As healthcare continues to face financial pressures, workforce shortages, and rising patient expectations, health system executives are reimagining their strategies for growth. In a series of connections with C-suite leaders across the country, 10 themes surfaced again and again — from expanding outpatient access to investing in digital transformation and behavioral health.
Here are the 10 most frequently cited growth areas, and how they shape the future of healthcare.
1. Ambulatory and outpatient care. One of the strongest themes across executive responses was the shift toward ambulatory and outpatient care. Health systems are investing in urgent care centers, ambulatory surgery centers, retail health clinics and specialty services outside the hospital setting. They aim to deliver more convenient care closer to home at a fraction of the cost.
“Our growth of strategy centers is bringing care closer to where patients live and work,” said Patrick O’Shaughnessy, DO, president and CEO of Catholic Health, Long Island in New York. “By expanding ambulatory and preventive services, we’re creating convenient, lower-cost access points that not only improve patient choice and control, but also support healthier communities.”
2. Digital transformation (AI, telehealth, EHR, virtual care). Digital transformation has become more than a buzzword — it is a fundamental growth strategy for healthcare organizations. Leaders are actively investing in artificial intelligence to streamline clinical and administrative tasks, virtual care to expand access, and integrated EHR and data platforms to improve efficiency. This transformation is about both enhancing the patient experience and making the clinician’s job more sustainable.
“AI represents a key growth opportunity and plays a vital role in operational efficiency. As we embody innovation as one of our core values, it’s critical that we continue investing in forward-thinking strategies to shape the future of medicine,” said Conor Delaney, MD, PhD, executive vice president of Cleveland Clinic and president of Cleveland Clinic Florida market. “Our collaboration with Ambience Healthcare allows us to implement AI tools that streamline documentation, improve workflows, and give caregivers more time with patients. Initially launched with ambulatory physicians and APPs, we’ll continue expanding.”
CEOs and CFOs crave solutions that reduce documentation burdens, improve clinical decision-making, and allow for seamless virtual or hybrid care delivery. Health systems want technologies that don’t just add complexity, but instead remove friction and accelerate growth.
3. Primary and preventive care. A robust primary care network is seen as the linchpin of sustainable growth. Executives pointed to preventive care, early detection and management of chronic conditions as strategies that improve outcomes while reducing costly acute interventions. Primary care is also where relationships with patients begin — expanding access builds trust and creates pathways to specialty care and other services.
“We are committed to expanding primary care and innovating in new care models that extend our reach and improve access,” said Michael Wagner, MD, president and CEO of Care New England Health System in Providence, R.I. “And just as importantly, we see opportunity in the ‘in-between’ spaces of healthcare — connecting patients across transitions, filling the gaps where fragmentation exists, and positioning Care New England as our community’s trusted partner. That trust, and the loyalty it builds, is the foundation of sustainable growth for us.”
CEOs and CFOs want to strengthen referrals, enable chronic care management, and support community-based primary care models. Many are adding physicians to their groups as well.
4. Behavioral health. Executives across the board highlighted behavioral health as one of the most urgent and underserved areas of healthcare. Rising demand, coupled with workforce shortages, has left many communities without adequate access to mental health and substance use services. Systems see growth potential in filling these gaps, particularly through integration of behavioral health into primary care and use of virtual platforms to expand reach.
“In behavioral health, growth will come through a more distributed model of care — expanding community-based programs, developing more intensive treatment options, and partnering with employers and colleges to meet rising demand,” said Dr. Wagner.
5. Workforce development. Growth is impossible without a strong and sustainable workforce. From physicians to nurses to support staff, health systems are facing retention challenges, burnout, and recruitment gaps. Leaders are responding with investments in workforce housing, training pipelines, clinician engagement, and technology that reduces administrative burdens.
“Healthcare has advanced by decades in medicine, but only inches in how the system actually works. People today expect care that is efficient and responsive but most of healthcare is still built on processes from another era. The growth opportunity right now is closing that gap and building a modern system that matches the science of today,” said Michael Charlton, president and CEO of Atlantic City-based AtlantiCare. “That’s why AtlantiCare is changing how we work. Our enterprise transformation with Oracle, for example, is streamlining documentation, automating prior authorizations and connecting data across the system so care is faster and more reliable. Efficiencies matter because they restore time to the bedside, remove friction from how care is delivered, and bring the patient experience in line with the innovation happening in medicine.”
6. Value-based care and partnerships. Executives emphasized the importance of value-based care models and collaborative partnerships as pathways to growth. Moving away from fee-for-service, systems are adopting models that reward outcomes, efficiency, and prevention. Partnerships with payers, rural hospitals, community organizations, and technology providers are enabling systems to expand reach and share risk.
“MultiCare Health System is deeply focused on expanding access to high-quality, value-based care across the Pacific Northwest,” said David Ohm, chief strategic development officer of MultiCare Health System. “Over the next two to three years, our biggest growth opportunities lie in advancing digital health innovation, strengthening community partnerships, and expanding retail health services to meet rising demand.”
7. Specialty service line expansion. Alongside broad strategies like outpatient and digital expansion, executives are still prioritizing growth in specific clinical service lines. Specialties such as cardiology, oncology, neurosciences, orthopedics, women’s health and pediatrics are frequently mentioned as key opportunities. These expansions often support the development of centers of excellence that differentiate systems in competitive markets.
“Our biggest growth opportunities are firmly in the grasp of being far more clinician-driven and physician-led,” said Peter Banko, president and CEO of Springfield, Mass.-based Baystate Health. “This past March, we turned our Baystate Health 2030 strategic plan over to multi-disciplinary teams led by our physician service line leaders. In heart and vascular, cancer, and neurosciences care to date, physician leaders have developed and are now executing on plans to build infrastructure, improve and expand access, and strengthen and scale specific programs and services. They have also outlined clear steps to more effectively integrate with our health plan, Health New England, and decant volumes from our academic medical center to our growing community hospital network.”
8. Strategic partnerships and M&A. Healthcare executives are increasingly looking at partnerships, affiliations, and mergers as pathways to expand their reach and achieve scale. Collaborations with technology companies, rural hospitals, or community organizations are viewed as vital to strengthening market position and ensuring long-term financial sustainability.
“At FMOL Health, we are strategically positioned for substantial growth over the next two to three years, leveraging both organic expansion and targeted partnerships,” said EJ Kuiper, president and CEO of Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System in Baton Rouge, La. “Our focus is on extending our footprint by building upon established strengths — most notably, enhancing our transfer center operations and advancing our core service lines to better serve growing community needs. Our organization’s consistently favorable margins and strong balance sheet underscore our reputation as a reliable and attractive partner for collaboration. This financial stability has prompted several healthcare organizations to initiate discussions about joining forces with FMOL Health, and we anticipate that such opportunities will continue to arise. “
9. Consumerism and patient experience. Consumerism has become a defining force in healthcare. Executives repeatedly emphasize the importance of creating care experiences that prioritize convenience, transparency, and personalization. From same-day appointments to hospital-at-home programs and improved care navigation, systems are rethinking the patient journey to align with consumer expectations.
“Ochsner Health’s biggest growth opportunities over the next two to three years include expanding the patients we serve and strengthening our Centers of Excellence, including neuroscience, pediatrics, primary care, women’s services, cardiology, orthopedics, transplant and cancer care,” said Pete November, CEO of New Orleans-based Ochsner Health. “We’re also optimizing cutting-edge technologies like AI to enhance access, simplify care navigation and improve the overall patient experience.”
10. Innovation hubs, research and robotics. Many systems are pursuing innovation as a growth strategy in its own right. Robotics, research partnerships, and innovation hubs are helping organizations push the boundaries of care delivery and position themselves as leaders in the field. These initiatives often create entirely new revenue streams while enhancing brand reputation and clinical outcomes, which is why health systems are still investing here while margins tighten.
“We’re investing in innovation,” said Barbara Joers, president and CEO of Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare in St. Paul, Minn. “Our teams are advancing research in areas like neuromuscular conditions and rare diseases, and we’re using technology to personalize care and improve outcomes. Collaborations with academic and industry partners are helping us move faster and smarter.”
