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
Cybersecurity, Leadership
The COVID-19 pandemic has shone a spotlight on many things … good and bad … in our country
The good — our society clearly recognizes the vital role our hospitals and health systems play in our nation’s critical infrastructure and how important they are to our communities’ health and safety. The bad — we have seen an increase in the frequency, severity and sophistication of cyberattacks targeting hospitals and health systems.
Novel Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19), COVID-19: Coverage and Reimbursement
Perspective: Righting a Wrong on Provider Relief Fund Reporting Change
While hospitals and health systems — and their brave front-line caregivers — continue to battle the greatest public health challenge of our lifetimes, the Department of Health and Human Services recently made a change to its COVID-19 Provider Relief Fund (PRF) reporting requirements that could jeopardize access to care for patients and communities.
Novel Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19), COVID-19: Caring for Patients and Communities, COVID-19: Vaccines and Therapeutics
Perspective: A Grim Milestone … But Hope for the Future
More than 200,000 of our friends, family members, fellow citizens and front-line workers have succumbed to COVID-19 since March. To put that in context, that’s approximately the same as the population of Salt Lake City, Utah.
Advocacy & Public Policy, Medicaid
Perspective: The Power of our Collective Voice
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services will withdraw its Medicaid fiscal accountability proposed rule from its regulatory agenda.
Disaster/Outbreak Preparedness, Population/Community Health
Blog: Front-line Workers Step Up During Record Wildfires
Americans everywhere have watched with increasing dismay and alarm as 94 major wildfires continue to incinerate wide swaths of our beautiful Western states. As of this writing, the infernos — which are most heavily concentrated in California, Washington, Oregon and Idaho — have scorched nearly 5 million acres, an area approximately the size of Connecticut and Rhode Island combined.
Leadership
Perspective: Never Forget … Always There Ready to Care
This morning, like most mornings, I looked at a picture outside of my office that was taken on Sept. 11, 2001. The picture shows doctors, nurses, administrators and other caregivers standing outside the emergency department of my local community hospital in Arlington, Va., waiting to treat victims of the attack at the Pentagon.
Novel Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19), COVID-19: Caring for Patients and Communities
COVID-19's death count is real. So is the financial strain on life-saving hospitals.
Hospitals do not receive extra funds when patients die from COVID-19. They are not over-reporting COVID-19 cases. And, they are not making money on treating COVID-19.
Leadership
Perspective: We Care and We Must Vote
A century ago, nominating a presidential ticket during political conventions was an arduous marathon. The Democrats opened their convention with 14 names in serious contention, while the Republicans had to whittle down their list from a dozen hopefuls.
Novel Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19), COVID-19: Caring for Patients and Communities, COVID-19: Protecting Health Care Workers
Perspective: Recharging Our Caregivers for the Best Patient Care
August is traditionally the time to take a break, go on vacation, or just slow it down and relax for a bit. For many people, that’s off the table this year. COVID-19’s impact on health, our economy and our ability to gather in groups has been a game changer for people’s personal plans.
Novel Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19), COVID-19: Organizational Preparedness and Capacity Planning, Leadership
Perspective: Time to Focus on the Road Ahead
There is yet no peace treaty or declaration of surrender in our own war with COVID-19, but we too must look ahead and start planning for what health care should look like in a post-pandemic world.