American hospital association

American Hospital Association (AHA) is a non-profit organization that represents and serves all types of hospitals, health care networks, and their patients and communities in the United States. Founded in 1898, the AHA provides education for health care leaders and is a source of information on health care issues and trends.

History

The American Hospital Association was founded in Cleveland, Ohio in 1898 with eight hospital superintendents. It was originally known as the Association of Hospital Superintendents of the United States and Canada. In 1906, it changed its name to the American Hospital Association. The AHA has grown to represent nearly 5,000 hospitals and health care systems, and 43,000 individual members.

Mission

The mission of the AHA is to advance the health of individuals and communities by leading, representing and serving the hospitals, health systems and others who are dedicated to improving the health of their communities. This includes advocating for affordable and accessible health care, the highest quality patient care, and the well-being of communities.

Structure

The AHA is governed by a Board of Trustees that is elected by the membership at large. The Board is responsible for the management and control of the Association. The AHA has a number of professional membership groups that focus on specific areas of interest such as healthcare management, nursing, health information management, and healthcare finance.

Advocacy

The AHA represents its members in matters of public policy. It advocates on behalf of its members to ensure that their perspectives and needs are heard and addressed in national health policy development, legislative and regulatory debates, and judicial matters.

Education and Resources

The AHA provides a variety of educational programs and resources to help health care leaders manage the complexities of the healthcare environment. This includes conferences, webinars, and publications on a wide range of topics such as patient safety, healthcare technology, and healthcare law.

See Also

• Healthcare in the United States
• List of hospitals in the United States
• Healthcare reform in the United States