Hardesty Selected as Hospital Trustee Delegate
Karla Hardesty was recently selected for another three-year term as a hospital trustee delegate on the American Hospital Association's (AHA) Regional Policy Board for Region 8 (Mountain States). The Regional Policy Boards (RPBs) of the AHA assist in fostering and maintaining communication between the Association and its membership and are key to the development of Association policy by providing advice and counsel on policy issues to be considered by the AHA Board of Trustees.
Each of the nine regional boards meets three times a year in which input is provided on relevant issues and policies affecting hospitals and healthcare in our country and unique to our region. The RPBs consist of state hospital association executives, AHA leaders, and board members, physicians, hospital administrators, nurses, and trustees.
SLV Health's Board President-Karla Hardesty states, “I am fascinated by the rigor of discussion at our meetings and the relevancy and variety of topics. Our last agenda hit on telehealth, health insurance mergers, electronic health records, equity of care, opiate use and our regular Washington Update.”
San Luis Valley Health has been heavily involved with advocacy through the American Hospital Association. Dr. McAuliffe just finished his term on the AHA's Committee for Clinical Leadership. Prior to Hardesty’s first three-year term as a trustee delegate which just ended, Russ Johnson, former CEO of San Luis Valley Regional Medical Center, was the chair of RPB 8. This level of involvement with the AHA allows our organization and community to help shape federal policy and stay deeply connected to the current landscape of healthcare in our region and country.
Hardesty also stated, “As SLVH's board president, I find my role on the RPB extremely rewarding, not only in keeping me well informed and provoking thought but because of the reassurance I get that we are moving strategically in the right direction and that we do so many of the challenging aspects of healthcare better than other organizations. And for this, I truly appreciate our SLVH team. Thank you!”