Two hospital associations were established more than 80 years ago to represent the interests of hospitals and the communities they serve in the Central and Northeastern regions of New York. The Central New York Hospital Association, Inc. and the Northeastern New York Hospital Council, Inc. affiliated in March 1996 to become the Iroquois Healthcare Alliance and Iroquois Healthcare Association.

The Iroquois name was adopted to recognize the history and collaboration of the Six Nations Iroquois Confederacy—a tribal alliance of Native Americans, which serves as one of the first examples of organizations working together for the betterment of all. The vast geography of the consolidated region includes Central, Northeastern, Utica-Watertown, Southern Tier, and the North Country, all of which were once part of the Iroquois lands.

IHA serves 44 hospitals and health systems in 32 counties of upstate New York, spanning nearly 28,000 square miles. Our broad alliance of voices has helped IHA expand its focus to patient safety, healthcare reform, and the recruitment and retention of the nation’s best health care workers.