Maryland hospitals and health systems have battled together against COVID-19 from the start. You’ve shared your expertise, your beds, and other precious resources.

You’ve also jointly advocated in the best interests of your patients, communities, and state to lead our way out of this crisis.

Maryland hospitals led the nation in June with our collective declaration that hospital workers must get vaccinated. And last week, you linked arms once again—this time to urge all Marylanders to roll up their sleeves and get a COVID-19 vaccine. In a letter to all Marylanders, CEOs and presidents representing all of the state’s hospitals and health systems, urged everyone “to step up, to protect your children, yourselves, and your friends and neighbors.”

Our leadership has been well received. The results are a good reminder that we are always stronger together. As fall arrives, we must continue to stand together, not only to defeat COVID but to win on other fronts.

Beginning in October we, along with our state partners, will engage directly with the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation to secure the future of the Total Cost of Care Model. That agency views all of Maryland as a unit, and we need to perform as such.

Hospitals and health systems will again face headwinds in the upcoming session of the General Assembly. Unity is vital both to ensure that all your institutions are spared from the imposition of more new burdens and to leverage opportunities to restore the strength of your caregiving teams.

Thank you for relying upon MHA. We are truly proud to serve as the vehicle for your collective efforts.

Bob Atlas
President & CEO