About Us

The District of Columbia Hospital Association works to advance hospitals and health systems in the District by promoting policies and initiatives that strengthens our system of care.

Board of Directors

Leadership & Staff

Mission

We are a unifying force advancing hospitals and health systems in the District of Columbia by promoting policies and initiatives that strengthen our system of care, preserve access, eliminate disparities and promote better health outcomes for patients and communities.

Vision

An efficient and effective health care delivery system that supports a healthy, equitable and vibrant community.

Values

Trust: Trust is the foundation of DCHA, and our success depends on the mutual respect and strength of our relationships. Our engagement and services are built on a foundation of high standards that members and other stakeholders can trust. DCHA operates with honesty and fairness in all that we do.

Excellence: DCHA is committed to delivering the highest level of service. Our priorities are driven by the needs of our members and constituency groups.

Transparency: Our actions and decisions are transparent to foster collaboration, credibility and understanding of our mission, vision and goals.

Collaboration: DCHA and the hospital and health systems community understand that better results are achieved through cross-sector collaboration. We value true partnerships.

Courage: We are fearless and courageous in our thinking and advocacy to deliver the finest benefits to our members and communities.

Strategic Priorities

Influence Public Policy: Champion an advocacy agenda that promotes a friendly policy environment and mitigates harm.

Workforce: Drive innovative and sustainable workforce initiatives that meet the needs of an evolving health care delivery system.

Advance Health System Transformation: Shape policies and promote initiatives that best position DC hospitals to achieve measurable improvements in patient outcomes.

Building Healthier Communities: Sustained commitment to a culture of patient quality and safety, promoting equitable and inclusive care initiatives to eliminate health disparities and improve health outcomes for patients and our communities.

DCHA Collaboratives

Quality Collaborative: Provides an advisory role on identification of priorities that lead to the District’s hospitals becoming a recognized leader in high quality, safe, and innovative patient care. The Collaborative works to identify best practices and facilitate performance improvement activities to improve health care quality, safety, and service. Membership includes a multi-disciplinary representation of quality and patient safety leaders from our member hospitals.

The Care Coordination Committee develops a framework of best practices for addressing fragmentation in the health care continuum which results in poor service coordination and improper health care services utilization within the District of Columbia.
The Chief Nursing Officers (CNO) Committee serves as the principal resource and central forum to address nursing care practice, workforce and clinical care challenges to ensure the District’s hospitals deliver high-quality, safe, patient-centered care while support all nurses providing care in District hospitals.
The Infectious Disease/Infection Prevention (ID/IP) Committee serves as the principal resource on viral, biologic, and healthcare-associated infections to develop proactive recommendations and response protocols.
The Physician Leaders Committee serves as the principal resource and central forum to address challenges in service delivery and promote mindful solutions that ensure District’s hospitals deliver high-quality, safe, innovative care for patients, employees, and caregivers.
Information Technology & Analytics Committee serves as the principal resource to inform, promote, and recommend technology and analytics solutions that support District hospitals’ collaborative efforts focused on improving quality of care, patient safety, and positive outcomes. The committee will be responsible for supporting DCHA member collaborative activities including health information exchange, data governance and other activities that may involve information technology resources.
Perinatal Quality Collaborative is a network of clinical teams, public health experts and other stakeholders from the community who come together to participate in data-driven, clinical quality improvement initiatives to improve maternal and infant health outcomes.

Behavioral Health Collaborative: The Behavioral Health Collaborative works to identify regulatory, workforce, treatment, and capacity concerns that need to be addressed in the District’s behavioral health system to provide a comprehensive continuum of care. Collaborative membership includes a broad spectrum of stakeholders including providers across the continuum of care, payers, and community leaders committed to realizing better quality outcomes across the District of Columbia.

The Opioid Taskforce guides the opioid related priorities in the District for hospitals, in partnership with community providers by addressing any challenges to planning and implementing the ED MAT and OSOP Programs and identifying additional hospital-based opportunities to address the opioid crisis.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion: A workgroup of DC hospitals charged with making recommendations for actions to address health inequities in the District, including the institutional and structural barriers and processes that disadvantage patients of color. This workgroup will work collaboratively to develop proposals to expand access to care and improve health outcomes among minority, low-income and other disadvantaged residents served by DCHA member hospitals.

DCHA Committees

Advocacy & Public Policy: Develops DCHA’s positions on legislative and financial policy matters before the legislative or executive branches of the District government, advises on federal issues of interest and monitors financial issues that affect hospitals.

Emergency Management: Works collaboratively with our government and other health care partners to adopt best practices to ensure our members can continue to provide high-quality care no matter the situation.

Human Resources: Looks at hospital employment issues, with special attention to health professional shortage concerns, as well as licensure and regulatory difficulties.

Finance & Operations: Works on behalf of DCHA members to achieve fair and adequate health care funding and cost and operational efficiency.

Food & Nutrition Services Directors: Reviews food and nutrition policies and procedures at hospitals and shares best practices for continuous improvement and efficiencies.