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.
Whether we’re ready or not, 2026 — and the monumental shifts it will bring for health care — will be here before we know it. The challenges are significant: financial pressures, workforce shortages, and $100 billion Medicaid cuts that threaten not only hospital stability, but also almost every other provider group including clinics, federally qualified health centers, and county health departments.
The Hospital Council team has already begun laying the groundwork for next year’s advocacy, working with our Board of Directors and our OneTeam partners at the California Hospital Association, Hospital Association of Southern California, and Hospital Association of San Diego & Imperial Counties. Already, our Hospital Council team is developing strategic and operational plans to help members meet the health care needs of their communities in this new, constrained budget environment.
We’re crafting advocacy priorities that complement, not compete with, one another — leveraging each association’s unique strengths to maximize reach and impact. We’re aligning 2026 strategies with state and federal platforms, while keeping local realities front and center.
As the year-end approaches, we’re making sure hospitals have the resources, strategies, and support to navigate whatever lies ahead.