Advancing Health

In this Leadership Dialogue conversation, Marc Boom, M.D., president and CEO of Houston Methodist and the 2026 AHA board chair, speaks with Stacey Hughes, executive vice president of government and public policy at the American Hospital Association, about the forces shaping health care affordability — from federal budget concerns to patient access challenges. They discuss how hospitals and health systems can help not only inform but also shape policy, including by sharing real stories, real challenges and specific data.

Childbirth is supposed to be one of life’s most joyful moments — but for many parents, the reality of birth trauma can have lasting emotional and physical impacts. In this conversation, Katie Au, M.D. and Katherine Jorda, M.D., directors of the Perinatal Trauma Clinic at Oregon Health & Science University, explore how trauma can emerge during pregnancy, labor or postpartum. They also discuss why so many parents feel alone in their experience, and how trauma-informed, multidisciplinary care can transform recovery.

What does it take to turn a nursing shortage into a workforce pipeline? In this conversation, Denzil Ross, president of Indiana University Health South Region, and Erik Coyne, chancellor of Ivy Tech Community College–Bloomington, discuss how the organizations' partnership is using philanthropic investment to broaden nursing education for aspiring nurses. With expanded training facilities and flexible programs — including evening and weekend cohorts — this partnership is spreading nursing roots throughout Indiana.

The biggest threats to children’s health aren’t always clinical — they’re happening in communities every day. In this conversation, Mary Kate Daly, senior vice president and chief of community health of the Patrick M. Magoon Institute for Healthy Communities at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, explains how long-term investments, powerful community partnerships, and a first-of-its-kind community health hub are leading to better outcomes for kids in Chicago and beyond.

Youth mental health is at a critical juncture, with rising demand and limited access to care across communities. In this conversation, David Stark, chief of government and external affairs and philanthropy officer at UnityPoint Health, shares how a major philanthropic investment is helping expand mental health services for children and adolescents. Learn how a “no wrong door” model is transforming access and connecting young patients to the right services faster for better long-term outcomes.