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
Section Updates for September 10, 2025
CENTRAL VALLEY: In late August, Hospital Council met with Rep. Adam Gray (D-Merced) to discuss hospitals and health care in the Central Valley, including the ongoing Central Valley Health Care Landscape Analysis. Rep. Gray expressed a desire to host follow-up meetings with state health leaders focusing specifically on the Central Valley’s health needs.
First AB 1204 Equity Reports Due This Month
The deadline for inaugural Hospital Equity Measures Report submissions under Assembly Bill (AB) 1204 (2021) is just weeks away: Hospitals must submit their reports by Sept. 30.
More Than $2 Billion Available in Upcoming Settlement Opportunities
Deadlines are approaching for hospitals to recover more than $2 billion in settlement funds from several major class action settlements. The complexity and obscurity of the claims process can often lead to missed opportunities, but through Hospital Council’s partnership with Managed Care Advisory Group, LLC (MCAG), members have access to the industry leader and the most trusted name in class action settlement recovery.
Upcoming Webinars Will Delve into Data-Driven Decision-Making, Artificial Intelligence
In October, Hospital Council will offer three webinars designed to educate, connect, and support health care professionals who are tackling today’s biggest challenges:
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.
