Health care workers face immense stress, yet stigma and other barriers often prevent them from seeking the mental health support they need. In this conversation, Corey Feist, CEO and co-founder of the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes Foundation, and Tiffany Lyttle, R.N., director of cultural integration at Centra Health, explore how hospitals, health systems and states are expanding employee access to mental health care. They also discuss the importance of building workplace cultures where asking for help is seen as a sign of strength, and highlight innovative well-being programs that are improving the lives of the people who care for us.

For more information on this vital work, please visit:

https://drlornabreen.org/

https://drlornabreen.org/allinformentalhealth/about-us/

https://www.aha.org/suicideprevention/health-care-workforce/suicide-prevention-guide

In part two of this conversation on patient safety and AI, Randy Fagin, M.D., chief quality officer at HCA Healthcare, shares how one of the nation’s largest health systems is putting AI into practice by building responsible governance, reducing clinical and operational variance, and enhancing the work of front-line caregivers. Plus, hear key takeaways and lessons learned in effectively deploying AI across a complex health care enterprise.

Artificial intelligence is becoming a vital tool in advancing patient safety. In the first of a two-part conversation, Randy Fagin, M.D., chief quality officer at HCA Healthcare, shares insights into the organization's bold approach to improving safety outcomes. From piloting tools like AI-assisted fetal heart rate monitoring to adapting strategies used in chemical manufacturing and the military, HCA Healthcare is reshaping safety for both patients and health care workers.  

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