Innovative
Research
About Essential Hospitals Institute
Essential Hospitals Institute leads research, education, dissemination, and leadership development for America’s Essential Hospitals. To advance the quality, safety, and affordability of care at essential hospitals, the Institute identifies promising practices in the field, provides professional development training, promotes practice improvements, and disseminates innovative approaches to care. It does this with an eye toward improving individual and population health through community-integrated health care.
The the Essential Hospitals Institute will launch a learning cohort in collaboration with the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) to support essential hospitals participating in the IHI’s Age-Friendly Health Systems Action Community.
The Age-Friendly Health Systems Action Community is a no-cost opportunity for health professional teams—including essential hospital staff—looking to accelerate the adoption of evidence-based Age-Friendly care in their setting.
The Institute will hold supplementary convenings for Action Community participants from essential hospitals.
The Facilities, Preparedness, and Efficiency Interest Group (FPE IG) will give members the opportunity to share priorities, concerns, and experiences related to strengthening hospital operations and infrastructure.
Essential Hospitals Institute’s Community-Integrated Health Care Interest Group (CIHC IG) offers association members a monthly opportunity to network with peers and exchange strategies and practices for improving the health and lives of their patients and communities.
Essential Data 2025: Our Hospitals, Our Patients
Essential Data, an annual snapshot of our nearly 400 members and the people and communities they serve, tells the story of how essential hospitals overcome significant financial challenges to bring exceptional care to people who face social and economic barriers to good health and health care access.
Institute Report Highlights Best Practices in Mobile Health
Institute Brief Details Housing and Homelessness Work at Essential Hospitals
America’s Essential Hospitals Receives Commonwealth Fund Grant to Support AI Adoption in Essential Hospitals
Institute Report Highlights Social Medicine in Opioid Use Disorder Treatment
Through our annual Gage Awards, America’s Essential Hospitals recognizes member hospitals and health systems for successful projects to improve the quality of care and population health.
The awards promote the spread of best practices and innovative programs to other organizations and support the association’s research, policy, and advocacy work by sharing member success stories with our many audiences.
Improving Health Care for Disadvantaged Patients and Communities
Articles and resources dedicated to social determinants of health
Social Determinants of Health
America’s Essential Hospital’s has created a central hub for gathered resources and promising practices to support essential hospitals and their partners in advancing population health. Find innovative programs, explore valuable resources, and view essential milestones all on EssentialCommunities.Org.
The cost of health care services greatly influences clinical decision making and subsequent outcomes, particularly when high costs prevent patients from following recommended treatment. Essential Hospitals Institute is pleased to promote communication about health care costs with all patients in a robust collection of resources developed by a diverse set of stakeholders to promote information sharing about health care costs and related financial constraints.
Grant Opportunities for Essential Hospitals
America’s Essential Hospitals created this grant tracker as a resource for our members. We regularly review private and government grants for opportunities that align with the missions of essential hospitals.