Rick Pollack
President and CEO, AHA
Rick Pollack is president and CEO of the American Hospital Association (AHA), the nation’s largest hospital and health care system membership organization with nearly 5,000 member hospitals, health care systems, networks, and other providers of care.
Articles
Leadership, Health Insurance, Emergency Departments (EDs), Commercial Insurer Accountability
Perspective: UnitedHealthcare’s Dangerous ED Coverage Policy is Temporarily Halted
Just days ago, UnitedHealthcare announced a new policy that threatened to deny some patient claims for emergency services starting July 1 if the insurer determined that the patient didn’t need emergency-level care.
Infrastructure, Leadership, Advocacy & Public Policy
Perspective: Say It Again, Hospitals and Health Systems are an Integral Part of America’s Infrastructure
Congress returns to Washington, D.C., Monday, and negotiations are continuing with the Biden Administration on an infrastructure legislative package. It is time — once again — to make sure lawmakers are mindful of what most Americans already know: Reliable, well-resourced and highly functional hospitals are an essential and irreplaceable part of our national infrastructure.
Cybersecurity, Leadership
Perspective: Managing the Increase in Cyber Threats
The threat to public health from the pandemic is thankfully subsiding. Unfortunately, a very different threat is on the rise: Cyber criminals have been ramping up their attacks on the health care sector, jeopardizing systems and putting lives at risk.
Advancing Health in America, Leadership, Telehealth, COVID-19: Protecting Health Care Workers
Perspective: Integrated Health Systems Help Enhance Value, Access for Patients and Communities
As our country continues to emerge slowly from the COVID-19 pandemic, the value of America’s hospitals and health systems – and the 6 million women and men who work there – has never been more apparent.
Mergers & Acquisitions, Hospital Field Realignment, Advancing Best Practices for Hospitals & Health Systems
Value of Health Systems Shown Clearly During the Pandemic
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.
Novel Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19), COVID-19: Coverage and Reimbursement
Perspective: A Boost for the Continuing Fight Against COVID-19
The heroic efforts of our hospitals, health systems and care teams in fighting the pandemic over the past 17 months is a testament to the dedication and determination of the best health professionals in the world.
National Hospital Week, Workforce Planning
Perspective: Inspiring Hope through Healing — Today, This Week and Everyday
President Biden has expressed his hope that America will have a normal, or as close to normal as possible, Fourth of July this year. All the signs increasingly point to fulfillment of that wish — a wish we all share.
Behavioral Health Care Delivery, Novel Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19)
Perspective: Time for Renewed Focus on Mental Health
Most studies of the toll COVID-19 has taken on the mental health of Americans reach the same conclusion: The pandemic has made what were already serious problems much worse.
Leadership, Recognition and Awards
Perspective: Recognizing and Honoring Our Federal and Military Health Systems
The government’s announcement last week that more than half of all adults in the U.S. have received at least one COVID-19 shot is a remarkable feat that outperforms earlier predictions about the pace of vaccinations across the country.
Leadership, Advancing Health in America, Novel Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19)
Perspective: Working Together to Advance Health in America
When President Biden signed legislation on Wednesday eliminating the 2% across-the-board cut to all Medicare payments until the end of 2021, it extended needed relief to doctors, hospitals and other providers caring for patients and vaccinating communities.