05 -0500 Communications /news/headline/2022-12-07-aha-podcast-channel-hits-100000-plays-year <p>The AHA’s “Advancing Health” podcast this week reached 100,000 plays in 2022, establishing itself as among the most popular podcasts produced today addressing the issues facing hospitals, health systems and the wider health field in general. <br />  <br /> Since its launch in November 2018, “Advancing Health” has steadily attracted a growing number of listeners as a trusted source of information and insight on the trends, developments and future projections that affect care providers and patient care. The channel was named #7 on Feedspot’s Top 55 Healthcare Leadership Podcasts to Follow in 2020. </p> <p>It has provided a platform for health care leaders, care providers, regulators, legislators and a wide variety of subject matter experts to build awareness and broaden understanding of the forces that shape the state of health care in our nation. </p> <p>“The rapid growth of ‘Advancing Health’s’ audience is more proof of the demand for reliable, current and relevant information that can help providers to deliver the best possible care, and help people benefit from that care,” said Emily Gustafson, AHA vice president, digital strategy and public education. “We are gratified by the podcast’s success and will continue to work to produce top-notch content that engages and informs our listeners.” <br />  <br /> “Advancing Health” is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, SoundCloud, Stitcher and Google Podcasts. <a href="/advancing-health-podcast"><strong>LISTEN HERE</strong></a></p> Wed, 07 Dec 2022 16:04:00 -0600 Communications /accountability-transforming <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-md-8"> <h2>Introduction</h2> <p>We want to welcome you as you take on another part of the Health Equity Transformation journey. Now that you have received your HETA profile, the fun work of organizational change begins. We have heard from many hospitals and health systems that the greatest challenge is moving forward beyond the proclamation that equity is essential to patient safety and equitable hospital organizations. We have developed this action planner tool to support you in moving across the transformation continuum.</p> <p>Once you have studied and discussed your profile, you will find the links to the appropriate levers that correspond with advancing to your next position on the continuum. As part of this process, you are invited to participate in a community of learners on the equity journey in hospitals and health care systems. Sharing your innovative policies and practices, learnings, questions and accomplishments are some of the features of the Equity Roadmap Journey Community.</p> <p>As your hospital travels across the continuum we have outlined primary deliverables of each position on the continuum below:</p> <p><img alt="Tranformation Continuum. Primary Deliverables: Exploring—Strategic Planning: Develop strategic plans. Committing—Implementation Planning: Develop implementation plan of strategy. Immersing—Leadership Accountability: CEO and management teams integrate learning DEI framework as Standard Operating Procedures. Affirming—Institutionalization: Policies and practices are assessed and monitored for sustaining DEI progress toward goals. 5. Transforming—Investing in the Community Ecosystem: Collaborate with a wide range of representative stakeholders to promote DEI in the communities hospital serves." data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="9e838e87-ac4c-4fd3-824a-36613b15c142" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/TAP-Transformation-Continuum_0.png" width="2875" height="824"></p> <p>Action Planning is a critical step in collectively advancing equity and dismantling structural barriers (e.g., racism, sexism, ageism, etc.) in hospitals and health care systems. This process is designed to support hospitals at every stage of the journey. Some hospitals are just beginning, developing a strategic plan and looking for data to collect, while others have institutionalized equity through policy and practice. Some are collaborating with a wide range of community stakeholders to advance health equity in their ecosystem. Regardless of your starting point, AHA invites you to use the Action Planners to mobilize your leadership, governing body, staff and community toward institutional change. Discover opportunities to change policy and practices that will institutionalize equity in your organization.</p> </div> <div class="col-md-4"> <p><a href="/system/files/media/file/2022/01/equity-roadmap-tap-accountability-transforming.pdf" target="_blank" title="Click here to download the complete Systematic and Shared Accountability: Transforming Transformation Action Planner PDF."><img alt="Systematic and Shared Accountability: Transforming Transformation Action Planner page 1." data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="41f5984d-7ade-4ffb-b25f-66364796f539" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Page-1-equity-roadmap-tap-accountability-transforming.png" width="3971" height="3069"></a></p> </div> </div> </div> Fri, 21 Jan 2022 16:36:35 -0600 Communications /accountability-affirming <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-md-8"> <h2>Introduction</h2> <p>We want to welcome you as you take on another part of the Health Equity Transformation journey. Now that you have received your HETA profile, the fun work of organizational change begins. We have heard from many hospitals and health systems that the greatest challenge is moving forward beyond the proclamation that equity is essential to patient safety and equitable hospital organizations. We have developed this action planner tool to support you in moving across the transformation continuum.</p> <p>Once you have studied and discussed your profile, you will find the links to the appropriate levers that correspond with advancing to your next position on the continuum. As part of this process, you are invited to participate in a community of learners on the equity journey in hospitals and health care systems. Sharing your innovative policies and practices, learnings, questions and accomplishments are some of the features of the Equity Roadmap Journey Community.</p> <p>As your hospital travels across the continuum we have outlined primary deliverables of each position on the continuum below:</p> <p><img alt="Tranformation Continuum. Primary Deliverables: Exploring—Strategic Planning: Develop strategic plans. Committing—Implementation Planning: Develop implementation plan of strategy. Immersing—Leadership Accountability: CEO and management teams integrate learning DEI framework as Standard Operating Procedures. Affirming—Institutionalization: Policies and practices are assessed and monitored for sustaining DEI progress toward goals. 5. Transforming—Investing in the Community Ecosystem: Collaborate with a wide range of representative stakeholders to promote DEI in the communities hospital serves." data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="9e838e87-ac4c-4fd3-824a-36613b15c142" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/TAP-Transformation-Continuum_0.png" width="2875" height="824"></p> <p>Action Planning is a critical step in collectively advancing equity and dismantling structural barriers (e.g., racism, sexism, ageism, etc.) in hospitals and health care systems. This process is designed to support hospitals at every stage of the journey. Some hospitals are just beginning, developing a strategic plan and looking for data to collect, while others have institutionalized equity through policy and practice. Some are collaborating with a wide range of community stakeholders to advance health equity in their ecosystem. Regardless of your starting point, AHA invites you to use the Action Planners to mobilize your leadership, governing body, staff and community toward institutional change. Discover opportunities to change policy and practices that will institutionalize equity in your organization.</p> </div> <div class="col-md-4"> <p><a href="/system/files/media/file/2022/01/equity-roadmap-tap-accountability-affirming.pdf" target="_blank" title="Click here to download the complete Systematic and Shared Accountability: Affirming Transformation Action Planner PDF."><img alt="Systematic and Shared Accountability: Affirming Transformation Action Planner page 1." data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="ef7d5f4b-76e4-4c1b-a986-c95a08e8c91c" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Page-1-equity-roadmap-tap-accountability-affirming.png" width="4180" height="3230"></a></p> </div> </div> </div> Fri, 21 Jan 2022 16:29:11 -0600 Communications /accountability-immersing <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-md-8"> <h2>Introduction</h2> <p>We want to welcome you as you take on another part of the Health Equity Transformation journey. Now that you have received your HETA profile, the fun work of organizational change begins. We have heard from many hospitals and health systems that the greatest challenge is moving forward beyond the proclamation that equity is essential to patient safety and equitable hospital organizations. We have developed this action planner tool to support you in moving across the transformation continuum.</p> <p>Once you have studied and discussed your profile, you will find the links to the appropriate levers that correspond with advancing to your next position on the continuum. As part of this process, you are invited to participate in a community of learners on the equity journey in hospitals and health care systems. Sharing your innovative policies and practices, learnings, questions and accomplishments are some of the features of the Equity Roadmap Journey Community.</p> <p>As your hospital travels across the continuum we have outlined primary deliverables of each position on the continuum below:</p> <p><img alt="Tranformation Continuum. Primary Deliverables: Exploring—Strategic Planning: Develop strategic plans. Committing—Implementation Planning: Develop implementation plan of strategy. Immersing—Leadership Accountability: CEO and management teams integrate learning DEI framework as Standard Operating Procedures. Affirming—Institutionalization: Policies and practices are assessed and monitored for sustaining DEI progress toward goals. 5. Transforming—Investing in the Community Ecosystem: Collaborate with a wide range of representative stakeholders to promote DEI in the communities hospital serves." data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="9e838e87-ac4c-4fd3-824a-36613b15c142" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/TAP-Transformation-Continuum_0.png" width="2875" height="824"></p> <p>Action Planning is a critical step in collectively advancing equity and dismantling structural barriers (e.g., racism, sexism, ageism, etc.) in hospitals and health care systems. This process is designed to support hospitals at every stage of the journey. Some hospitals are just beginning, developing a strategic plan and looking for data to collect, while others have institutionalized equity through policy and practice. Some are collaborating with a wide range of community stakeholders to advance health equity in their ecosystem. Regardless of your starting point, AHA invites you to use the Action Planners to mobilize your leadership, governing body, staff and community toward institutional change. Discover opportunities to change policy and practices that will institutionalize equity in your organization.</p> </div> <div class="col-md-4"> <p><a href="/system/files/media/file/2022/01/equity-roadmap-tap-accountability-immersing.pdf" target="_blank" title="Click here to download the complete Systematic and Shared Accountability: Immersing Transformation Action Planner PDF."><img alt="Systematic and Shared Accountability: Immersing Transformation Action Planner page 1." data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="24e126ec-aa50-4a69-a4e0-811353371691" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Page-1-equity-roadmap-tap-accountability-immersing.png" width="3300" height="2550"></a></p> </div> </div> </div> Fri, 21 Jan 2022 16:18:21 -0600 Communications /accountability-committing <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-md-8"> <h2>Introduction</h2> <p>We want to welcome you as you take on another part of the Health Equity Transformation journey. Now that you have received your HETA profile, the fun work of organizational change begins. We have heard from many hospitals and health systems that the greatest challenge is moving forward beyond the proclamation that equity is essential to patient safety and equitable hospital organizations. We have developed this action planner tool to support you in moving across the transformation continuum.</p> <p>Once you have studied and discussed your profile, you will find the links to the appropriate levers that correspond with advancing to your next position on the continuum. As part of this process, you are invited to participate in a community of learners on the equity journey in hospitals and health care systems. Sharing your innovative policies and practices, learnings, questions and accomplishments are some of the features of the Equity Roadmap Journey Community.</p> <p>As your hospital travels across the continuum we have outlined primary deliverables of each position on the continuum below:</p> <p><img alt="Tranformation Continuum. Primary Deliverables: Exploring—Strategic Planning: Develop strategic plans. Committing—Implementation Planning: Develop implementation plan of strategy. Immersing—Leadership Accountability: CEO and management teams integrate learning DEI framework as Standard Operating Procedures. Affirming—Institutionalization: Policies and practices are assessed and monitored for sustaining DEI progress toward goals. 5. Transforming—Investing in the Community Ecosystem: Collaborate with a wide range of representative stakeholders to promote DEI in the communities hospital serves." data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="9e838e87-ac4c-4fd3-824a-36613b15c142" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/TAP-Transformation-Continuum_0.png" width="2875" height="824"></p> <p>Action Planning is a critical step in collectively advancing equity and dismantling structural barriers (e.g., racism, sexism, ageism, etc.) in hospitals and health care systems. This process is designed to support hospitals at every stage of the journey. Some hospitals are just beginning, developing a strategic plan and looking for data to collect, while others have institutionalized equity through policy and practice. Some are collaborating with a wide range of community stakeholders to advance health equity in their ecosystem. Regardless of your starting point, AHA invites you to use the Action Planners to mobilize your leadership, governing body, staff and community toward institutional change. Discover opportunities to change policy and practices that will institutionalize equity in your organization.</p> </div> <div class="col-md-4"> <p><a href="/system/files/media/file/2022/01/equity-roadmap-tap-accountability-committing.pdf" target="_blank" title="Click here to download the complete Systematic and Shared Accountability: Committing Transformation Action Planner PDF."><img alt="Systematic and Shared Accountability: Committing Transformation Action Planner page 1." data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="64c82dc0-201a-4574-8494-4e782cb4a241" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Page-1-equity-roadmap-tap-accountability-committing.png" width="3806" height="2941"></a></p> </div> </div> </div> Fri, 21 Jan 2022 16:10:18 -0600 Communications /accountability-exploring <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-md-8"> <h2>Introduction</h2> <p>We want to welcome you as you take on another part of the Health Equity Transformation journey. Now that you have received your HETA profile, the fun work of organizational change begins. We have heard from many hospitals and health systems that the greatest challenge is moving forward beyond the proclamation that equity is essential to patient safety and equitable hospital organizations. We have developed this action planner tool to support you in moving across the transformation continuum.</p> <p>Once you have studied and discussed your profile, you will find the links to the appropriate levers that correspond with advancing to your next position on the continuum. As part of this process, you are invited to participate in a community of learners on the equity journey in hospitals and health care systems. Sharing your innovative policies and practices, learnings, questions and accomplishments are some of the features of the Equity Roadmap Journey Community.</p> <p>As your hospital travels across the continuum we have outlined primary deliverables of each position on the continuum below:</p> <p><img alt="Tranformation Continuum. Primary Deliverables: Exploring—Strategic Planning: Develop strategic plans. Committing—Implementation Planning: Develop implementation plan of strategy. Immersing—Leadership Accountability: CEO and management teams integrate learning DEI framework as Standard Operating Procedures. Affirming—Institutionalization: Policies and practices are assessed and monitored for sustaining DEI progress toward goals. 5. Transforming—Investing in the Community Ecosystem: Collaborate with a wide range of representative stakeholders to promote DEI in the communities hospital serves." data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="9e838e87-ac4c-4fd3-824a-36613b15c142" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/TAP-Transformation-Continuum_0.png" width="2875" height="824"></p> <p>Action Planning is a critical step in collectively advancing equity and dismantling structural barriers (e.g., racism, sexism, ageism, etc.) in hospitals and health care systems. This process is designed to support hospitals at every stage of the journey. Some hospitals are just beginning, developing a strategic plan and looking for data to collect, while others have institutionalized equity through policy and practice. Some are collaborating with a wide range of community stakeholders to advance health equity in their ecosystem. Regardless of your starting point, AHA invites you to use the Action Planners to mobilize your leadership, governing body, staff and community toward institutional change. Discover opportunities to change policy and practices that will institutionalize equity in your organization.</p> </div> <div class="col-md-4"> <p><a href="/system/files/media/file/2022/01/equity-roadmap-tap-accountability-exploring.pdf" target="_blank" title="Click here to download the complete Systematic and Shared Accountability: Exploring Transformation Action Planner PDF."><img alt="Systematic and Shared Accountability: Exploring Transformation Action Planner page 1." data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="14c84611-74d9-4fbc-8d89-7df598d365e0" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Page-1-equity-roadmap-tap-accountability-exploring.png" width="3300" height="2550"></a></p> </div> </div> </div> Fri, 21 Jan 2022 15:54:43 -0600 Communications