American Hospital Association
Encyclopedia
The American Hospital Association (AHA) is an organization that promotes the quality provision of health care
by hospital
s and health care networks through such efforts as promoting effective public policy
and providing information related to health care and health administration
to health care providers and the public. Founded in 1898 and hosting offices in Chicago, Illinois and Washington, D.C.
, the AHA hosts a Resource Center with more than 47,000 books on health care (some services fee based) and maintains an extensive, frequently updated Health Planning and Administration (HEALTH) database, which provides information related to health care unrelated to clinical treatment. More than 5,600 organizations and 41,000 individuals are members of the AHA.
, in which city seven of the eight superintendents in attendance were based. The organization was promoted by publisher Del Sutton, whose journal The National Hospital Sanitarium Record was adopted by the new group in 1900, gradually coming under control of the organization until it was replaced by the organization's own publication, The Modern Hospital.
In 1906, the growing organization adopted its present name, with membership reaching 450 in 1908. Records of early annual meetings detail some of the conflicts in the emerging hospital culture of Canada and the United States concerning whether hospitals should be governed by physicians or administrators, with laypersons representing a heavy majority.
Health care
Health care is the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in humans. Health care is delivered by practitioners in medicine, chiropractic, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, allied health, and other care providers...
by hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
s and health care networks through such efforts as promoting effective public policy
Public policy (law)
In private international law, the public policy doctrine or ordre public concerns the body of principles that underpin the operation of legal systems in each state. This addresses the social, moral and economic values that tie a society together: values that vary in different cultures and change...
and providing information related to health care and health administration
Health administration
Health administration or healthcare administration is the field relating to leadership, management, and administration of hospitals, hospital networks, health care systems, and public health systems...
to health care providers and the public. Founded in 1898 and hosting offices in Chicago, Illinois and Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, the AHA hosts a Resource Center with more than 47,000 books on health care (some services fee based) and maintains an extensive, frequently updated Health Planning and Administration (HEALTH) database, which provides information related to health care unrelated to clinical treatment. More than 5,600 organizations and 41,000 individuals are members of the AHA.
History
In 1870, there were only about a hundred general hospitals in the United States, but the institution was growing rapidly. Hospital administrators formed an organization called "The Association of Hospital Superintendents of the United States and Canada", which held its first meeting in 1899 in Cleveland, OhioCleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, in which city seven of the eight superintendents in attendance were based. The organization was promoted by publisher Del Sutton, whose journal The National Hospital Sanitarium Record was adopted by the new group in 1900, gradually coming under control of the organization until it was replaced by the organization's own publication, The Modern Hospital.
In 1906, the growing organization adopted its present name, with membership reaching 450 in 1908. Records of early annual meetings detail some of the conflicts in the emerging hospital culture of Canada and the United States concerning whether hospitals should be governed by physicians or administrators, with laypersons representing a heavy majority.
Personal membership groups
Eleven personal membership groups (PMGs) are affiliated societies which fall under the umbrella of the AHA:- American Society for Healthcare Engineering (ASHE)
- American Society for Healthcare Environmental Services (ASHES)
- American Society for Healthcare Human Resources Administration (ASHHRA)
- American Society for Healthcare Risk Management (ASHRM)
- Association for Community Health Improvement (ACHI)
- Association for Healthcare Resource & Materials Management (AHRMM)
- Association for Healthcare Volunteer Resource Professionals (AHVRP)
- At Large AHA Membership for Healthcare Management/Consulting Professionals
- Society for Healthcare Consumer Advocacy (SHCA)
- Society for Healthcare Strategy and Market DevelopmentSociety for Healthcare Strategy and Market DevelopmentThe Society for Healthcare Strategy and Market Development is a U.S.-based professional association and group associated with the American Hospital Association. SHSMD members represent healthcare-specific disciplines such as marketing, communications, public relations, strategic planning,...
(SHSMD)