/ en Fri, 25 Apr 2025 21:26:16 -0500 Mon, 21 Apr 25 15:19:08 -0500 /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 /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 /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 /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 /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 /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 /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 /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 /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 /news/chairpersons-file/2018-02-26-chair-file-quality-tools-hospital-boards <p>Quality must be the top priority of any hospital or health system—there simply is no alternative. And it takes all of us working together. Recognizing the critical role trustees play, the AHA has updated and enhanced “<a href="http://trustees.aha.org/quality/2018-trustee-guide.shtml">Eliminating Harm, Improving Patient Care: A Trustee Guide</a>.”<br />  <br /> This valuable resource includes four new video modules, a discussion guide and a self-assessment tool. It’s designed to provide continuing education and guidance to hospital and health system trustees in the journey to improve patient care. As AHA President and CEO Rick Pollack emphasizes in the introductory module, “There’s always room for learning: An informed board is an effective board.”<br />  <br /> The video modules feature hospital and health system leaders, including me, sharing the work and strategic priorities around quality at our organizations. Topics include ongoing board education, how boards can influence quality through a focus on population health, clinical engagement and quality improvement, and the importance of patient and family engagement to improve quality. Each module has three components: preview questions, educational video and key takeaways.<br />  <br /> Since becoming CEO at Carilion Clinic six years ago, I’ve made quality our highest priority. We discuss quality with as much time and reverence as we discuss financials, at all board meetings as well as at all employee and management meetings. Our single, systemwide plan to improve quality includes a commitment to human factors research to reduce the opportunity for human error and a new simulation lab where caregivers and students can practice procedures first before performing them on patients. We’re working hard to improve quality and I know you are, too.<br />  <br /> Thank you for your commitment and work to ensure all patients receive the highest quality care possible.</p> Mon, 26 Feb 2018 10:44:33 -0600 Board Culture