AHA Board Chair Bluford Inducted

Since its inception, Passport to Wellness has seen: sickle cell readmissions fall by 26%; a 25% collective reduction in the number of asthma-related patient days; a 23% reduction in emergency department visits, Bluford said.

"Every community, from the most urban to the most rural, has social and health disparities," Bluford said. "It's our job to know our communities, our schools, our community gathering places, our churches, and in general the overall human circumstance of our neighborhoods so that we can address those disparities with passion."?

Bluford also urged his fellow hospital leaders not to overlook employee wellness and pointed to AHA's "A Call for Action: Creating a Culture of Health" report that provides a wide variety of creative programs from hospitals across the country.