Perspective

Rick Pollack, president and CEO of the American Hospital Association, standing in front of the AHA seal and a United States flag.

Perspective is a weekly blog from Rick Pollack, president and CEO of the American Hospital Association, that explores the most important issues facing hospitals and health systems.

Americans are ready to move on from COVID-19, but the virus isn’t finished, and hospitals are still feeling the crush of the pandemic.
Hospital and health system leaders from across the country next weekend will begin to arrive in Washington, D.C. for the 2022 AHA Annual Membership Meeting.  We’ve built a program highlighted by nationally recognized speakers — from both sides of the political aisle — and special forums that…
For more than two full years – day in and day out – hospitals and health systems and their front-line caregivers have cared for patients, comforted families and protected communities during this unprecedented public health crisis. 
When it comes to the state of American health care, we have much to be proud of. At the same time, we must also acknowledge that the benefits of our nation’s health care system have not always been equally accessible to all of our citizens.
One month from now, we really hope to see you in Washington, D.C. That’s when our 2022 Annual Membership Meeting kicks off in-person April 24-26 after a three-year pandemic induced hiatus.
There’s no question that health care providers will continue to evaluate the lessons learned from COVID-19 for years to come. One takeaway that few would dispute is that the expanded reach of telehealth has significant implications and potential for expanding access and increased convenience in…
NFL coaching legend Vince Lombardi said, “Individual commitment to a group effort — that is what makes a team work, a company work, a civilization work.”
For the past week, we have seen heartbreaking images from Ukraine, including newborn babies being moved from the neonatal intensive care unit of a hospital to a makeshift bomb shelter in the basement, depicting the devastation of war. 
As Russia attempts to advance its political interests by its invasion of Ukraine through the use of its military, we have also seen stepped up cyberattacks attributed to Russia in recent days on major networks in Ukraine.
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought many new challenges to America’s health care system. It also has exacerbated existing issues that were already in need of attention before the pandemic.