Texas Hospital Association

Author

  • Emma Bittner

    Emma Bittner is the Director of Advocacy Communications at the Texas Hospital Association. In this role, she leads campaigns to increase awareness and understanding of key advocacy and policy issues. She also serves as editor of the Healthcare Advocate, THA's flagship advocacy publication, which covers updates on state and federal legislative and regulatory activity, legal rulings, and political developments.

    Previously, Emma was the media manager and spokesperson for a national nonprofit, where she was responsible for driving media coverage, elevating young adult voices, and translating complex policy issues into compelling, values-driven storytelling across national and regional platforms.

    Emma graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a bachelor's degree in journalism, and communication and leadership. She also received her Master of Public Health from Boston University in 2026. She lives in Austin with her two cats, Wasabi and Noodles.

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Articles by Emma Bittner

Scale balancing money on the left and medical equipment on the right above a hospital building, illustrating healthcare costs vs care outcomes.
October 27, 2026
6 min read

Medical Liability and Tort Claims: What’s at Stake for Hospitals

Talks of revisiting the 2003 standards and the Texas Tort Claims Act raise concern.
Texas Hospital Association
October 15, 2026
3 min read

Protect Participation in the 340B Drug Pricing Program

The federal 340B Drug Pricing Program requires pharmaceutical manufacturers to supply covered outpatient drugs at a discount to qualifying health care entities that serve at-risk populations such as low-income and uninsured/underinsured patients, critical access hospitals, many rural hospitals, and public and nonprofit disproportionate share hospitals. For-profit hospitals are prohibited from the program. Hospitals use the resulting savings to stretch their…
Smiling middle-aged man in a dark suit and yellow tie stands in front of a blue-tinted medical campus backdrop.
September 10, 2026
4 min read

How Will Healthcare Show Up on the Ballot in Texas Midterms?

With the midterm elections gearing up and critical deadlines approaching, it is more important than ever for hospital leaders and community members alike to exercise their right to vote and understand how healthcare shows up on the ballot. For Texas hospitals and the communities they serve, decisions made by elected officials can directly influence healthcare access, workforce development, public health,…
Two red hands tear a hospital image in half, revealing blue medical devices floating in the split against a dark background, conveying strain on healthcare services.
September 1, 2026
3 min read

Texas Hospitals Face $27M Per Day Impact

Critical Medicaid funding that helps hospitals maintain essential services and care for millions is at risk.
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