Becker’s asked four healthcare strategic leaders what area of health system operations is changing the fastest.
If you are a COO or strategic leader in healthcare and are interested in joining Becker’s Healthcare COO + Strategic Leader virtual community, please contact Scott King at sking@beckershealthcare.com.
Editor’s note: Responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Question: What area of health system operations is changing the fastest right now?
Chris Kane. Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer, Phoebe Health (Albany, Ga.): The popular answer would be AI, but I believe that is inaccurate. Access is the area that affects every type of community and health enterprise: Urban, suburban, and rural; Population growth or decline; Hospitals, physician groups, or FQHCs.
Access is an urgent complex puzzle with myriad tactics: Physician recruitment, APP optimization, GME expansion, telehealth, improved scheduling systems, etc. Many start-up companies in health care are focused on access, from virtual-first triage to in-home testing. Success requires timely pilot projects (“Let’s try this”) and the discipline to measure the results.
Howard Whitfield. Vice President of Operations and Chief Operating Officer, UNC Health Wayne (Goldsboro, Nc.): More has to be done to strengthen health systems in the post-acute area. Most systems do not invest in post-acute services (home health and skilled facilities) due to lack of ROI. Support and resources outside the 4 walls of the hospital are minimal, fragmented, and generally lack quality.
Readmissions are costly for everyone – most importantly the patient. We have to do better. Leverage AI, virtual services, and use evidence based practice to be proactive vs. reactive.
Cara Koch. Associate Vice President of Indigo Operations, MultiCare Health System (Tacoma, Wa.): Revenue cycle management is undergoing one of the most dynamic shifts in health system operations. The use of AI to deliver real-time eligibility and patient responsibility estimates, including claims in process, at the point of service is a true game-changer.
This transparency is a triple win: it gives patients clearer financial expectations, strengthens organizational sustainability, and equips the front line to confidently collect at time of service. The impact of this technology is redefining how trust and resilience are built simultaneously.
Tyler Stapp. Chief Operating Officer, Pineville Community Health Center (Pineville, Ky.): From a rural health COO perspective, workforce management and clinical operations are the areas of health system operations changing most rapidly. Hospitals must adapt to staffing shortages and evolving workforce expectations while maintaining quality, access, and financial sustainability. At the same time, clinical operations are being reshaped by care standardization, service line optimization, and increased coordination across the continuum of care.
At Becker's 4th Annual CEO + CFO Roundtable, taking place November 2–5 in Chicago, more than 1,500 hospital and health system executives tackle decisions that determine whether organizations thrive or merely survive: protecting margins under cost pressure, choosing where to grow, renegotiating payer relationships, stabilizing the workforce and proving real ROI on technology. This is where leaders work through them together, face-to-face. Apply for complimentary registration now.
