The newsroom includes access to Council Connect, our twice-monthly newsletter on Hospital Council’s work. Key articles and issues of interest, along with the President’s Message, are included below.
Newsroom
Is Your Hospital Ready?
Change is nothing new in health care. From technological innovations to shifting patient needs, hospitals have constant reasons to evolve. That ability to adapt is taking on a new urgency in the aftermath of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which only compounds the financial challenges hospitals face.
Federal Grants Pose Limited Opportunity for Rural Providers
Faced with growing challenges, rural hospitals across Northern California are finding innovative ways to do more with less. Rural hospitals are not a “nice to have” — they are essential to the strength, stability, and survival of California’s entire health care system. When a rural hospital closes, the ripple effects are immediate and far-reaching:
Rural Grant Program Implementation Underway, Hospitals Should Sign Up for Updates
The state’s work to implement the Rural Health Care Transformation Program — a $50 billion infusion to support improved rural health care included in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act — has begun, and will move quickly over the coming months. By Dec. 31, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services must approve or deny all submissions, but an application deadline has yet to be set.
HQI and Hospital Council Annual Conference Is Fast Approaching
This year’s Hospital Quality Institute (HQI) and Hospital Council joint Annual Conference is less than three weeks away. Taking place on Sept. 28-29 in Lake Tahoe, the 2025 event will not only cover insights on federal legislative changes and state legislative and budgetary challenges, but also delve into advancing patient safety in health care’s new era.
Section Updates for August 27, 2025
CENTRAL VALLEY: At Hospital Council’s Community Benefits Meeting in early August, members from Fresno, Kings, Madera, and Tulare counties discussed ways to make real-time information available about which organizations they fund and at what amounts. The group will begin meeting every six weeks to facilitate this information sharing; Hospital Council will continue to support the group’s work and ensure compliance with antitrust laws.
Register for Upcoming California Hospital Volunteer Leadership Conference
Hospital volunteers, those who work with volunteers, and community partners looking to expand their services with volunteer programs should make plans to join the 2025 California Hospital Volunteer Leadership Conference. The 62nd annual event is hosted by California Association of Hospitals and Health Systems Volunteer Services and will take place Sept. 15 and 16.
The Future Doesn’t Wait — and Neither Do Hospitals
The calendar might not agree, but everywhere you look, signs of fall are here: Kids are going back to school, Halloween decorations have hit stores, and football games will start in the next couple of weeks.
Section Updates for August 13, 2025
CENTRAL VALLEY: As part of the Central Valley Health Care Landscape Analysis, Hospital Council hosted a focus group in which leaders from 18 member hospitals across seven counties attended. During the meeting, members reported an increase in survey activity from California Department of Public Health (CDPH) regional offices, resulting in a sharp rise in immediate jeopardy events and fines. New resources from CDPH and the California Hospital Association can help hospitals navigate licensing surveys.
AB 1204 Equity Reporting Portal Opens — Still Time to Register for HQI Support
As the deadline for inaugural Hospital Equity Measures Report submissions under Assembly Bill (AB) 1204 (2021) approaches, the California Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) has officially opened its online reporting portal.
HQI and Hospital Council to Host 2025 Annual Conference
The Hospital Quality Institute (HQI) and Hospital Council will host a joint 2025 Annual Conference on Sept. 28-29 in Lake Tahoe, where the focus will be on advancing patient safety in health care’s new era.
