As hospital and health system executives prepare to bring new strategies into 2026, they are also intentionally leaving behind certain leadership habits and routines in 2025.
Leaders are focused on new ways to improve efficiency and align teams — while moving on from what did not work.
Becker’s recently connected with three health system leaders to learn what they are leaving in 2025.
The team at Fredericksburg, Va.-based Mary Washington Healthcare is replacing a reactive approach with a proactive one, Chief Quality Officer Renuka Gupta, MD, told Becker’s.
“In 2025, our team is committed to leaving behind the reactive approach we’ve sometimes fallen into, where we scramble to address challenges as they come up,” Dr. Gupta said. “Instead, we’re shifting toward a more proactive mindset — anticipating challenges and planning ahead. This shift will help us stay one step ahead, align our efforts more effectively and drive smoother, more impactful execution across all our projects.”
Team members are also strengthening their focus on accountability to ensure everyone takes ownership of their tasks and follows through on commitments, she added.
“By fostering a culture of responsibility, we’ll build greater trust and drive results together, making us a more agile and aligned team,” Dr. Gupta said.
Arturo Polizzi, president and CEO of Toledo, Ohio-based ProMedica, said he is aiming to eliminate redundant meetings and siloed thinking heading into 2026.
“What we’re trying to do is have fewer meetings, but with the right people,” Mr. Polizzi told Becker’s. “We’re organizing ourselves in such a way that we have the right people at the table the first time, so we don’t have to have seven meetings when we can do it in two.”
That focus on efficiency also extends to how teams collaborate at the 10-hospital system.
“We’re prioritizing more integrated thinking between clinical operations, administration and IT — that’s the biggest one, since so many of our initiatives are technology related — ensuring our IT teams, our clinical teams and our administrative teams are more aligned in execution of strategies,” he said.
Eric Clay, chief security officer at Baton Rouge, La.-based FMOL Health, is leaving behind excessive priorities in 2025. Instead, he’s committing to a few high-impact goals to drive focused success.
“Workplace violence is our primary focus for the security department,” Mr. Clay said. “By focusing on that one particular issue, we assure the team knows what’s important, and they focus on tasks that are going to help us drive results in that area.”
