Powerful Start to Legislative Session
Last week, MHA hosted its first in-person legislative breakfast since the start of the pandemic. The event saw an impressive turnout of over 100 attendees, including 35 legislators, reaffirming the strong support for hospitals in Annapolis.
During the breakfast, several committee chairs spoke about their commitment to partnering with us on issues critical to the health and well-being of Marylanders.
Health and Government Operations Chair Peña-Melnyk, Finance Chair Beidle, President Pro Tem Augustine, Budget and Taxation Chair Guy Guzzone, Montgomery County Delegate Shetty, and Judicial Proceedings Vice Chair Waldstreicher each showed enthusiasm for championing our priorities.
The breakfast kicked off a day of meetings where MHA met one-on-one with a variety of legislators to stress field-wide priorities such as payer denials, pediatric overstays, and an overview of the AHEAD Model along with concerns about underlying policy issues that need to be addressed as we transition into the new Model.
This event also served as the official launch of our “Healthy Hospitals. Healthy Communities.” campaign. The campaign centerpiece—a striking 20-foot by 10-foot display—is now featured at the Miller Senate Building, where it will remain through the end of the month.
As we continue the pace through the remainder of the 90-day legislative session, we will continue to work on relationships and education built since the 2024 session ended.
Together, we are amplifying the voices of hospitals and advocating for the policies that strengthen the health of our communities.
We’ll continue to look for more opportunities to gather. Next, mark your calendars for our Annual Membership Meeting, June 9-10 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Baltimore. I hope to see you there!
Best,
Melony G. Griffith
President & CEO
Maryland Hospital Association