/ en Fri, 25 Apr 2025 09:39:08 -0500 Tue, 22 Apr 25 06:15:00 -0500 /center/community-health-improvement-week Sat, 25 May 2024 08:00:00 -0500 AHA Center for Health Innovation /aha-center-health-innovation-market-scan/2025-04-22-how-unleash-power-health-related-social-needs-data <div class="container"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-8"><img src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/How-to-Unleash-the-Power-of-Health-Related-Social-Needs-Data_0.png" data-entity-uuid="721ea50f-f258-434c-98ff-41f6690b032f" data-entity-type="file" alt="How to Unleash the Power of Health-Related Social Needs Data. Trailblazers report. Driving the Drivers: How hospitals and health systems can leverage technology and workflow optimization to address health-related social needs. Download the report." width="100%" height="100%"><p>Capturing health-related social needs (HRSN) data effectively and efficiently helps provider organizations leverage these data to meet the Quadruple Aim objectives: enhancing the patient experience, improving population health, reducing costs and improving the work life of health care providers.</p><p>Connecting patients with the resources they need to experience better health outcomes is a vital part of the HRSN screening process. With the right technology and resources, hospitals and health systems can identify inefficiencies and close gaps that could challenge the successful conclusion of that journey.</p><p>A new AHA Market Scan Trailblazers report, <a href="/aha-center-health-innovation-market-scan/2025-04-21-driving-drivers">“Driving the Drivers,”</a> explores how providers can leverage technology and workflow optimization to improve HRSN screening and connect patients with resources to address their health-related social needs.</p><h2>Personalize Care Connections</h2><p>Deploying enterprise technology that scales across the entire health system can connect patients with the right social network programs and resources and aid in tracking low-risk, rising-risk and high-risk populations. Key benefits of this approach include:</p><ul><li><strong>Send and track closed-loop referrals from start to finish to see whether patients obtained services.</strong></li><li><strong>Share personalized resource lists with patients, giving them easy access to the support they need.</strong></li><li><strong>Find and share tailored resources that meet each patient’s unique care needs.</strong></li></ul><p>By integrating HRSN data into electronic health records (EHRs), providers can identify patterns and trends at scale across communities that may not be immediately evident when considering individual medical data alone.</p><p>Overall, EHR and HRSN data integration support a holistic approach to health care. This empowers organizations across the care continuum to address population health challenges at a systemic level. By recognizing and responding to HRSN efficiently, proactively and at scale, providers can reduce health care costs and better manage population health outcomes.</p><h2>Standardize HRSN Data Management</h2><p>New Mexico-based Presbyterian Healthcare Services (PHS) has standardized its approach to automating HRSN screening, reaping multifold benefits in the process.</p><p>Toni Grinstead, health equity consultant and senior program manager for community health, oversees Presbyterian’s initiatives to address social drivers of health, including an automated health-related social needs screening workflow. Leigh Caswell, vice president for community and health equity, oversees the network’s community health worker team and its social needs screening and referral work.</p><p>Before automating the HRSN screening process, Grinstead and Caswell describe the health system’s approach as “scattershot.”</p><p>Some of PHS’ clinic sites still used paper, rather than their EHR tool, to screen patients. That created a twofold data entry problem. Clinicians or support staff sometimes would enter data inaccurately into the EHR system or not at all if paper screens went missing. Other challenges included the lack of standardized workflows to screen all patients across all settings and the lack of integrated screening results into the EHR system and each patient’s EHR.</p><h2>Harness the Power of HRSN Data</h2><p>With PHS conducting more than 1.5 million HRSN screenings annually across nine hospitals, 40 primary or specialty clinics and five urgent care centers, effectively managing these data became critically important.</p><p>In early 2024, PHS migrated to an automated approach to managing HRSN screening data. Three systems — HRSN screening, EHR and portal — now work in concert to power the HRSN screening process as part of routine health care. This approach eliminated paper screenings, standardized screening workflows across care sites and integrated patients’ HRSN screening data into their EHRs and patient portals.</p><p>“Having technology support our [HRSN] efforts is really powerful. We know a lot more about what our communities need. We know a lot more about what resources exist in our communities. Now we can use those data to influence policy and investment at the state level and at the local level,” Caswell says.</p><p>Patients now can answer HRSN screening questions through the patient portal before scheduled visits, eliminating that responsibility from busy clinicians and clinical support staff. Screening workflows now are standard across all sites of care.</p><p>PHS asks 12 questions in eight HRSN domains: housing, food, transportation, utilities, interpersonal violence, alcohol use, substance use and tobacco use. Screening results now appear directly in patients’ records, enabling the care team to determine if patients are experiencing a social need. If so, the system automatically generates a list of recommended resources in patients’ after-visit summaries directly within the EHR.</p><p>“Because everything is interoperable, the technology allows us to screen patients every six months, and every person who interacts with that patient has access to those data,” Grinstead says. “Patients [and caregivers] don’t have to answer the same questions over and over again during an episode of care. That improves the patient experience and the caregiver experience.”</p><p><a href="/aha-center-health-innovation-market-scan/2025-04-21-driving-drivers"><strong>Download the full Trailblazers report</strong></a> to learn more about the power of automating the HRSN screening and data management process and explore how Yale New Haven Health has improved its workflow efficiency.</p></div><div class="col-md-4"><p><a href="/center" title="Visit the AHA Center for Health Innovation landing page."><img src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/logo-aha-innovation-center-color-sm.jpg" data-entity-uuid="7ade6b12-de98-4d0b-965f-a7c99d9463c5" alt="AHA Center for Health Innovation logo" width="721" height="130" data-entity- type="file" class="align-center"></a></p><p><a href="/center/form/innovation-subscription"><img src="/sites/default/files/2019-04/Market_Scan_Call_Out_360x300.png" data-entity-uuid data-entity-type alt width="360" height="300"></a></p></div></div></div>.field_featured_image { position: absolute; overflow: hidden; clip: rect(0 0 0 0); height: 1px; width: 1px; margin: -1px; padding: 0; border: 0; } .featured-image{ position: absolute; overflow: hidden; clip: rect(0 0 0 0); height: 1px; width: 1px; margin: -1px; padding: 0; border: 0; } h2 { color: #9d2235; } Tue, 22 Apr 2025 06:15:00 -0500 AHA Center for Health Innovation /aha-center-health-innovation-market-scan/2025-04-22-rapidly-advancing-multiagent-ai-apps-could-reshape-operations-efficiency <div class="container"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-8"><img src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Rapidly-Advancing-Multiagent-AI-Apps-Could-Reshape-Operations-Efficiency.png" data-entity-uuid="78a574f0-a506-4bf8-bce7-bcc34cf956e7" data-entity-type="file" alt="Rapidly Advancing Multiagent AI Apps Could Reshape Operations Efficiency. Artificial Intelligence (AI) head surrounded by medical icons." width="1200" height="677"><p>Early adopters in health care have begun to capitalize on artificial intelligence (AI) advancements by moving from chatbots to single-agent and multiagent systems working across multiple functions.</p><p>AI agents hold transformative potential to accelerate the evolution of health care by augmenting decision-making, personalizing care and automating repetitive tasks, Biju Samkutty, chief operating officer of international and enterprise automation at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, recently noted in an <a href="https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/healthcare-information-technology/ai/healthcare-enters-ai-agent-era/" target="_blank" title="Becker's Hospital Review: Healthcare enters AI agent era">interview</a>.</p><p>These agents can analyze large amounts of patient data, including medical histories, imaging and genetic profiles, to provide clinicians with real-time, evidence-based insights.</p><p>Beyond clinical applications, AI agents can optimize health care operations, improving efficiency and accessibility. Google Cloud, for example, recently launched a couple of <a href="https://cloud.google.com/blog/products/ai-machine-learning/build-and-manage-multi-system-agents-with-vertex-ai?e=48754805" target="_blank" title="Google Cloud: Vertex AI offers new ways to build and manage multi-agent systems">new tools</a> and services in its Vertex AI platform. The launches include an agent development kit and Agent2Agent protocol that enable a multiagent ecosystem. Google's cloud division also unveiled enhancements to Agentspace, a platform announced in December that provides AI-enabled search capabilities and agents to enterprise customers.</p><p>The tech giant also announced its Agent Garden, a hub where organizations can access pre-built AI agents.</p><p>AI purpose-built agents are rapidly advancing, Aashima Gupta, global director of health care strategy and solutions at Google Cloud, recently told Fierce Healthcare.</p><p>Google sees AI agents as intelligent collaborators that can streamline operations, increase efficiency and improve patient care. Multiagent AI systems are seen as the next frontier in health care.</p><p>Even as many providers are still honing their AI strategies, Hackensack Meridian Health in New Jersey is implementing AI agents and search tools to cut the time spent on administrative tasks, simplify workflows and improve patient care.</p><p>Hackensack Meridian foresees using agents to improve the patient scheduling experience, though the system isn’t fully there yet, Sameer Sethi, the health system’s chief AI and insights officer, noted in a <a href="https://www.healthcaredive.com/news/google-cloud-ai-agentic-tools/744902/" title="Heathcare Dive: Google Cloud expands AI agent tools for healthcare" target="">Healthcare Dive interview</a>.</p><p>He envisions agents managing complex scheduling situations, such as when a patient needs an appointment with an orthopedic doctor, a ride to the office, an available wheelchair or assistance picking up medications. While the health system offers those services, it typically would take separate calls to arrange them — while agents could collaborate to handle those requests.</p><p>“That is how we think about agentic space,” Sethi says. “We are orchestrating different activities and different technologies to all work together.”</p></div><div class="col-md-4"><p><a href="/center" title="Visit the AHA Center for Health Innovation landing page."><img src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/logo-aha-innovation-center-color-sm.jpg" data-entity-uuid="7ade6b12-de98-4d0b-965f-a7c99d9463c5" alt="AHA Center for Health Innovation logo" width="721" height="130" data-entity- type="file" class="align-center"></a></p><p><a href="/center/form/innovation-subscription"><img src="/sites/default/files/2019-04/Market_Scan_Call_Out_360x300.png" data-entity-uuid data-entity-type alt width="360" height="300"></a></p></div></div></div>.field_featured_image { position: absolute; overflow: hidden; clip: rect(0 0 0 0); height: 1px; width: 1px; margin: -1px; padding: 0; border: 0; } .featured-image{ position: absolute; overflow: hidden; clip: rect(0 0 0 0); height: 1px; width: 1px; margin: -1px; padding: 0; border: 0; } h2 { color: #9d2235; } Tue, 22 Apr 2025 06:00:00 -0500 AHA Center for Health Innovation /2025-04-15-3-ways-ai-could-aid-behavioral-health-screenings <div class="container"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-8"><img src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/3-Ways-AI-Could-Aid-Behavioral-Health-Screenings.png" data-entity-uuid="2e87914e-4e41-4bf3-b5bc-6aeed9b0307f" data-entity-type="file" alt="3 Ways AI Could Aid Behavioral Health Screenings. A woman suffering from behavioral health issues is assisted by an artificial intelligence (AI) bot." width="1200" height="751"><p>Using artificial intelligence (AI) to supplement traditional behavioral health screenings is gaining momentum in primary care.</p><p>Some areas being explored include: predicting risks among adolescents that they could experience mental illness; reducing readmissions by screening patients and treating if they test positive for opioid-use disorder; and implementing AI therapy chatbots to supplement cognitive therapy.</p><p>The tools typically are designed to address common challenges providers face, such as improving efficiency and workforce shortages. And while many of these applications can extend access to care, they are not a replacement for providers. Here are several recent developments that caught our eye.</p><h2><span><img src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Brain.png" data-entity-uuid="e427e822-33d7-4e9b-a979-b438d55372ee" data-entity-type="file" alt="Predicting Risks, Potential Causes of Adolescent Mental Illness, Brain." width="75" height="98" class="align-left">1</span> <span>|</span> Predicting Risks, Potential Causes of Adolescent Mental Illness</h2><p>An <a href="https://corporate.dukehealth.org/news/ai-model-predicts-risks-and-potential-causes-adolescent-mental-illness" target="_blank" title="Duke Health: AI Model Predicts Risks and Potential Causes of Adolescent Mental Illness">AI model</a>, developed by Duke Health researchers, accurately predicted when adolescents were at high risk for future serious mental health issues before symptoms become severe.</p><p>Unlike prior models that primarily rely on existing symptoms, the AI model identified underlying causes, such as sleep disturbances and family conflict, as indicators to prescribe preventive interventions. The capability to identify early warning signs and proactively intervene with prophylactic treatments could greatly expand access to mental health services, with assessments and care available through primary care providers, researchers said.</p><p>The AI model could be used in primary care settings, enabling pediatricians and other providers to know immediately whether the child in front of them is at high risk and empowering them to intervene before symptoms escalate, notes Jonathan Posner, M.D., professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Duke and senior author of a <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-025-03560-7" target="_blank" title="Nature Medicine: Prediction of mental health risk in adolescents">study published recently in Nature Medicine</a>.</p><p>Posner and colleagues analyzed psychosocial and neurobiological factors associated with mental illness using data from an ongoing study that conducted psychosocial and brain development assessments of more than 11,000 children over five years.</p><p>Using AI, the researchers built a neural network — a model that mimics brain connections — to predict which children would transition from lower to higher psychiatric risk within a year. That model then is used to score a questionnaire that ranks responses from the patient or parent about current behaviors, feelings and symptoms, to predict the likelihood of an escalation.</p><h3>Takeaway</h3><p>The model was 84% accurate in identifying patients in the study whose illness escalated within the next year, the study found. Duke researchers analyzed an alternative model that identified the potential mechanisms that might lead to or trigger worsening mental illness. With an accuracy rate of 75%, the new modeling system’s ability to identify underlying causes can alert doctors and families to potential interventions, researchers conclude.</p><h2><span><img src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Opioids.png" data-entity-uuid="67dde24e-842c-45f8-8349-63c8a0f78794" data-entity-type="file" alt="Reducing Readmissions by Screening for Opioid-Use Disorder. Opioid pills and capsules." width="75" height="98" class="align-left">2</span> <span>|</span> Reducing Readmissions by Screening for Opioid-Use Disorder</h2><p>The National Institutes of Health April 3 released a <a href="https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/ai-screening-opioid-use-disorder-associated-fewer-hospital-readmissions" target="_blank" title="National Institutes of Health (NIH): AI screening for opioid use disorder associated with fewer hospital readmissions">study</a> that found that an AI intelligence screening tool was as effective as health care providers in identifying hospitalized adults at risk for opioid-use disorder and referring them to inpatient addiction specialists.</p><p>When compared with patients who received consultations with providers, patients screened by AI had 47% lower odds of hospital readmission within 30 days after their initial discharge, saving nearly $109,000 in care costs.</p><p>The study, published in Nature Medicine, reports the results of a completed clinical trial, demonstrating AI’s potential to affect patient outcomes in real-world health care settings. The study suggests that investment in AI may be a promising strategy specifically for health systems seeking to increase access to addiction treatment while improving efficiencies and saving costs.</p><p>The AI screener was built to recognize patterns in data, like how our brains process visual information. It analyzed information within all the documentation available in the electronic health records in real time, such as clinical notes and medical history, to identify features and patterns associated with opioid-use disorder. Upon identification, the system issued an alert to providers when they opened patients’ medical charts with recommendations to order addiction medicine consultation and to monitor and treat withdrawal symptoms.</p><h3>Takeaway</h3><p>The trial found that AI-prompted consultation was as effective as provider-initiated consultation, ensuring no decrease in quality while offering a more scalable and automated approach. Specifically, the study showed that 1.51% of hospitalized adults received an addiction medicine consultation when health care professionals used the AI screening tool, compared with 1.35% without the assistance of the AI tool. Additionally, the AI screener was associated with fewer 30-day readmissions, with approximately 8% of hospitalized adults in the AI screening group being readmitted to the hospital, compared with 14% in the traditional provider-led group.</p><h2><span><img src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Chatbot.png" data-entity-uuid="63b600b4-552e-4fe7-a435-766d68b69d71" data-entity-type="file" alt="Deploying AI Therapy Chatbots vs. Standard Cognitive Therapy. Chatbot." width="75" height="98" class="align-left">3</span> <span>|</span> Deploying AI Therapy Chatbots vs. Standard Cognitive Therapy</h2><p>Generative AI (GenAI) chatbots hold promise for building highly personalized, effective mental health treatments at scale, while also addressing user engagement and retention issues common among digital therapeutics, notes a recent <a href="https://ai.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/AIoa2400802" target="_blank" title="NEJM AI: Randomized Trial of a Generative AI Chatbot for Mental Health Treatment">NEJM AI study</a>.</p><p>The randomized-control trial study of Therabot by Dartmouth College researchers found “significantly greater reductions of symptoms” for major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and those at high risk for eating disorders.</p><p>Trial participants felt they could trust the therapy chatbot to a degree that was comparable to working with a real therapist, notes a press release from Dartmouth.</p><h3>Takeaway</h3><p>Fine-tuned GenAI chatbots offer a feasible approach to delivering personalized mental health interventions at scale, but further research with larger clinical samples is needed to confirm their effectiveness and generalizability, the study notes.</p><p>Michael Heinz, M.D., the study’s first author and an assistant professor of psychiatry at the Dartmouth College Center for Technology and Behavioral Health and the Geisel School of Medicine, said that “no generative AI agent is ready to operate fully autonomously in mental health.” He highlighted, “We still need to better understand and quantify the risks associated with generative AI used in mental health contexts.”</p><hr><h2>Learn More</h2><p>Visit the <a href="/advocacy/access-and-health-coverage/access-behavioral-health">AHA Behavioral Health website</a> to access a wealth of resources, including reports on child and adolescent mental health, rural behavioral health issues and more. Also, read the AHA Insights report <a href="/center/emerging-issues/market-insights/ai/building-and-implementing-artificial-intelligence-action-plan-health-care">“Building and Implementing an Artificial Intelligence Action Plan for Health Care”</a> for information on how AI can transform your operations.</p></div><div class="col-md-4"><p><a href="/center" title="Visit the AHA Center for Health Innovation landing page."><img src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/logo-aha-innovation-center-color-sm.jpg" data-entity-uuid="7ade6b12-de98-4d0b-965f-a7c99d9463c5" alt="AHA Center for Health Innovation logo" width="721" height="130" data-entity- type="file" class="align-center"></a></p><p><a href="/center/form/innovation-subscription"><img src="/sites/default/files/2019-04/Market_Scan_Call_Out_360x300.png" data-entity-uuid data-entity-type alt width="360" height="300"></a></p></div></div></div>.field_featured_image { position: absolute; overflow: hidden; clip: rect(0 0 0 0); height: 1px; width: 1px; margin: -1px; padding: 0; border: 0; } .featured-image{ position: absolute; overflow: hidden; clip: rect(0 0 0 0); height: 1px; width: 1px; margin: -1px; padding: 0; border: 0; } h2 { color: #9d2235; } h3 { color: #9d2235; } Tue, 15 Apr 2025 06:15:00 -0500 AHA Center for Health Innovation /aha-center-health-innovation-market-scan/2025-04-15-future-hospital-data-could-be-simple-asking-question <div class="container"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-8"><p><img src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/The-Future-of-Hospital-Data-Could-Be-as-Simple-as-Asking-a-Question.png" data-entity-uuid="b35df2e0-00da-4ee8-8f2a-f38e0b87f9db" data-entity-type="file" alt="The Future of Hospital Data Could Be as Simple as Asking a Question. A user of AHA DataQuery AI builds a report from hospital data included in the platform." width="1200" height="569"></p><p>In a field as complex and vital as health care, access to information isn't just a matter of convenience — it’s often the difference between reactive decisions and forward-looking strategy. Yet for decades, even the best data come with a caveat: It takes expertise, time and tools to extract meaning from the numbers.</p><p>Now, with the emergence of generative AI, that dynamic is shifting. <a href="https://www.ahadata.com/dataquery-ai" target="_blank" title="AHA DataQuery AI landing page">AHA DataQuery AI™</a> builds on the ���������� Association’s <a href="https://www.ahadata.com/aha-annual-survey-database" target="_blank" title="AHA Data & Insights: AHA Annual Survey Database landing page">annual survey data</a>, offering insights into more than 6,200 hospitals and 400 health systems. With more than 1,300 data points, the database covers a broad spectrum of information, including hospital demographics, service-line offerings, staffing models and population health services. These data are rigorously collected and verified, ensuring that they remain the most reliable resource for understanding the nation’s hospitals.</p><p>AHA DataQuery AI transforms how users can engage with this robust data set. Instead of combing through files or assembling pivot tables, users simply can type a question — about service availability, leadership changes, technology adoption or workforce staffing — and receive precise, source-verified answers. It can compare hospital activity across regions, visualize trends in telehealth or staffing models and reveal patterns to guide proactive decisions.</p><p>But perhaps more notable than the speed is the transparency. Each response is accompanied by full access to the underlying data and the methodology used to generate the results. This ensures not just speed, but also confidence in the quality and reliability of the insights.</p><p>The data remain the same — the AHA’s deeply vetted survey data, updated annually, augmented with Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services cost reports. What’s different is how easily the data are now accessible to the people who need it most: those planning services, shaping policy or preparing for the future of health care.</p><p><a href="https://www.ahadata.com/dataquery-ai" target="_blank" title="AHA Data & Insights: AHA DataQuery AI landing page">Learn more and explore how it works.</a></p></div><div class="col-md-4"><p><a href="/center" title="Visit the AHA Center for Health Innovation landing page."><img src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/logo-aha-innovation-center-color-sm.jpg" data-entity-uuid="7ade6b12-de98-4d0b-965f-a7c99d9463c5" alt="AHA Center for Health Innovation logo" width="721" height="130" data-entity- type="file" class="align-center"></a></p><p><a href="/center/form/innovation-subscription"><img src="/sites/default/files/2019-04/Market_Scan_Call_Out_360x300.png" data-entity-uuid data-entity-type alt width="360" height="300"></a></p></div></div></div>.field_featured_image { position: absolute; overflow: hidden; clip: rect(0 0 0 0); height: 1px; width: 1px; margin: -1px; padding: 0; border: 0; } .featured-image{ position: absolute; overflow: hidden; clip: rect(0 0 0 0); height: 1px; width: 1px; margin: -1px; padding: 0; border: 0; } h2 { color: #9d2235; } Tue, 15 Apr 2025 06:00:00 -0500 AHA Center for Health Innovation /aha-center-health-innovation-market-scan/2025-04-21-driving-drivers <div class="raw-html-embed"> </div><div> /* Banner_Title_Overlay_Bar */ .Banner_Title_Overlay_Bar { position: relative; display: block; overflow: hidden; max-width: 1170px; margin: 0px auto 25px auto; } .Banner_Title_Overlay_Bar h1 { position: absolute; bottom: 40px; color: #003087; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, .8); width: 100%; padding: 20px 40px; font-size: 3em; box-shadow: 0 3px 8px -5px rgba(0, 0, 0, .6); } @media (max-width:991px) { .Banner_Title_Overlay_Bar h1 { bottom: 0px; margin: 0px; font-size: 2.5em; } } @media (max-width:767px) { .Banner_Title_Overlay_Bar h1 { font-size: 2em; text-align: center; text-indent: 0px; padding: 10px 20px; } } @media (max-width:530px) { .Banner_Title_Overlay_Bar h1 { position: relative; background-color: #63666A22; } } /* Banner_Title_Overlay_Bar // */ <header class="Banner_Title_Overlay_Bar"><img src="/sites/default/files/2024-01/Trailblazers_Amazon_banner_1170x250.png" alt="Cover of Driving the Drivers: How hospitals and health systems can leverage technology and workflow optimization to address health-related social needs" width="1168" height="250"><div><h1>Driving the Drivers</h1></div></header></div> h2{ margin-top: 0px; } p.center_Intro { color: #002855; line-height: 1.2em; font-size: 30px; margin: 10px 0 25px 0; font-weight: 700; font-size: 2em; } p.center_Lead { color: #63666A; font-weight: 300; line-height: 1.4; font-size: 21px; } <div class="row"><div class="col-sm-8"><h2>How hospitals and health systems can leverage technology and workflow optimization to address health-related social needs.</h2><p>Addressing a patient’s social care needs can be a challenging journey for hospitals and health systems. It begins with screening a patient for health-related social needs (HRSN) and, ideally, ends with the patient being connected to the resources they need to experience better health outcomes.</p><p>How can hospitals and health systems reduce those gaps in the HRSN journey for themselves, their clinicians, their staff and, most importantly, their patients and communities? Technology-driven automation is the answer.</p><p>Screening patients for HRSN needs and using those data hit the four targets in the Quadruple Aim. It’s the people who use technology-driven automation to improve SDOH screening processes and measure the results. These results enhance patient experience, improve population health, reduce costs and improve the work life of health care providers.</p><div class="row"><div class="col-sm-12"><p><strong>Sponsored by:</strong><a href="https://uniteus.com/" target="_blank" title="UniteUs"><strong><img src="/sites/default/files/2020-05/Logo_UniteUs_834x313.jpg" alt="UniteUs logo" width="834" height="313"></strong></a></p></div></div></div><div class="col-sm-4"><img src="/sites/default/files/2024-01/Trailblazers_logo-924x265.png" alt="TrailBlazers" width="100%" height="100%"><p><br><a href="#DownloadNow" title="Download, Driving the Drivers: How hospitals and health systems can leverage technology and workflow optimization to address health-related social needs"><img src="/sites/default/files/2025-04/Traiblazers_UniteUs_cover_777x600.png" alt="Cover, Driving the Drivers: How hospitals and health systems can leverage technology and workflow optimization to address health-related social needs" width="100%" height="100%"> </a><br><a class="btn btn-primary" href="#DownloadNow" title="Download, Driving the Drivers: How hospitals and health systems can leverage technology and workflow optimization to address health-related social needs">Download</a></p></div></div> .y-hr3 div:nth-child(2) { border-top: solid 15px #67c1c3; margin: 50px 0px; height: 0px; <div class="row y-hr3"><div class="col-md-3"> </div><div class="col-md-6"> </div><div class="col-md-3"> </div></div><div class="row"><div class="col-sm-4"><img src="/sites/default/files/2025-04/Trailblazers_UniteUs_FirstSection_700x1064.png" alt="Illustration of various types of people walking around" width="100%" height="100%"></div><div class="col-sm-8"><h2>Capitalizing on Opportunities</h2><p>Technology-driven automation can help provider organizations capitalize on these opportunities in the following ways:</p><ul><li><strong>Enhanced Patient Experience:</strong> <br>Screening allows health care providers to understand the patient’s full context and tailor care accordingly, leading to a more patient-centered approach.</li><li><strong>Improved Patient Outcomes:</strong> <br>By identifying and addressing social needs, health care providers can help patients overcome barriers to accessing care and improving their health.</li><li><strong>Reduced Health Care Costs:</strong> <br>Addressing social needs can prevent unnecessary hospitalizations and emergency department visits, ultimately reducing health care costs.</li><li><strong>Strengthened Community Partnerships:</strong> <br>Screening initiatives can help hospitals build relationships with community organizations, creating a network of resources to support patients’ needs.</li></ul><p><a href="#DownloadNow" title="Download, Driving the Drivers: How hospitals and health systems can leverage technology and workflow optimization to address health-related social needs"><strong>READ MORE.</strong></a></p></div></div><div class="row y-hr3"><div class="col-md-3"> </div><div class="col-md-6"> </div><div class="col-md-3"> </div></div><div class="row"><div class="col-sm-4"><img src="/sites/default/files/2025-04/Trailblazers_UniteUs_Presbyterian_700x532.png" alt="Exterior of Presbyterian Healthcare Services" width="700" height="532"></div><div class="col-sm-8"><h2>Case Study: Presbyterian Healthcare Services</h2><h3>From ‘Scattershot’ to Standardized</h3><p>In 2018, PHS adopted the screening system and used it for the accountable health communities project before scaling up to systemwide screening and integrating it into the EHR in 2021. In early 2024, PHS migrated to Unite Us. The three systems — HRSN screening, EHR and portal — now work in concert to power the HRSN screening process as part of routine health care. This approach eliminated paper screenings, standardized screening workflows across care sites, and integrated patients’ HRSN screening data into their EHRs and patient portals.</p><p><a href="#DownloadNow" title="Download, Driving the Drivers: How hospitals and health systems can leverage technology and workflow optimization to address health-related social needs"><strong>READ MORE.</strong></a></p></div></div><div class="row y-hr3"><div class="col-md-3"> </div><div class="col-md-6"> </div><div class="col-md-3"> </div></div><div class="row"><div class="col-sm-4"><img src="/sites/default/files/2025-04/Trailblazers_UniteUs_Yale_NewHaven_700x532.png" alt="Exterior of Yale New Haven Health" width="700" height="532"></div><div class="col-sm-8"><h2>Case Study: Yale New Haven Health</h2><h3>Willingness Replaces Hesitancy</h3><p>In 2020, YNHH implemented the automated social referral platform from Unite Us, a New York-based technology company. This was paired with improved workflows within the EHR. The move turned hesitancy into willingness for each of the system’s challenges. Patients now can complete their HRSN screening questions in their homes through the patient portals. They can do it on their smartphones, tablets, laptops, in kiosks at check-in, and by clinicians and support staff in any inpatient or outpatient setting before, during or after a visit.</p><p><a href="#DownloadNow" title="Download, Driving the Drivers: How hospitals and health systems can leverage technology and workflow optimization to address health-related social needs"><strong>READ MORE.</strong></a></p></div></div><div> .SponsorMarketoForm { background-color: ; padding:5px 25px; border: solid 2px #307FE2; margin:50px 15px 0px !important; display:inline-block; width:100%; } .SponsorMarketoForm h3{ margin:10x 0 0 0 ; color:#eaaa00; font-size:.7em; text-transform:uppercase; font-weight:400; letter-spacing:3px; max-width:200px; /* Custom for the copy length */ background-color:#fff; padding: 5px 15px; position:relative; top:-35px; height: 0px; } .SponsorMarketoForm h2{ color: #002855; } .SponsorMarketoForm .SponsorMarketoFormHolder{ background-color: ; padding:15px; display: inline-block; margin-bottom:25px; } .SponsorMarketoFormHolder form{ margin: auto; } @media (max-width:640px){ .SponsorMarketoForm { padding:5px 0px; } .SponsorMarketoForm .SponsorMarketoFormHolder{ padding:15px 0px; } } /* Marketo Over-ride */ .mktoForm .mktoFormRow:nth-child(3){ float: left; } /*Center the last row .mktoForm .mktoFormRow:nth-child(4){ margin-left:15%; } */ .mktoForm label{ font-size: 0px; width: 0px !important; } .mktoForm input{ height: 30px } .mktoForm .mktoButtonRow{ float: left; } .mktoForm .mktoButtonWrap { margin-left:20px !important; } .mktoForm .mktoButton { background-color: #307FE2 !important; border: 1px solid #307FE2 !important; color: #fff !important; padding: 0.4em 1em; font-size: 1em; background-image: none !important; min-width: 190px; margin: 0 15px; border-radius: 4px; padding: 10px 20px; transition: all .25s ease-in-out; text-shadow: none; white-space: normal; height: 30px; font-weight: 700 } .mktoForm .mktoButton:hover{ background-color: #002855 !important; border: 1px solid #002855 !important; color: #fff !important; } .mktoForm .mktoClear { clear: none; } <div class="row spacer" id="DownloadNow"><div><div class="col-md-1"> </div><div class="col-md-10"><div class="cta--image-container full_width SponsorMarketoForm"><h3>Download Now</h3><div class="col-md-9"><h2>Driving the Drivers</h2><div class="SponsorMarketoFormHolder">   MktoForms2.loadForm("//sponsors.aha.org", "710-ZLL-651", 3641); MktoForms2.whenReady(function(form) { if (form.getId() == 3641) { form.onSuccess(function(values, followUpUrl) { form.getFormElem().hide(); document.getElementById("successAndErrorMessages").innerHTML = "<div><p>Thank you for downloading the latest AHA Trailblazers.<\/p><a class='btn btn-wide btn-primary' data-view-context='top-level-view' href='https:\/\/www.aha.org\/system\/files\/media\/file\/2025\/04\/Trailblazers_UniteUs.pdf' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer nofollow'>Download the Report<\/a><\/center><\/div>"; return false; }); }; }); <div id="successAndErrorMessages"> </div></div></div><div class="col-md-3"><img src="/sites/default/files/2025-04/Traiblazers_UniteUs_cover_777x600.png" alt="Cover of Driving the Drivers: How hospitals and health systems can leverage technology and workflow optimization to address health-related social needs" width="600" height="777"></div></div></div><div class="col-md-1"> </div></div></div></div> Fri, 11 Apr 2025 09:57:37 -0500 AHA Center for Health Innovation /education-events/leading-way-health-care-organizations-commitment-workforce-well-being <div class="TTevent">/* Forces the event Content Type to be 100% */ .container .row .col-md-8{ width: 100% } .event-registration-link a{ margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; display: block; text-align: center; } .event-registration-link a.btn-block { max-width: 300px; } .TTevent h3{ color:#002855; } .TTeventBonus{ color:#9d2235; font-weight:700; font-style: italic; } .TTeventdate{ font-weight: 700; font-size: 18px; color: #555555bb; line-height: 20px; } .TTeventSponsor img{ max-height:100px; } <p class="TTeventdate">Wednesday, May 14 at 1:00 pm ET (12:00 pm CT, 11:00 am MT, 10:00 am PT)</p><p>In this engaging webinar, explore how health care organizations are approaching workforce well-being through innovative strategies. Our discussion will focus on comprehensive, system-wide approaches that cultivate a culture of well-being within health care environments. We will highlight the significant contributions of professional societies and organizations, such as CHARM and the AHA, in advancing these efforts. Additionally, we will delve into the importance of language and terminology in building consensus and fostering a unified commitment to workforce well-being. Finally, we will discuss how organizations might be held accountable for their commitment to this vital cause, ensuring they uphold their promises to support workforce well-being. If you're passionate about enhancing the well-being of the health care workforce, we encourage your attendance.</p><h3>Learning Objectives:</h3><ul><li><strong>Understand the Importance of Consensus:</strong> Learn how creating agreement on the language and terms used to describe workforce well-being can enhance collaborative efforts</li><li><strong>Explore System-Level Initiatives:</strong> Discover how healthcare organizations can commit to workforce well-being through initiatives like well-being-centered leadership, effective communication strategies, and innovative efficiency tools</li><li><strong>Recognize the Role of Professional Societies:</strong> Identify how entities like CHARM and the AHA contribute to the well-being of the healthcare workforce</li><li><strong>Accountability in Commitment:</strong> Consider strategies for holding healthcare organizations accountable for their efforts in promoting workforce well-being</li></ul><h3>Speaker:</h3><ul><li><strong>Jonathan Ripp, MD, MPH</strong><br><em>Dean for Well-Being and Resilience, Chief Wellness Officer,</em> Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai</li></ul><h3>Continuing Education:</h3><p>Participants will earn <a href="/system/files/media/file/2025/02/2025_Team_%20Training_Webinar_CE_Designation.pdf" target="_blank">1.00 Joint Accreditation credit hour</a> for this webinar by completing all CE requirements. CE credit is provided by Duke University Health System Clinical Education & Professional Development. They are accredited by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) and the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME).</p><p>In order to qualify for credit, you must have an active Duke OneLink Account and watch the webinar live. If you do not have a Duke OneLink account, please follow <a href="/system/files/media/file/2025/02/2025_CE_Instructions_Webinars.pdf" target="_blank">these directions</a> to set up your account and confirm your mobile number (both steps are required). Please note this is a one-time set-up and you may use your account for all future AHA Team Training webinars.</p> <h3>Sponsored By:</h3> <a href="https://cnhs.fiu.edu/" target="_blank"><img alt="Florida International University | Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing & Health Sciences" src="/sites/default/files/2022-04/Florida_International_University_logo_200x70.png" /> </a></div> </div>--> <div data-langcode="en" data-entity-type="webform" data-entity-uuid="0b43a680-6f37-4d3f-9bf9-4cd6c7c7ddc5" data-embed-button="webform_embed" data-entity-embed-display="view_mode:webform.token" data-entity-embed-display-settings="[]" class="embedded-entity"> <div id="edit-processed-text" class="js-form-item form-item js-form-type-processed-text form-item- js-form-item- form-no-label"> <div class="TTwebinarHide"> .webform-submission-form { max-width: 700px; } .TTwebinarHide{ display:none } .event-content.panel .TTwebinarHide { display:block; background-color: #fff; padding: 15px 15px 15px 15px; border: solid 2px #307FE2; text-align: center; } <p><a href="/center/team-training">Team Training</a> offers a variety of webinars - view our <a href="/center/team-training/webinars">current offering(s)</a> or browse the <a href="/center/team-training/webinars/library">library</a>.</p> </div> </div> </div></div> Tue, 08 Apr 2025 13:05:33 -0500 AHA Center for Health Innovation /aha-center-health-innovation-market-scan/2025-04-08-reimagined-ceo-leading-health-care-its-next-era <div class="container"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-8"><img src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/The-Reimagined-CEO-Leading-Health-Care-into-Its-Next-Era.png" data-entity-uuid="479cd75f-fccd-4fbe-abe6-c31d78f9cbb9" data-entity-type="file" alt="The Reimagined CEO: Leading Health Care into Its Next Era. A CEO's head in profile with the brain containing gears connected to outside gears supplying all the data being input into the brain." width="1200" height="646"><p>Health care CEOs are leading in a time unlike any other in recent memory — where complexity is the norm and the expectations are extraordinary. The role, once steeped in operational oversight and incremental improvement, has evolved rapidly into a multifaceted, future-facing leadership challenge. From managing rapid consolidation to engaging political stakeholders, from cultural stewardship to digital transformation, the modern CEO’s mandate is not just to steer the ship — but to redesign the vessel while in motion.</p><p>According to WittKieffer’s 2025 report <a href="https://wittkieffer.com/insights/healthcare-ceo-reimagined" target="_blank" title="WittKeiffer: Healthcare CEO Reimagined: Leading Healthcare’s Next Chapter">“Healthcare CEO Reimagined,”</a> the traditional CEO archetype is being redefined fundamentally. Drawing on extensive interviews with top health system leaders, the report highlights a set of paradigm shifts and leadership tenets for CEOs to consider and offers a road map for navigating health care’s accelerating transformation.</p><h2><span>1</span> <span>|</span> <span>From Visionary to Agile Architect</span></h2><p>Strategic agility now defines effective leadership, according to the report. While a long-term vision remains important, CEOs increasingly are required to flex their strategies in real time — responding to both evolving market conditions and internal dynamics. “We must be willing to act quickly, learn fast and be comfortable with occasional missteps,” said Tom Gessel, CEO of Oregon-based Asante health system, in the report. Leaders are expected to lead transformative initiatives while maintaining operational discipline and rallying stakeholders around a shared sense of purpose.</p><h2><span>2</span> <span>|</span> <span>Scaling Strategically, Not Just Structurally</span></h2><p>Health care consolidation has created vast, complex systems that span geographies and service lines. Yet, as CEOs like Dennis Murphy of IU Health note, growth without focus can lead to inertia. “Goal setting is not just about driving the organization forward; it is about decluttering it from negative inertia,” Murphy said.</p><p>The real challenge lies in balancing scale with agility, according to the WittKieffer report. CEOs must align systemwide advantages — like technology investments and operational efficiencies — with local relevance. “Essentiality” — becoming an indispensable provider in a given community — emerges as a critical goal. Tailored strategies that account for regional needs, consumer preferences and competitive dynamics no longer are optional but are essential for long-term viability, the report concluded.</p><h2><span>3</span> <span>|</span> <span>Culture as a CEO’s Most Enduring Legacy</span></h2><p>Perhaps no responsibility looms larger than cultural leadership, according to the report. “Culture starts with the CEO,” Christopher Howard, CEO of Sharp HealthCare, told WittKieffer. “My most significant impact is dedicating myself to our organization’s culture.”</p><p>Today’s CEOs must navigate cultural tensions — accountability vs. mission, excellence vs. agility, scale vs. identity. These aren’t opposites to resolve but dynamics to balance. As organizations grow, CEOs increasingly are held accountable not just for preserving culture, but also for strengthening and spreading it across their networks, the report states.</p><p>Michael Slubowski, CEO of Trinity Health in Michigan, envisions a culture where “120,000 team members improve the care experience without waiting to be asked or having to be told.” That kind of empowerment requires relentless communication, trust-building and authenticity from the top.</p><h2><span>4</span> <span>|</span> <span>Developing the Next Generation</span></h2><p>Leadership development is no longer a human relations function; it’s a CEO imperative. “Building a strong, competent team is the CEO’s most essential skill,” said Brian Erling, M.D., president and CEO of Renown Health. The WittKieffer report underscored that high-performing leaders build succession pipelines, mentor emerging talent and foster environments that balance challenge with support.</p><p>The report also highlights the need for strategic succession planning and skill set expansion, both of which help leaders bridge the gap between legacy systems and emerging models. The best CEOs create what the report calls “gentle pushes and soft landings,” enabling continuous growth without burnout.</p><p> </p><h2><span>5</span> <span>|</span> <span>Mastering External Engagement</span></h2><p>In an increasingly politicized and interconnected world, external engagement has shifted from a “nice-to-have” to a strategic imperative. WittKieffer suggests that CEOs must build coalitions, not just manage operations. This includes sustained advocacy, community partnerships and brand leadership.</p><p>“Advocacy work now demands priority status as one of the ‘big boulders’ that must come first,” the report notes. CEOs must be visible in their communities, present with policymakers and trusted by stakeholders — internally and externally. Their reputations now are inseparable from that of the institutions they lead.</p><h2><span>6</span> <span>| </span><span>Essential Tenets: What Sets Great CEOs Apart</span></h2><p>WittKieffer distills the most impactful leadership traits into six essential tenets:</p><ul><li><strong>Vision across multiple horizons</strong> — balancing near-term needs with long-term foresight.</li><li><strong>Catalytic decision-making</strong> — making bold decisions amid ambiguity.</li><li><strong>Adaptability and resilience</strong> — maintaining focus while embracing change.</li><li><strong>Self-mastery and a learning mindset</strong> — committing to personal growth and reflection.</li><li><strong>Emotional intelligence</strong> — leading with humility, empathy and listening.</li><li><strong>Galvanizing communication</strong> — inspiring action through clarity and consistency.</li></ul><p>The CEO role never has been more complex or more vital to the future of health care. As leaders confront a world of accelerating change, those who thrive will be the ones who adapt most effectively, lead most authentically and empower their organizations at every level, according to the report.</p><p>In the words of Advocate Health CEO Eugene A. Woods quoted in the report, the goal is to “culturally unleash a fearless curiosity and unshakable optimism” as the antidote to uncertainty.</p></div><div class="col-md-4"><p><a href="/center" title="Visit the AHA Center for Health Innovation landing page."><img src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/logo-aha-innovation-center-color-sm.jpg" data-entity-uuid="7ade6b12-de98-4d0b-965f-a7c99d9463c5" alt="AHA Center for Health Innovation logo" width="721" height="130" data-entity- type="file" class="align-center"></a></p><p><a href="/center/form/innovation-subscription"><img src="/sites/default/files/2019-04/Market_Scan_Call_Out_360x300.png" data-entity-uuid data-entity-type alt width="360" height="300"></a></p></div></div></div>.field_featured_image { position: absolute; overflow: hidden; clip: rect(0 0 0 0); height: 1px; width: 1px; margin: -1px; padding: 0; border: 0; } .featured-image{ position: absolute; overflow: hidden; clip: rect(0 0 0 0); height: 1px; width: 1px; margin: -1px; padding: 0; border: 0; } h2 { color: #9d2235; } Tue, 08 Apr 2025 06:11:50 -0500 AHA Center for Health Innovation /aha-center-health-innovation-market-scan/2025-04-08-fda-clears-apple-watch-powered-platform-seizure-monitoring <div class="container"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-8"><img src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/The-FDA-Clears-Apple-Watch-Powered-Platform-for-Seizure-Monitoring.png" data-entity-uuid="9da944d2-03f7-4aea-a13c-79bffa21d7fc" data-entity-type="file" alt="The FDA Clears Apple Watch-Powered Platform for Seizure Monitoring. An EpiWatch monitoring a brain for seizures." width="1200" height="646"><p>In a significant step forward for wearable health tech, <a href="https://www.epiwatch.com/" target="_blank" title="EpiWatch homepage">EpiWatch</a> — a Johns Hopkins Medicine spinout — has received <a href="https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfpmn/pmn.cfm?ID=K243515" target="_blank" title="FDA: EpiWatch Monitoring System 510(k) Premarket Notification">FDA 510(k) premarket clearance</a> for its seizure detection platform that runs on the Apple Watch. The platform is designed to continuously monitor for tonic-clonic (grand mal) seizures, a form of epilepsy that causes full-body convulsions and loss of consciousness.</p><p>EpiWatch’s Apple Watch-based app goes beyond detection, offering medication reminders, tracking potential seizure triggers, mental health screening and seizure logging. It's an important advance in remote patient monitoring for individuals living with epilepsy and is part of a long-term collaboration with Johns Hopkins Medicine, powered by Apple’s <a href="https://www.researchandcare.org/researchkit/" target="_blank" title="ResearchKit landing page">ResearchKit</a>, Apple’s open-source software.</p><p>“This marks a significant step forward in fulfilling our mission to empower all people living with epilepsy,” said Teresa Prego, EpiWatch CEO. The company plans a limited market release to collaborate with clinicians and users and refine the platform’s support and education features.</p><p>Wearables increasingly are gaining FDA attention as tools for proactive health monitoring. In February, Google received clearance for an <a href="https://blog.google/feed/pixel-watch-3-loss-of-pulse-detection-fda/" target="_blank" title="Google Blog: Loss of Pulse Detection has received U.S. FDA clearance, and is now available on Pixel Watch 3.">AI-based loss-of-pulse detection feature</a> on the Pixel Watch 3. The Apple Watch Series 10 recently earned FDA clearance for <a href="https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2024/09/apple-introduces-groundbreaking-health-features/" target="_blank" title="Apple Newsroom: Apple introduces groundbreaking health features to support conditions impacting billions of people">sleep apnea detection</a>, while its AirPods Pro 2 include <a href="https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2024/09/apple-introduces-groundbreaking-health-features/" target="_blank" title="Apple Newsroom: Apple introduces groundbreaking health features to support conditions impacting billions of people">machine learning-powered hearing aid functionality</a> — following the FDA’s 2022 rule enabling over-the-counter hearing aids.</p><p>For hospital leaders, these developments signal accelerating momentum behind wearable tech as a companion to clinical care, enabling more proactive, personalized health management and potentially easing the burden on emergency services and chronic disease management.</p></div><div class="col-md-4"><p><a href="/center" title="Visit the AHA Center for Health Innovation landing page."><img src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/logo-aha-innovation-center-color-sm.jpg" data-entity-uuid="7ade6b12-de98-4d0b-965f-a7c99d9463c5" alt="AHA Center for Health Innovation logo" width="721" height="130" data-entity- type="file" class="align-center"></a></p><p><a href="/center/form/innovation-subscription"><img src="/sites/default/files/2019-04/Market_Scan_Call_Out_360x300.png" data-entity-uuid data-entity-type alt width="360" height="300"></a></p></div></div></div>.field_featured_image { position: absolute; overflow: hidden; clip: rect(0 0 0 0); height: 1px; width: 1px; margin: -1px; padding: 0; border: 0; } .featured-image{ position: absolute; overflow: hidden; clip: rect(0 0 0 0); height: 1px; width: 1px; margin: -1px; padding: 0; border: 0; } h2 { color: #9d2235; } Tue, 08 Apr 2025 06:00:00 -0500 AHA Center for Health Innovation /center/living-learning-network/ahas-quality-exchange Fri, 04 Apr 2025 15:30:00 -0500 AHA Center for Health Innovation