AHA and West Health Launch National Accelerator to Scale Technology-Enabled Patient Care Solutions

The American Hospital Association and West Health Institute have launched a $12 million, three-year initiative to help hospitals operationalize and scale proven technology-enabled care solutions. The West Health Accelerator will focus on electronic health record optimization, virtual care, and artificial intelligence integration to improve patient outcomes and operational performance. This initiative is particularly significant for the mental health technology sector as it builds on models designed to expand behavioral health access through primary care integration and systemwide tech adoption.

The West Health Accelerator at AHA’s Health Research & Educational Trust (HRET) is supported by a $12 million commitment from West Health to help hospitals turn innovation into everyday practice over a three-year period. The initiative targets three priority areas: electronic health record optimization, virtual care, and the utilization and integration of artificial intelligence. By focusing on these sectors, the AHA and West Health aim to create easier pathways for hospitals to adopt and sustain technologies that improve patient safety and care delivery across diverse environments.

Participating organizations will have access to a new digital hub featuring proven, ready-to-deploy solutions, along with hands-on implementation support from AHA and West Health experts. The program also facilitates peer-learning networks and utilizes a curated network of hospitals to serve as national models for tech-enabled transformation. Michelle Hood, AHA executive vice president and chief operating officer, stated that the collaboration is designed to expand health care innovation by using technology to strengthen care delivery and improve outcomes that matter most to patients and families.

The accelerator expands on previous successful models, such as the initiative at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago, which utilizes technology to expand access to mental health services through primary care providers. Shelley Lyford, CEO and Chair of the West Health Institute, noted that the project is focused on redesigning how health care is delivered by aligning the right technologies with the realities of modern patient care. For the mental health technology sector, this program offers a structured framework for scaling behavioral health tools and virtual care solutions across the AHA’s network of nearly 5,000 member hospitals and health systems.