In this Advancing Health encore episode, Women & Infants Hospital's Shannon Sullivan, president and chief operating officer, and Caron Zlotnick, Ph.D., director of behavioral medicine research, discuss the stigma surrounding maternal mental health, the challenges new mothers face, and the innovative programs that are having success in maternal well-being and postpartum depression prevention.

Health care professionals dedicate their lives to healing others, yet are among the most at risk for workplace violence. In this Leadership Dialogue conversation, Tina Freese Decker, president and CEO of Corewell Health and 2025 AHA board chair, sits down with Claire Zangerle, DNP, R.N., CEO of the American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL) and senior vice president and chief nurse executive of the American Hospital Association, to discuss the now necessary security measures for hospitals and health systems, workplace violence prevention strategies, and the urgent need to advocate for health care worker protections.

In the rural areas of the Four Corners region of the Southwestern United States, every minute counts when a heart attack strikes. In this conversation, Josh Neff, CEO of CommonSpirit Mercy Hospital, discusses a new cutting-edge communication platform that sends patient EKGs directly from the ambulance to the cardiologist in real time. Josh explains how this simple, affordable tool is cutting treatment times and saving lives in one of the nation’s most challenging regions for emergency cardiac care.

What if the key to transforming patient experience starts with your workforce? In this conversation, Nell Buhlman, chief administrative officer and head of strategy at Press Ganey, and Chris DeRienzo, M.D., chief physician executive at the American Hospital Association, explore the data-backed connection between employee engagement and patient outcomes. With real examples — from transformation teams to leadership engagement — Nell and Chris highlight how intentional culture building translates to measurable gains in safety, trust and patient satisfaction.

What does it take to become a truly age-friendly hospital? In this conversation, Shelley Hart, R.N., clinical nurse specialist at Froedtert Menomonee Falls Hospital, explores the hospital's inspiring journey toward delivering exceptional care for older adults. Through innovative delirium prevention programs, goals of care conversations, and simple acts of human connection, Shelley shares how the team is creating a hospital experience centered on dignity and purpose.

For more information on the AHA's Age-Friendly Health Systems work, please visit https://www.aha.org/center/age-friendly-health-systems

The “4M’s” framework that supports age-friendly health care for older patients continues to expand in hospitals and health systems across the nation. In this conversation, Carolyn Bogard, DNP, R.N., director of care coordination and palliative care at El Camino Health, talks about her system’s use of data to harness the passion care providers feel for improving outcomes and streamlining care delivery for older adults.

For the full video podcast, please visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0BwpAjkQek

The passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act will present many policy changes and challenges for America's hospitals and health systems. In this Leadership Dialogue conversation, Tina Freese Decker, president and CEO of Corewell Health and 2025 AHA board chair, talks with Rick Pollack, president and CEO of the American Hospital Association, about the sweeping impacts this legislation will have in the health care field. They break down the $900 billion in Medicaid and ACA marketplace cuts, the real-world effects on communities, and the behind-the-scenes advocacy that helped blunt even deeper damage. 

This podcast was recorded on July 11, 2025

Cyberattacks on hospitals are urgent threats to patient safety, care delivery and public trust. In this conversation, Ajay Gupta, board chair of Trinity Health Mid-Atlantic and CEO of HSR.health, speaks about the vital role hospital boards play in preparing for and responding to cyber incidents. What strategic questions should boards be asking, and how can cyber preparedness make or break a hospital’s ability to deliver care when it matters most?

Potential Medicaid cuts could have devastating impacts on rural communities, particularly for behavioral health care access. In this conversation, Jon Ulven, Ph.D., behavioral health psychologist and chair of adult psychology at Sanford Health, details the fragile behavioral health landscape in rural America and how Medicaid cuts could deepen gaps in health care access and resources. Dr. Ulven also shares powerful patient stories and a compelling call to action — reminding us what’s truly at stake when access to care disappears.

Legal advocacy isn’t just a tactic — it’s a vital force protecting the future of health care. In this Leadership Dialogue conversation, Tina Freese Decker, president and CEO of Corewell Health and 2025 AHA board chair, talks with Chad Golder, general counsel for the American Hospital Association, about the complex legal landscape hospitals and health systems must navigate to ensure continued care for their communities. From high-profile court cases and threats to funding, to the evolving 340B Drug Pricing Program, the stakes have never been higher for health care.