December 12, 2025- AHA President and CEO Rick Pollack announced his plans to retire by the end of 2026. A 43-year veteran of the association, Pollack has served as its chief executive for the past decade. Under Pollack’s leadership, the AHA steered hospitals through the COVID-19 pandemic, securing critical resources and regulatory flexibility to keep hospitals and health systems open and caring for patients during the most challenging public health crisis of recent time. Pollack launched bold initiatives to strengthen the health care workforce, advance quality and patient safety, and fortify cybersecurity defenses through partnerships with the FBI and other government agencies.