/ en Sat, 26 Apr 2025 01:15:04 -0500 Tue, 30 Apr 24 08:22:47 -0500 /aha-news/2024-04-30-aha-advertorial-unitedhealth-group-too-big-fail <div class="container"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-8"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-3"><img src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Rick-Pollack-headshot_0.jpg" data-entity-uuid="83a3b05f-f091-4e50-a28d-09719239552b" data-entity-type="file" alt="Rick Pollack, president and CEO of the ���������� Association. Headshot." width="243" height="311" class="align-center"><p><strong>Rick Pollack</strong><br>President and CEO<br>���������� Association</p></div><div class="col-md-9"><p>On Feb. 21, the American healthcare system was the victim of the most devastating cyberattack in its history. The direct target of the attack was on Change Healthcare. But the effects were felt far beyond Change. As a result of this attack, patients nationwide struggled to obtain prescriptions and faced delays in scheduling care. Hospitals, physicians, and other providers were not paid for weeks, forcing some to take out high-interest loans to make payroll and keep their doors open so they could continue caring for their communities.</p><p>If you are asking yourself how a cyberattack on a single company could cause such massive damage, you are asking the right question. The answer, however, is stunningly simple. Over the past several years, Change Healthcare’s corporate owner, UnitedHealth Group, has acquired so many companies and spread its tentacles so far throughout the healthcare system that it has become “too big to fail.”</p></div></div><p>UnitedHealth Group’s concentration in the healthcare system is unprecedented. Consider some numbers. UnitedHealth Group is the number 5 company on the Fortune 500 list—topped only by household names like Walmart, Amazon, Exxon, and Apple. Last year, UnitedHealth Group took in over $1 billion a day in revenue and reported $22 billion in profit. If it were a country, it would rank 42 in the world in Gross Domestic Product.</p><p>UnitedHealth Group is not just an insurance company, as many people think of it. It is America’s largest employer of physicians, responsible for 10% of all doctors in the country. It manages over 22% of prescriptions filled in the United States. Beneath its corporate umbrella are urgent care centers, home health agencies, surgical centers, hospices, and much more. It even owns a bank that has more than $22 billion in assets. UnitedHealth Group has so many subsidiaries that, in 2023, it paid itself $136 billion. More than 25% of UnitedHealth Group’s total revenues come from transfers from one side of its balance sheet to another.</p><p>Change Healthcare also has such enormous concentration that it put the entire healthcare system at risk. Change Healthcare is a “clearinghouse”—a middleman that electronically transmits information between providers and insurers. For example, when a hospital submits a claim for an appendectomy, it must travel through a clearinghouse like Change before reaching the insurer. Change is so central to the healthcare infrastructure that it handles 15 billion healthcare transactions annually and touches 1 in every 3 patient records. It processes $2 trillion in health care payments each year—meaning one company has responsibility for more than 44% of all of the dollars flowing through the healthcare system. When the Department of Justice tried to block UnitedHealth Group’s acquisition of Change Healthcare in 2022, it uncovered internal Change Healthcare documents stating: “the healthcare system, and how payers and providers interact and transact, would not work without Change Healthcare.” The past two months have shown just that.</p><p>This week, the CEO of UnitedHealth Group will testify before Congress to address this cyberattack. We know from recent public statements that he will insist that only a company of UnitedHealth Group’s vast size and resources could have restored services so quickly. This is like an arsonist claiming credit for putting out the fire. UnitedHealth Group owned Change Healthcare for 15 months before the attack, and yet its profits did not protect Change Healthcare or allow it to plan for this contingency. Change Healthcare’s market power contributed to providers not having business redundancies in the system. UnitedHealth Group’s and Change Healthcare’s concentrated place in the market is exactly what made them such consequential targets in the first place.</p><p>Congress and policymakers are rightly providing oversight to fortify the health care infrastructure from cyberattacks, and we welcome those discussions. But this incident has surfaced and shined the light on UnitedHealth Group’s size, scope, and singular place in the healthcare ecosystem. We urge Congress and others to examine the notion of “too big to fail” as it affects the delivery of health care for our nation.</p></div><div class="col-md-4"><a href="/system/files/media/file/2024/04/Is-UnitedHealth-Group-Too-Big-To-Fail-advertorial.pdf" target="_blank" title="Click here to download the AHA Advertorial: Is UnitedHealth Group ‘Too Big to Fail’? PDF."><img src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/AHA-Advertorial-Is-UnitedHealth-Group-Too-Big-to-Fail.png" data-entity-uuid="03cfbb6d-176c-4e08-bb75-5fe683ce4b32" data-entity-type="file" alt="A message from America's Hospitals and Health Systems. Is UnitedHealth Group ‘Too Big to Fail’?" width="600" height="525" class="align-center"></a></div></div></div> Tue, 30 Apr 2024 08:22:47 -0500 AHA in the News /aha-news/2023-01-10-aha-advertorial-340b-drug-pricing-program-helps-advance-health-patients-and-communities <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-md-8"> <p><strong>For 30 years, the 340B drug pricing program has helped eligible hospitals offer a wide range of important programs and services that benefit patients and advance health within their communities.</strong></p> <p>The 340B program, which enjoys strong bipartisan support, requires drug companies to sell certain drugs to eligible hospitals at the same discount at which they sell to the government. It is funded through drug company discounts — not taxpayer dollars —and it makes a big difference in vulnerable communities across the country.</p> <p><strong>Many of the programs and services 340B helps hospitals provide may not be possible without the program</strong>. Examples of the 340B program expanding access to care include:</p> <ul> <li>340B helps Meadville Medical Center in Pennsylvania offer oncology, dental and behavioral health services at their rural health clinics.<br>  </li> <li>340B helps Mount Carmel Health System in Ohio offer Street Medicine, which provides free urgent medical care to underinsured or uninsured community members.<br>  </li> <li>340B helps Johns Hopkins Hospital in Maryland provide low-income patients with free and discounted outpatient drugs and other services, including telephone consultations, home visits and transportation services.</li> </ul> <p>These are just a few examples. Each 340B hospital has its own story on how the program is making a measurable difference in its community. In 2019 alone, the most recent year for which this information is available, tax-exempt 340B hospitals provided nearly $68 billion in total benefits to their communities.</p> <p>Although the program is working as Congress intended — “to stretch scarce federal resources as far as possible, reaching more eligible patients and providing more comprehensive services” — drug companies continue to attack the program because it eats into their bottom line.</p> <p><strong>Many drug companies are making record profits while drug prices skyrocket, putting even more pressure on patients and the medical providers who care for them.</strong></p> <ul> <li>According to a Kaiser Family Foundation report, half of all drugs covered by Medicare experienced drug price increases greater than the rate of inflation between 2019 and 2020.<br>  </li> <li>In addition, a report from Kaufman Hall showed that hospitals’ drug expenses increased 37% on a per patient basis between 2019 and 2021.</li> </ul> <p>Factors that have contributed to the growth of the 340B program include the rising costs of drugs, which are solely set by drug companies; Congress expanding the number of hospitals eligible for the program, including to children’s hospitals, cancer centers and hospitals in rural areas; and changes in reporting requirements that increase the number of sites where 340B drugs are prescribed.</p> <p>Other factors include the increased use of outpatient care across the health care field, as well as the increased need for expensive specialty drugs that are often used to treat complex and chronic conditions, like certain cancers and autoimmune diseases.</p> <p><strong>As drug prices continue to rise, 340B continues to be essential in helping hospitals expand access to comprehensive health services, including lifesaving prescription drugs for those who need them but may not be able to afford them.</strong></p> <p>It is in the best interest of all to keep the 340B program strong so that our nation’s patients and communities can continue to receive the high-quality care and services on which they depend.</p> </div> <div class="col-md-4"><a href="/system/files/media/file/2023/01/advertorial-340b-drug-pricing-program-helps-advance-health-for-patients-and-communities-wall-street-journal-1-10-23.pdf"><img alt="AHA Advertorial: 340B Drug Pricing Program Helps Advance Health for Patients and Communities" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid src="/sites/default/files/2023-01/advertorial-340b-drug-pricing-program-helps-advance-health-for-patients-and-communities-wall-street-journal-1-10-23-573px.png"></a></div> </div> </div> Tue, 10 Jan 2023 09:00:00 -0600 AHA in the News /aha-news/2023-01-05-aha-advertorial-strong-hospitals-help-create-healthy-communities <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-md-8"> <p>The mission of all hospitals and health systems, regardless of size and location, is to provide quality care to patients and advance health in their communities.</p> <p>During the last three years of the greatest public health crisis in a century, our nation has seen firsthand how America’s hospitals, health systems and health care workers have stepped up to the plate. They have provided care and comfort to patients and families, delivered essential services to protect communities, and saved thousands – if not millions – of lives.</p> <p>This is what hospitals do each and every day. No person seeking care is turned away from their doors, which are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.</p> <p>Caregivers support newborn babies and their families during the first moments of life. They provide compassionate care to people at the end of their lives. And they are there to support all of us for many moments in between.</p> <p>In addition to delivering care inside of their walls, hospitals and health systems provide services and programs in their communities to advance health and wellness.</p> <p>These efforts are as diverse as the communities they serve and are tailored to meet unique community needs. Some examples include neighborhood health clinics, programs to address food insecurity, affordable housing, behavioral health services and transportation to medical appointments.</p> <p>This is just a part of what distinguishes hospitals and health systems from all other sectors in health care, most of which have no commitment to serving everyone in their community and often delay or deny care.</p> <p>Nonprofit hospitals and health systems provided more than $110 billion in benefits to communities in 2019 – the most recent year data is available – according to a report released last year. The report only examines tax-exempt hospitals and health systems so the $110 billion would be much more if it included benefits that all hospitals provide.</p> <p><strong>While all hospitals and health systems are dedicated to meeting their mission of caring, our field is experiencing significant challenges that are jeopardizing access and services. At the top of the list are workforce shortages and financial challenges.</strong></p> <p>The reality is our nation simply does not have enough clinicians to care for patients today and not enough are in the pipeline to care for an aging population, more complex diseases and increased behavioral health conditions. This is not a new problem, but it certainly has been exacerbated by the pandemic.</p> <p><strong>The AHA has been sounding the alarm and sharing resources to protect and optimize the well-being of health care workers. And we are advocating for policies that will help us to recruit, train and retain the next generation of caregivers.</strong></p> <p>At the same time, hospitals and health systems just concluded the most difficult financial year since the start of the pandemic. Hospitals are seeing exorbitant increases for the costs of caring for patients, including labor, drugs and supplies. More than half of all hospitals were projected to operate at a financial loss in 2022.</p> <p>What do these challenges mean for patients? They could mean longer wait times for care in the emergency department; delays for surgery, imaging and diagnostic services; and having to travel further to receive care, just to name a few. All of these can have long-lasting impacts on a person’s health.</p> <p>While hospitals and health systems are doing all that they can to advance health and wellness, they cannot solve these immense challenges alone. We need a combined effort, including those in government, insurance companies, technology firms, consumers and others, so we can meet today’s challenges and put us on a sustainable path for the future.</p> <p><strong>America needs strong hospitals so we can have healthy and thriving communities. We must support our caregivers and ensure that the care will always be there.</strong></p> </div> <div class="col-md-4"><a href="/system/files/media/file/2023/01/aha-advertorial-strong-hospitals-help-create-healthy-communities-nyt-jan-2023.pdf"><img alt="AHA Advertorial: Strong Hospitals Help Create Healthy Communities" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid src="/sites/default/files/2023-01/cover-aha-advertorial-strong-hospitals-help-create-healthy-communities-nyt-jan-2023.png"></a></div> </div> </div> Thu, 05 Jan 2023 08:40:50 -0600 AHA in the News /aha-news/2022-11-03-advertorial-hospitals-keep-communities-healthy <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-md-8"> <p>The driving mission of all hospitals and health systems, regardless of size and location, is to provide quality and compassionate care to patients and advance health in their communities.</p> <p>During the last three years of the greatest public health crisis of our lifetime, our nation has seen firsthand how America’s hospitals, health systems and health care workers stepped up by caring for patients, providing countless essential services to their communities and saving lives.</p> <p><strong>The fact is America’s hospitals and health systems:</strong></p> <ul> <li><strong>Provide care to all who need it, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.</strong><br>  </li> <li><strong>Provide other services and programs to advance health and wellness and drive research, education and innovation.</strong><br>  </li> <li><strong>Serve as a source of millions of good jobs and as economic anchors in communities across the country.</strong></li> </ul> <p>Beyond administering life-saving and emergency medical care to patients around the clock, all hospitals provide incomparable value to their communities. They also go beyond those essential services by leading initiatives and working in partnership with others to improve and sustain the health of all of those in their communities.</p> <p>These efforts are as diverse as the communities hospitals serve. Some examples include neighborhood health clinics, food banks and programs to address food insecurity, medical research, affordable housing, behavioral health services, transportation to appointments and education to improve health and well-being. Importantly, these benefits are specifically tailored to meet the many varied health needs of the communities the hospital serves.</p> <p>Research underscores the tremendous value hospitals provide to their communities.</p> <ul> <li>Tax-exempt hospitals and health systems alone, which make up about 60% of the field, provided<strong> over $110 billion in community benefits </strong>in 2019, the most recent year data is available.<br>  </li> <li><strong>Benefits to the community are almost nine times the value of their federal tax exemption.</strong><br>  </li> <li><strong>In total, hospitals of all types have provided $745 billion in uncompensated care to patients since 2000.</strong><br>  </li> <li><strong>Hospitals support programs to meet unmet community needs, while absorbing many costs of caring </strong>for the needy and uninsured; provide care through government programs that cover less than the actual cost of care; provide services, such as burn units and neonatal services that typically operate at a financial loss but are essential for patients and communities; and take on administrative costs necessary to comply with overreaching government and commercial insurance company regulation.</li> </ul> <p>Going beyond the statistics, every day there are thousands of examples of hospitals, health systems and caregivers saving lives, providing care for countless injuries and illnesses, and going beyond those critical services to support the health of their communities. These efforts distinguish hospitals and health systems from all other sectors in health care, most of which have no commitment to serving everyone in their community and much too frequently deny or limit care.</p> <p>When people see the blue “H,” they know that there is a hospital always there, ready to care, as we work to advance health in America.</p> </div> <div class="col-md-4"><a href="/system/files/media/file/2022/11/advertorial-hospitals-keep-communities-healthy.pdf"><img alt="Advertorial: Hospitals Keep Communities Healthy" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid src="/sites/default/files/2022-11/cover-advertorial-hospitals-keep-communities-healthy.png"></a></div> </div> </div> Thu, 03 Nov 2022 12:39:36 -0500 AHA in the News /aha-news/2022-08-16-commercial-insurer-policies-can-compromise-patient-safety-and-raise-costs-must <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-md-8"> <p>Hospitals and health systems recognize the importance of commercial health insurance, which millions of Americans rely on to receive coverage. Unfortunately, some commercial insurer policies may hurt patients, contribute to clinician burnout and drive up the cost of care. Here are four examples:</p> <h2>#1: Delaying Authorizations for Patient Care</h2> <p>Doctors often have to get permission from insurance companies before delivering a treatment or service to a patient. This process can be time- and labor-intensive, and delays can lead to the patient’s condition worsening. A government watchdog recently uncovered examples of patient harm from such practices, such as elderly Medicare beneficiaries who waited needlessly in hospital beds for their Medicare Advantage plan to approve their rehab or home health care. Prior authorization used to be applied only to new, costly or high-risk services. Now, many insurers require authorizations for even routine care like insulin for diabetic patients. If the scale and scope weren’t bad enough, many of these requests are wrongfully denied only to be later overturned after arduous appeals processes.</p> <h2>#2: Forcing Patients to First Try Potentially Ineffective Treatments and Therapies</h2> <p>Under step therapy, or “fail first” policies, patients have to first try the commercial insurance company’s preferred treatments and therapies, even when they are not recommended by the patient’s doctor. Only when the insurer’s preferred treatment is shown not to work will the doctor’s recommendation be approved for coverage. These policies lead to unnecessary and wasteful utilization of tests and prescription drugs, and can directly harm patients by delaying the start of effective therapy.</p> <h2>#3: Denying Coverage of Medically Necessary Care</h2> <p>Commercial insurers increasingly deny coverage for care by claiming that it is not medically necessary. In other words, the insurer questions the doctor’s judgement – and, repeatedly, the insurer gets it wrong. These practices lead to foregone or delayed care, as well as unnecessary stress and financial burden for patients. Providers also spend significant time and effort appealing these decisions – time they should be spending at the bedside. Recently, a government watchdog found that 18% of denials by Medicare Advantage plans should have been covered.</p> <h2>#4: Placing Limits on Where Patients Can Access Care</h2> <p>Some commercial insurers limit where patients can get care even when this practice disrupts a patient’s access to their longstanding, innetwork providers. This is increasingly happening for certain surgeries, diagnostics and specialty pharmacy medications administered by clinicians. The insurer requires the patient to go to another provider, often without appropriate quality and safety controls in place. The insurer may benefit financially from referring patients to the new provider, such as specialty pharmacies and ambulatory surgical centers that the insurer owns or is affiliated with.</p> <p><strong>Here’s the bottom line: Patients deserve access to the care they need when they need it. Clinicians should be able to focus their time on providing care instead of going through costly bureaucratic hurdles. Hospitals and health systems will continue to fight to change commercial insurer policies that harm patients, burden our workforce and add unnecessary costs to the system.</strong></p> </div> <div class="col-md-4"><a href="/system/files/media/file/2022/08/commercial-insurer-policies-that-can-compromise-patient-safety-and-raise-costs-must-end-advertorial.pdf"><img alt="Wall Street Journal Advertorial Commercial Insurer Policies That Can Compromise Patient Safety and Raise Costs Must End" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid src="/sites/default/files/2022-08/image-commercial-insurer-policies-that-can-compromise-patient-safety-and-raise-costs-must-end-advertorial.png"></a></div> </div> </div> Tue, 16 Aug 2022 12:02:36 -0500 AHA in the News /aha-news/2022-05-26-advertorial-hospital-challenges-mount-costs-inflation-rise <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-md-8"> <p>America’s hospitals and health systems — and their physicians, nurses, caregivers and teams — have been on the front lines since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic working tirelessly to care for patients, save lives and protect their communities.</p> <p>While we all hope that we are rounding the corner in the battle against COVID-19, we know we are definitely not at the finish line yet.</p> <p>COVID-19 cases have been rising again in nearly every state. Hospitalizations have increased. And the White House recently warned that the U.S. could see 100 million new COVID-19 infections this fall and winter.</p> <p>As hospitals continue to navigate COVID-19, they also are contending with many other significant challenges. These include an exhausted workforce, backlogs of care that was deferred, cracks in the supply chain, and a tsunami of financial challenges that are exerting tremendous pressure on their ability to provide care.</p> <p>A recent AHA report highlights the significant increase in costs of labor, drugs, supplies and equipment — all of which come on top of skyrocketing economy-wide inflation that is at a 40-year high.</p> <p>Some key findings of the report show:</p> <ul> <li>Labor expenses, which generally account for more than 50% of hospitals’ total expenses, increased 19% per patient through 2021 compared to 2019.</li> <li>Average hospital drug expenses in 2021 were 37% higher per patient compared to 2019.</li> <li>Medical supply expenses jumped by 21% per patient through the end of 2021 compared to pre-pandemic levels.</li> </ul> <p>Meanwhile, Medicare and Medicaid, which account for more than 60% of all care provided by hospitals, reimburse hospitals less than the cost of providing care. And their reimbursement rates are non-negotiable.</p> <p>The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, an independent agency that advises Congress on the Medicare program, found that hospitals experienced a -8.5% margin on Medicare services in 2020, and it projects that will fall to -9% in 2022. Combined underpayments from Medicare and Medicaid to hospitals were $100 billion in 2020, up from $76 billion in 2019.</p> <p>Taken together, these challenges threaten access to care for patients and communities in the short term and are unsustainable for the long term.</p> <p>To address some of the immediate needs and ensure access to care, we continue to urge Congress to provide support to hospitals and their caregivers.</p> <p>Among other actions, we are urging Congress to:</p> <ul> <li>Reverse harmful Medicare cuts that resumed in April and will increase on July 1. •</li> <li>Provide additional funding to address lost revenues and increased expenses brought on by the delta and omicron surges.</li> <li>Extend or make permanent critical waivers that have improved patient care.</li> </ul> <p><strong>Hospitals and health systems are the cornerstones of their communities, and patients depend on them for access to care 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We must make sure hospitals have the resources — today, tomorrow and in the future — as we work to advance health in America.</strong></p> </div> <div class="col-md-4"><a href="/system/files/media/file/2022/05/hospital-challenges-mount-as-costs-inflation-rise-advertorial-wsj-5-26-22.pdf"><img alt="Hospital Challenges Mount As Costs, Inflation Rise " data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid src="/sites/default/files/2022-05/image-advertorial-hospital-challenges-mount-as-costs-inflation-rise-wsj-5-26-22.png"></a></div> </div> </div> Thu, 26 May 2022 09:51:07 -0500 AHA in the News /aha-news/2022-04-25-advertorial-supporting-health-care-workers-who-support-all-us-april-25-2022 <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-md-8"> <p>For more than two full years, health care workers have been steadfastly serving on the front lines of the fight against COVID-19, doing all they can to care for patients, comfort families and protect communities.</p> <p>While we are hopeful that the nation may be rounding the corner in the battle against COVID-19, the health care workforce continues to contend with many immediate challenges related to the pandemic, as well as a health care landscape that has been deeply altered.</p> <p>Projections from the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimate U.S. health care organizations will have to fill almost 200,000 open nursing positions every year until 2030. In addition, a study by consulting firm Mercer projected that by 2025, there will be a shortage of more than 400,000 home health aides and 29,400 nurse practitioners. In addition, the Association of American Medical Colleges projects a shortage of between 37,800 and 124,000 physicians.</p> <p>Hospitals and health systems know how invaluable health care workers are. They are the key to quality, compassionate care. Unfortunately, we have seen a growing assault on our workforce.</p> <ul> <li>While workplace violence was an issue prior to the pandemic, it has worsened considerably. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that health care workers accounted for nearly three-quarters of violence-related workplace injuries and illnesses, with hospital workers six times more likely to suffer job violence than private sector workers as a whole.</li> <li>The violence escalated during the COVID-19 pandemic. A survey published in Workplace Health & Safety revealed two-thirds of nurses experienced verbal abuse in early 2020, especially those caring for COVID-19 patients.</li> </ul> <p>The combination of crushing workloads and shocking violence is producing historic levels of stress. More than a third of nurses recently surveyed by one staffing firm said they plan to leave their current jobs by the end of this year.</p> <p>To address workforce shortages, hospitals are intensifying recruiting and retention efforts to attract qualified staff and provide current team members the support they need.</p> <p>We also are working to strengthen existing lines of communication with the front line, creating early warning systems to identify stressors before they become overwhelming, and pursuing innovations to help caregivers work more efficiently.</p> <p>While we may never reduce violence in our hospitals to zero – because we are there to serve in the most challenging settings and circumstances – we can promote a standard of zero tolerance for abusive behavior.</p> <p>Workers who dedicate themselves to saving lives deserve a safe environment – free of violence and intimidation – in which to deliver care.</p> <p>That is the mission of the AHA’s Hospitals Against Violence (HAV) initiative, which works to mitigate violence in health care settings and in the communities we serve.</p> <p>However, we know we must do even more to protect our workforce, and that is why the AHA has asked the U.S. Attorney General to support legislation that would create federal protections from intimidation and assault for health care workers.</p> <p>We will not let up in ensuring nurses and all health care workers feel both safe and satisfied in the vital work they perform. We are more committed than ever to support those who care for our patients.</p> </div> <div class="col-md-4"><a href="/system/files/media/file/2022/04/advertorial-a-message-from-americas-hospital-supporting-the-health-care-workers-who-support-all-of-us-wsj-4-25-22.pdf"><img alt="Wall Street Journal Supporting Those Who Care for Patients" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid src="/sites/default/files/2022-04/image-advertorial-wsj-supporting-the-health-care-workers-who-support-all-of-us-wsj-4-26-22-662.png"></a></div> </div> </div> Mon, 25 Apr 2022 11:24:42 -0500 AHA in the News /aha-news/2022-04-18-supporting-those-who-care-patients <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-md-8"> <p>Tired, exhausted, anxious and burned out. Those are just some of the words health care workers have used to describe what working through a pandemic has been like.</p> <p>Our workforce continues to confront a landscape deeply altered by the pandemic’s effects. This is especially true of nurses, who are essential in all aspects of health care delivery.</p> <p>Hospitals and health systems know how invaluable our workforce is. We cannot provide quality, compassionate patient care without nurses. We are passionate about our profession and purposeful about providing life-saving care. It is no wonder that for 20 years, the public has identified nurses as the most trusted professionals. However, we also know our field is facing unprecedented pressures that require action.</p> <p>Those pressures start with physical and mental strain as nurses feel the weight of critical staffing shortages and a more than two-year battle with COVID-19.</p> <p>At the beginning of the pandemic, we were hailed as heroes but now we face increasing acts of violence and abuse in our workplace.</p> <ul> <li>A survey published in Workplace Health & Safety revealed two-thirds of nurses experienced verbal abuse in early 2020, especially those caring for COVID-19 patients, and 44.4% of nurses encountered physical violence.</li> </ul> <p>Workplace violence was an issue prior to the pandemic. A 2019 survey of more than 5,000 nurses found nearly 6 in 10 had been verbally abused, and 1 in 4 physically assaulted, by patients.</p> <p>The combination of crushing workloads and shocking violence is producing historic levels of stress, trauma and burnout. Hospitals are stepping up to tackle these pivotal issues.</p> <p>To address nursing shortages and resulting burnout, hospitals are intensifying recruiting and retention efforts to attract qualified staff and provide existing team members the support they need. Health leaders are working to open lines of communication, creating early warning systems to identify stressors before they become overwhelming, and pursuing innovations to help caregivers work more efficiently.</p> <p>And while we may never reduce violence in our hospitals to zero – because we are there to serve in the most challenging settings and circumstances – we can insist on zero tolerance for abusive behavior.</p> <p>The AHA has asked the U.S. Attorney General to support legislation that would create federal protections from intimidation and assault for health care workers. <strong>People who dedicate themselves to saving lives deserve a safe environment, free of violence and intimidation.</strong></p> <p>The AHA’s Hospitals Against Violence (HAV) initiative has worked to address violence not just within hospitals and health systems – but also in the communities they serve.</p> <p>Hospitals are taking direct and determined action: from raising risk awareness, to better and more transparent reporting, to wider information-sharing, to investments in security, surveillance and alert notifications.</p> <p>Despite the most trying circumstances, nurses continue to offer healing and consolation, night and day, day-in and dayout. We won’t let up in ensuring nurses feel both safe and satisfied in the vital work they perform. We are more committed than ever to supporting those who care our patients.</p> </div> <div class="col-md-4"><a href="/system/files/media/file/2022/04/supporting-those-who-care-for-patients-advertorial-r-begley-r.pdf"><img alt="USA Today Supporting Those Who Care for Patients" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid src="/sites/default/files/2022-04/supporting-those-who-care-for-patients-advertorial-r-begley-592.png"></a></div> </div> </div> Mon, 18 Apr 2022 13:07:20 -0500 AHA in the News /aha-news/2021-12-02-supporting-health-care-workers-who-supported-all-us <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-md-8"> <p>Health care is, at its core, people caring for people. But the pandemic has strained our health care workforce like never before. The Bureau of Labor Statistics found that hospital employment decreased by almost 100,000 from February 2020 to September 2021, and 30% of health care workers have considered leaving the profession during the pandemic.</p> <p>Stress, trauma, burnout and behavioral health disorders are at historic levels. A recent survey found almost 60% of health care workers reported impacts on their mental health during the COVID-19 response.</p> <p>Our nation simply does not have enough clinicians to care for patients today and not enough are in the training pipeline for the future. Further, the health and well-being of doctors, nurses and all health care workers is on an unsustainable path.</p> <p>Workforce shortages have a direct impact on patient care. While hospitals always prioritize critical services like emergency departments and intensive care units, patients may experience longer waiting times. These delays could lead to additional emergencies or medical complications.</p> <p>Some of these workforce challenges predate the pandemic. The United States could face a shortage of up to 124,000 physicians by 2033, and will need to hire at least 200,000 nurses per year to meet increased demand and replace retiring nurses. These trends – combined with an aging population and rise in chronic diseases – all add up to create a daunting challenge for our entire health care system.</p> <p>Hospitals and health systems are committed to supporting the workforce, preparing them for tomorrow and building a pipeline for the future.</p> <p>Together, we:</p> <ul> <li>Created programs and resources to promote well-being and resiliency for caregivers.</li> <li>Pushed for enactment of the Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act to invest in behavioral health services for health care workers and prevent burnout.</li> <li>Advocated that Congress lift the cap on Medicare-funded physician residencies, boost support for nursing schools and faculty, provide scholarships and loan repayment for certain providers, and expedite visas for all foreign highly trained personnel.</li> <li>Urged the government to investigate possible collusion and price gouging by nurse staffing agencies that are charging hospitals exorbitant prices for travel nurses, taking advantage of the need for nurses to pad the agencies’ bottom lines.</li> <li>Supported state efforts to expand scope of practice laws allowing health professionals to practice at the top of their licenses, and trained teams on new models to improve the delivery of care.</li> <li>Are working to hold commercial health insurance companies accountable for abusing prior authorization and other practices that increase clinician burnout and harm patient access to care.</li> </ul> <p><strong>The bottom line: This national emergency demands immediate attention from policymakers at every level of government.</strong></p> <p>The people of our nation’s workforce have proven to be the real health care heroes – not only over these past two years in the fight against COVID-19, but every single day as they provide care, comfort and compassion. Hospitals and health systems are committed to going the extra mile for them.</p> </div> <div class="col-md-4"><a href="/system/files/media/file/2021/12/WSJ-Supporting-the-Health-Care-Workers-Who-Supported-All-of-Us-1221.pdf"><img alt="Wall Street Journal Advertorial Supporting the Health Care Workers Who Supported All of Us" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b1ecc6c7-05d9-4855-8636-a3aa3a769c74" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/WSJ-Supporting-the-Health-Care-Workers-Who-Supported-All-of-Us-1221.png" width="2000" height="3000"></a></div> </div> </div> Thu, 02 Dec 2021 07:39:56 -0600 AHA in the News /aha-news/2021-05-18-value-health-systems-shown-clearly-during-pandemic <div class="container"> <div class="row"> <div class="col-md-8"> <p>As our nation emerges slowly from the devastating effects of the pandemic, the value of America’s hospitals and health systems—and the women and men who work there—has never been more clear. Whether treating patients with compassion and bravery, providing life-saving care or stepping in to plug the gaps in the nation’s ailing public health infrastructure in other ways, hospitals and health systems were there for all of us when we needed them the most.</p> <p>This commitment to caring remains steadfast even as the financial fall-out of the COVID-19 crisis is far from over. The grim reality is that many hospitals and health systems faced tough financial situations before this global pandemic arrived and that strain has only gotten worse.</p> <p>One of the many ways hospitals are continuing to meet the mission of advancing health in America is through building integrated systems of care. This enabled them to build the financial and staffing resources needed to quickly stand up and maintain intensive care units when the pandemic hit and also provide access to a wider range of services. Scale also enabled them to find and purchase large amounts of protective equipment needed to help keep their caregivers and other patients safe from the virus.</p> <p>During the pandemic we saw hospitals caring for their communities in tremendous ways, but many were doing so under pressure and some at risk of closure. That would have threatened access to health care for many Americans. Being part of an integrated system of care kept hospitals operating, especially those in rural areas, that otherwise might have succumbed to the devastating financial effects of the virus. While we appreciate the support from Congress thus far, hospitals and health systems will continue to fight as long as it takes – we will continue to care for those who depend on us — but we need the tools and resources to win this battle.</p> <ul> <li>Hospitals are projected to lose between $53 billion and $122 billion in revenue in 2021. This comes on top of losses of $320 billion in 2020 and full recovery is years away.</li> <li>More than 100 rural hospitals have closed since 2013 and more likely would have without the benefit of being part of an integrated system of care.</li> </ul> <p>Being a part of an integrated health system can provide a lifeline of financial and professional support for some hospitals in some communities. Many health systems were able to respond rapidly to the evolving crisis, expanding telemedicine services, developing and enhancing testing, and igniting innovations that improved care delivery and advanced other clinical services for patients. For example:</p> <ul> <li>Advocate Aurora Health in Illinois and Wisconsin was able to move staff among its hospitals to those that were experiencing surges in their emergency departments, critical care, medical and surgical units.</li> <li>OhioHealth staffing and system support readiness provided ready access to COVID-19 testing when it could be hard to find elsewhere, and ramped up quickly to vaccinate 5,000 people per day.</li> </ul> <p>Integrated health systems have the critical scale, resources and expertise needed to decrease costs and enhance quality for patients and communities. They respond to patients’ needs with alternate sites of care making access more convenient.</p> <p><strong>Simply put: integration can lead to meaningful benefits for patients and help hospitals best serve the health needs of their communities.</strong></p> </div> <div class="col-md-4"> <div class="external-link spacer"><a class="btn btn-wide btn-primary" href="/bibliographylink-page/2018-04-20-value-hospital-mergers" target="_blank" title="Click here to see a collection of resources that show the value of hospital mergers.">View More Resources on the Value of Hospital Mergers</a></div> <div class="external-link spacer"><a class="btn btn-wide btn-primary" href="/system/files/media/file/2021/05/advert-rpollack-WSJ-0521.pdf" target="_blank" title="Click here to download the Key Messages on Consolidation PDF.">Download Advertorial PDF</a></div> </div> </div> </div> Tue, 18 May 2021 10:20:25 -0500 AHA in the News