$1.4M in expenses

Grants and healthcare:the essential hospital institute ("institute") continued to address the significant issues facing public hospitals, safety net organizations, communities, and related health policy issues of national priority. The institute's grant-supported research expands institutional knowledge on population health, patient-centered care, delivery system transformation, quality performance and improvement, and leadership development.the institute's work in 2024 emphasized three core areas: opioid use disorder (oud) workforce development, operational and facility preparedness, and community-integrated healthcare.opioid use disorder (oud) and workforce support:- with support from the CVS health foundation, the institute continued a four-year initiative to improve access to care for individuals with oud through three one-year learning collaboratives. The second collaborative was facilitated in 2024, including a site visit with all participating member hospitals. Recruitment began for the third and final cohort, which launched in november.facility preparedness and operational efficiency:- the kresge foundation supported a follow-up grant to identify resources for member hospitals in facility preparedness and operational efficiency improvements. Activities included an interest group, a luncheon at america's essential hospitals' vital conference, and a c-suite convening focused on developing actionable plans and sharing financial support options for infrastructure projects.workforce mental health and training:- with funding from george mason university through the health resources and services administration (hrsa), the institute disseminated interactive trainings and gathered insights from members about mental health and workforce development needs.mobile health access:- a grant from the leon lowenstein foundation supported a new initiative to improve primary care access through mobile van programs. The institute launched an eight-month learning collaborative with five member hospitals in alabama, virginia, and west virginia to explore mobile care delivery challenges and solutions.peer learning and knowledge dissemination:- continued funding from the robert wood johnson foundation allowed the institute to facilitate peer-to-peer learning, revise the essential communities website, and develop a toolkit on workforce shortages and burnout. This toolkit was presented during a panel at the vital2024 conference.

$515K in expenses

Leadership development and education:to support safety-net hospitals and health systems in advancing community health, the institute provided a wide range of educational and member services in 2024. These offerings included:- webinars and podcasts: covering timely topics relevant to hospital leadership and public health.- conference workshops: interactive sessions at national events to build leadership capacity.- leadership programs: structured opportunities for learning, collaboration, and strategic planning.these programs served as vital forums for members to exchange ideas, address emerging challenges, and develop strategies to improve the social and economic determinants of health in their communitieswhile fostering professional growth and leadership networks.through our fellows program, a 12-month development curriculum for rising senior leaders in clinical or administrative roles at member hospitals, we educated participants on key issues affecting essential hospitals. This included strategies for building strategic leadership and advocacy skills and strengthening networks across the safety-net hospital community.

$412K in expenses

Research:the institute published eight reports, briefs, and blogs on research topics, including our annual report, essential data 2024: our hospitals, our patients. We also shared our research findings through panel and poster presentations at national conferences.