The MHA Council on Health Access & Community Impact kicked off its 2026–27 program year Sept. 23, bringing together hospital and health system leaders and partners to identify priorities that will guide the council’s work.
A central theme emerged across the discussion: access remains the goal, but the conversation must move toward meaningful action in workforce investments, community partnerships, financing and reimbursement, technology, policy and new models of care delivery.
Key considerations for hospitals and health systems following the council discussion, include:
- Build sustainability into strategy from the start. Hospitals and health systems should consider how successful initiatives can move beyond short-term funding by demonstrating impact, identifying sustainable financing and integrating effective approaches into ongoing operations.
- Define the hospital’s role within the broader community ecosystem. Clarify the hospital’s role and work with public health and community partners to address needs and maximize limited resources.
- Continue evolving how and where care is delivered. Use workforce innovation, technology, prevention and community-based models to improve how and where people access care.
- Consider policy and reimbursement alongside implementation. Sustainable innovation depends on payment and policy environments that support new workforce and care-delivery models. Hospitals should identify where reimbursement or regulatory barriers may limit promising approaches and advocate to remove them.
Moving Insight Into Action
- Identify a partnership opportunity: Consider one community need the organization cannot address alone and identify a public health or community partnership could help strengthen the response.
The council’s next phase of work will focus on what needs to change to meaningfully improve access, strengthen community impact and support sustainable health system transformation.
To learn more about the MHA Council on Health Access & Community Impact and opportunities to engage, contact the MHA policy department.
