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Thomas Edison once said, “Good fortune is what happens when opportunity meets with planning.”

As hospitals and health systems — and the millions of dedicated individuals who work there — pursue their unwavering mission to provide accessible and affordable quality care for all who need it, it’s more important than ever to be aligned around a clear path forward that allows us to deliver the care that so many people, families and communities depend on. 

This week, at the start of a new year and with new political winds blowing in the nation’s capital, the AHA released our 2025-2027 Strategic Plan, designed to help you tackle the top issues of today and propel us to a future where all individuals reach their highest potential for health.

More than 1,000 hospital and health system leaders, including members of AHA’s Regional Policy Boards, Committees, State, Regional and Metropolitan Hospital Associations, and other key membership groups, provided input and helped shape the plan.

The plan is rooted in four core disciplines — advocacy and representation, thought leadership, knowledge exchange, and agents of change — which define AHA’s approach to providing value to members and advancing our field’s shared goals.

It includes nine principles that serve as the foundation for what we believe the health care ecosystem should be and strategies to help us make progress on our mission of advancing health in America. 

In addition, on the webpage you will find a number of resources the AHA offers to assist members with key strategic planning efforts, including the Environmental Scan, Workforce Scan and . 

American health care has dedicated hospital and health system leaders, clinicians and care teams who strive to push our field forward. But they also know that there is always new knowledge to gain, new boundaries to explore and new ways to improve patient care.

Some of the best opportunities for sharing these strategies and learnings from leaders across the country occur at AHA’s flagship conferences. These include the 2025 AHA Rural Health Care Leadership Conference (Feb. 23-26, San Antonio); 2025 AHA Annual Membership Meeting (May 4-6, Washington, D.C.); (May 19-22, Atlanta); and 2025 AHA Leadership Summit (July 20-22, Nashville).

While we know our health care system faces a number of significant challenges, we also know that we have many opportunities to build a healthier future for our patients and communities. The AHA is proud to support our nation’s hospitals and health systems as they provide 24/7 life-saving care to all patients and lead innovative efforts to advance well-being.

Hospitals and health systems are central to our national health and health care. The AHA is incredibly proud to represent and serve you. We look forward to working together this year and in the future as we continue to advance health in America.