Pressure Points
Hospitals are vital to community health, not just for heart attacks, cancer care, and appendicitis but as major employers for the communities they serve.
High inflation and labor shortages, as well as sicker patients who require complex care, and low reimbursement rates combined with continued fallout from a global pandemic have created an unsustainable financial situation for hospitals and health systems around the country. Many face a devastating pressure point, forced to eliminate services, such as labor and delivery, reduce staff on top of existing unfilled positions, and more.
As the AHA advocates for hospitals and the patients they serve, we are amplifying the stories of the hard decisions hospitals are making as they fight to protect care – despite challenges – so their communities don’t lose access to essential health care.
