Priscilla Ross

Priscilla A. Ross is Senior Associate Director of Federal Relations at the American Hospital Association, where she represents the interests of member hospitals, health systems, and clinician partners before the United States Congress.   

In this role, she ensures that the perspectives and concerns of the AHA’s nearly 5,000 member hospitals are addressed in national health policy development and legislative debates.   She is the advocacy liaison to Region 1, which comprises the New England States, and the AHA’s Behavioral Health Council, Hospitals Against Violence Initiative, and Academic Medical Centers Group, and the Institute for Diversity and Health Equity.

Prior to joining the AHA, Ross served as Legislative Director to United States Senator Benjamin L. Cardin of Maryland from 2007 until 2014.  In addition to policy development and legislative initiatives, she was responsible for health care, Social Security, Human Resources issues, and the Senator’s work on the Finance, Budget, and Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committees, and she served as the office’s liaison to Senate Leadership.    Her work contributed to significant legislative achievements in health policy, including the establishment of a guaranteed dental benefit in CHIP, a range of patient protections guaranteed through the Affordable Care Act, and several health equity provisions of the ACA.  She accompanied Senator Cardin to the Senate from the U.S. House of Representatives, where she had served as his Legislative Director from 1998 until 2006.     

Prior to her work on Capitol Hill, Ross was Assistant Vice President for Legislation at the Federation of American Hospitals, the trade association representing the nation’s investor-owned hospitals.  She gained experience in health care payment and delivery, quality assurance, and risk management at Harvard Community Health Plan, CareFirst BlueCross/Blue Shield, and the Psychiatric Institute of Washington. 

Her work has been recognized with awards from several organizations, including the American College of Emergency Physicians, the Maryland National Capital Home Care Association, the National Minority Quality Forum/Congressional Black Caucus Health Braintrust, and the Tourette Syndrome Association.