June 04, 2010 01:17am EST 

Hospitals in Alabama can sleep soundly knowing that the Alabama Hospital Association (AlaHA) has their back.  The statewide trade organization was founded in 1921 as a statewide trade organization to assist member hospitals and health systems in effectively serving the health care needs of Alabama.  The AlaHA accomplishes this mission through their advocacy, representation, education and service to their member hospitals, their patients, and their communities.  Included as members of the AlaHA are hospitals and health systems, as well as other companies and organization related to health care in Alabama.
On their website, the AlaHA provides those seeking information with a hospital directory, organized by name, county, or service, allowing patients to educate themselves about each hospital’s features and services provided.  In addition, they have some of the best health resources listed in the resources section, even for visitors who are not members of the association.  Resources include medication safety, advance directives, a health observances calendar, key links, and a section about HeartLink.
HeartLink was an initiative created in 1997 that is very indicative about the AlaHA’s commitment to improving health in Alabama.  AlaHa was asked by the Alabama Society for Health and Education Training to become an American Heart Association Training Center.  The Training Center is the centralized administrative office, which allows our hospitals (and possibly other interested parties) to teach American Heart Association-approved basic and/or advanced adult and pediatric life support training courses.  The American Heart Association decided that a Training Center that provided an Emergency Cardiovascular Care program as an integral part of its day-to-day life would provide more public awareness and education in basic and advanced life support, saving more lives.  There are 67 training sites located throughout Alabama  that provide services to all Alabama hospitals and other who need CPR training.

You can find more information about HeartLink and the AlaHA by logging on to their websites.