Advertise on podcast: Advancing Health

Being rural doesn’t have to mean being disconnected. Hear how hospitals are using technology-enabled care and strong regional partnerships to connect rural communities with clinical expertise and expand access to nearby maternal care. Featured in this episode are leaders from Avera Health, Banner Health and Dartmouth Health. For more information on rural maternal care in America, please visit https://www.aha.org/ruralmaternal

Primary care is becoming a critical strategy for hospitals and health systems looking to improve access, coordinate care and keep patients healthier outside the hospital. In this Leadership Dialogue conversation, Marc Boom, M.D., president and CEO of Houston Methodist and the 2026 AHA board chair, talks with David Banks, president and CEO of AdventHealth. They discuss the organization's strategy to expand primary care across its communities, the importance of giving primary care its own leadership and resources, and why the future of community health depends on building stronger relationships with patients.

Rural hospitals are rethinking how they build and sustain the teams behind maternal care. In part two of this special three-part Advancing Health podcast series, hear how leaders are creating new pathways into the workforce, investing in training, and bringing together the skills and expertise needed to support families in rural communities. Featured in this episode are leaders from Banner Health, Dartmouth Health, Harrison Memorial Hospital, Hutchinson Regional Medical Center, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and Western Wisconsin Health. Episode Three releases on September 30. For more information on rural maternal care in America, please visit https://www.aha.org/ruralmaternal

Medical research only changes lives when it reaches the patients who need it. In this conversation, Corey Casper, M.D., senior vice president and chief research officer at Banner Health, and professor of clinical translational science at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, explores how Banner Health is using clinical research, technology and strategic partnerships to bring new discoveries closer to patients — including an at-home blood test for Alzheimer’s disease and a portable MRI designed to bring advanced brain imaging to rural communities.

What happens when leaders decide that maternal care belongs in their community — and commit to making it work? In part one of this special Advancing Health podcast series, hear how rural hospital leaders are turning that commitment into action and finding new possibilities for sustaining maternal care close to home. Featured in this episode are leaders from Canton-Potsdam Hospital, Rochester Regional Health, Harrison Memorial Hospital, Hutchinson Regional Medical Center, Smith County Memorial Hospital and Western Wisconsin Health Episode Two releases on September 23. For more information on rural maternal care in America, please visit https://www.aha.org/ruralmaternal

Building trust with patients before a crisis can be one of the most powerful tools in preventing violence in healthcare settings. In this conversation, Tom Saggio, R.N., director of behavioral health operations at St. Louis Children's Hospital, explains how the hospital's teams are using proactive intervention, behavioral assessments and de-escalation techniques to improve safety for patients, families and healthcare workers.

What does it take to sustain maternal care in rural communities? In this special Frontiers podcast series from the American Hospital Association, we explore the people, ideas and innovations working to ensure mothers and families can access high-quality maternal care close to home. Hear directly from rural hospital leaders who are tackling the challenges facing maternal health, strengthening their communities and building a future where geography doesn’t determine access to care. Along the way, discover why investing in maternal care creates an impact that extends far beyond one patient — shaping outcomes for newborns, families and entire communities for generations to come. Join Frontiers for stories of leadership, resilience and the future of rural maternal care. New episodes September 16, 23 and 30.

Healthcare simulation is becoming far more than a training exercise. In this conversation, Clint Pridgen, vice president of business development and hospital strategy at Laerdal Medical, explores the future of healthcare simulation, including data-driven training, workplace safety, quality improvement and emerging technologies. Hear how healthcare organizations can turn simulation insights into measurable improvements for patients and communities.

Cyberattacks against hospitals are growing in scale and sophistication, putting patient care, critical infrastructure, and millions of healthcare records at risk. In this conversation, the American Hospital Association's John Riggi, national advisor for cybersecurity and risk, and Scott Gee, deputy national advisor for cybersecurity and risk, break down the three biggest cyber threats facing healthcare organizations in 2026: geopolitical cyber activity, third-party and supply chain vulnerabilities, and the rapidly evolving risks of artificial intelligence.

From reducing falls and readmissions to focusing on what matters most, age-friendly care is changing healthcare delivery for older adults. In this conversation, Rani E. Snyder, president of The John A. Hartford Foundation, discusses how the movement is gaining momentum in hospitals and health systems across the country, and how the AHA's new Age-Friendly Healthcare Impact Award aims to inspire even greater progress. For more information on the AHA's new Age-Friendly Healthcare Impact Award and how to apply, visit http://aha.org/agefriendlyaward

Maternal mortality remains a critical challenge in the United States, and many pregnancy complications are linked to chronic health conditions, including cardiovascular disease. In this conversation, Kardie Tobb, D.O., a non-invasive preventative cardiologist at Cone Health, explains how multidisciplinary teams are breaking down clinical silos, emphasizing preconception care, and coordinating care across specialties to support healthier pregnancies and healthier families.

How can hospitals help NICU parents feel informed, empowered and connected to their babies during one of the most stressful moments of their lives? In this conversation, Gabriela Jimenez Thompson, program lead of Our Story Begins at NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue, and Liliana Escobar, R.N., NICU head nurse at Bellevue Hospital Center, share how the Our Story Begins program uses books, reading, language and nurse education to strengthen NICU parent engagement, bonding and early childhood development.

For healthcare organizations pursuing better quality and better outcomes, the patient voice needs to be more than a checkbox. In this conversation, Caroline DeLongchamps, director of the patient-and family-centered care program at MUSC Health, shares her powerful personal story and explains how patient and family-centered care can improve quality, strengthen trust, and transform how care is designed and delivered.

Getting patients the care they need shouldn't mean navigating weeks of appointments, uncertainty and distance. In this conversation, Baligh Yehia, M.D., president of Jefferson Health, shares how the organization is rethinking healthcare access through same-day cancer care, virtual primary care, home-based services, and expanded access to clinical trials.

Building an age-friendly health system requires more than clinical excellence — it demands leadership, strategy and system​wide commitment. In this conversation, Michele Frankel, deputy market president for Northwell Health's Eastern Market, and Susan Kwiatek, DNP, vice president of aging and supportive care and leader of Northwell Health's Institute for Healthy Aging, reveal how one of the nation's largest health systems transformed age-friendly care into an organization-wide strategy. With collaboration between finance, frontline clinicians and governing boards, the two share how Northwell is creating a sustainable model of care for older adults.