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As health systems face growing pressure to lower costs, increase market share and run more efficiently, one thing is clear — the strength of their ambulatory care portfolio is quickly becoming a key differentiator.

By effectively putting strategy into action, hospitals and healthcare systems can thrive amid today’s financial and operational challenges and position themselves to confront the looming threats that are just around the corner.

With its acquisition of AMSURG, a national ambulatory chain, Ascension is changing the playbook for not-for-profit business model transformation. The acquisition raises important questions: How do we expect the game to be played moving forward, and how do we want to participate?

The challenges that hospitals and health systems currently face are amplifying this complexity, from uncertainty about potential changes to federal healthcare policy—including Medicaid and NIH funding cuts and tariffs—inflation, and ongoing workforce challenges.

Senior healthcare leaders and board members routinely ask us the following two questions.

The hospital and health system leaders we work with are extremely concerned about the financial impact their organizations may experience from potentially significant Medicaid policy changes, following the recent passage of a budget resolution by the U.S. House of Representatives.

A conversation with Rich Liekweg, CEO of BJC Health System in Missouri, and Nick Barto, president of BJC Health System

The latest Kaufman Hall Report includes highlights from the 35th annual Healthcare Leadership Conference, which featured high-level thinking and reflection on how our industry’s ongoing transformation will progress into the future.

As healthcare market conditions continue to stabilize after several years of pandemic-era volatility, many hospital and health system leaders are revisiting their organizations’ strategic options for long-term sustainability.

After several years of grappling with one existential challenge after another, many organizations may find the task of resetting their strategy overwhelming. In our experience, most health systems have not asked or answered the difficult questions required to chart a new path.

In the pre-pandemic era, payer-provider partnerships were often focused on creating value by managing costs of care and delivering high-quality care. In today’s more challenging macro-economic environment, these conversations are becoming more direct and practical, with both payers and providers asking hard questions.

On a new episode of The Healthcare Plus Podcast, host Quint Studer and Matthew Bates discuss the financial pressures facing healthcare industry leaders today and discuss strategic solutions to improve create alignment and improve margins.