History of HHN

What is a Healthcare Hospitality House?

Healthcare Hospitality Houses (HHH) provide lodging at significantly reduced costs to patients and their caregivers while receiving life-saving medical care away from their home communities. While hotels serve guests traveling for many different reasons including business, holidays, reunions, conferences, and so on, Healthcare Hospitality Houses provide an environment created specifically to support patients and their caregivers dealing with healthcare issues. By creating a welcoming and communal space for those going through similar stressful situations, a sense of community is created where patients and caregivers can support one another. Most Healthcare Hospitality Houses have shared kitchens, common living areas and private bedrooms and bathrooms that create a feeling of a home-away-from-home and a safe place to land each day. Healthcare Hospitality Houses help alleviate the financial burden often associated with medical crises and have shown to reduce stress on both the patient and family members.

Healthcare Hospitality Network from the Beginning

1985

The first NAHHH office was in the basement of the Hospital Hospitality House of Saginaw, in Saginaw, MI.

A 25-member steering committee met at the Hospital Hospitality House of Saginaw in Saginaw, Michigan. With a start-up grant of $15,000 from the Wickson-Link Foundation, the National Association of Hospital Hospitality Houses took shape. The first offices were located in the basement of the HHH of Saginaw.

The association created a membership organization with the goal of assisting the existing Hospitality Houses with networking services and developing resources to aid in their operational needs. The other focus of the new association was finding ways to work with communities across the United States in the development of more HHH programs.

1986

First logo for Association

Bylaws, articles of incorporation created and elected first officers. First newsletter and directory published.

1988

“House Notes”, a membership newsletter created.

1989

Strategic plan introduced.

1991

Hired first staff person to administer NAHHH and first computer donated to manage membership.

1994

Salary survey conducted for members.

1995

NAHHH is included as a resource in a book written by Roslynn Carter about caregivers.

1996

The first course in hospitality began at conference. Created affiliate membership

1997

First Hospital Hospitality House Week established with input from the American Cancer Society.

1998

Ronald McDonald Houses began to join NAHHH.

2000

American Cancer Society collaborated with NAHHH to produce new HHH directory. First website launched.

2001

Conference canceled in Scottsdale, AZ, because of the 9/11 tragedy and rescheduled for November.

2002

Members received first mebership plaques.

2011

NAHHH held the Annual Conference in Chapel Hill, NC, hosted by the SECU Family House at UNC Hospitals, and celebrated the 25^th Anniversary of the association.

2012

The association's name changed from National Association of Healthcare Hospitality Houses (NAHHH) to Healthcare Hospitality Network, Inc. (HHN).

2017

HHN signed the first AMC contract with Nonprofit Resources, LLC, a company based in Rapid City, SD, for staffing and operations.

2020

COVID-19 pandemic impacted all our members, with many closing doors temporarily for the first time. The planned conference in San Antonio was canceled and the first Virtual Annual Conference was held.

2021

Offered first Virtual Round Table Session in December.

2022

The new website was launched that allows for more interaction among members and efficiency in operations. Affiliate member category and benefits were changed under a new Supporting Partner member category.