February 2026 Issue of Becker’s Hospital Review
On The Cover
Prathibha Varkey, MD, president, Mayo Clinic Health System
As hospitals across the country navigate financial pressure, workforce strain and rapid digital change, cultural transformation has moved from a soft concept to a strategic necessity.
Wendy Fielding, CFO, Dartmouth Health
Wendy Fielding, named CFO of Lebanon, N.H.-based Dartmouth Health Jan. 10, is looking to innovative care delivery models and strategic facility partnerships to help address the industrywide challenges facing rural healthcare.
Caswell Samms III, executive vice president, CFO, Nemours Children’s Health
Jacksonville, Fla.-based Nemours Children’s Health Executive Vice President and CFO Caswell Samms III is urging hospital and health system financial leaders to evolve beyond their traditional roles in 2026 as the industry navigates increasingly challenging circumstances.
Tony Morrison, vice president, chief revenue cycle officer, Sanford Health
Ask a Revenue Cycle Leader is a new series featuring insights from health system and hospital revenue cycle executives nationwide. Becker’s poses questions on the most pressing issues in healthcare finance — from payer relations and automation to workforce and patient experience. We welcome responses from all revenue cycle, finance and reimbursement leaders.
Jay Grider, DO, PhD, chief quality officer, UK HealthCare; CEO, Kentucky Medical Services Foundation
Planning a patient’s discharge the day they are admitted is important — but not enough to fix the complex bottlenecks that slow hospital throughput and lead to emergency department boarding.
Mike Nelson, senior vice president, strategic services, Universal Health Services
Planning a patient’s discharge the day they are admitted is important — but not enough to fix the complex bottlenecks that slow hospital throughput and lead to emergency department boarding.
The ‘strategic accelerator’ healthcare CEOs need for transformation
As hospitals across the country navigate financial pressure, workforce strain and rapid digital change, cultural transformation has moved from a soft concept to a strategic necessity.
What to expect from hospital M&A in 2026: Kaufman Hall
Health systems will continue to “look beyond traditional inpatient services for new growth opportunities,” in 2026, according to a Jan. 15 report from Kaufman Hall.
10 themes for health system growth in the next year
As health systems head into 2026 amid margin pressure, policy uncertainty and rising demand, executives are converging around a shared set of priorities. Across responses from CEOs, CFOs and senior leaders, the message was consistent: growth must be disciplined, operationally grounded and closely tied to mission and access.
US companies are scaling back hiring in 2026. How do hospitals compare?
Across industries, most U.S. organizations are not planning to increase hiring in 2026. What is the outlook among hospitals and health systems?
Hospitals rethink PTO to combat burnout
Hospital and health systems are reimagining paid time off not simply as a benefit, but as a proactive tool for combatting burnout, retaining talent and fostering a healthier workplace culture.
‘Act like a payer’: A CFO’s strategy for margin growth
As many health systems remain focused on cost containment and recovery, Sutter Health is leaning into growth and pairing it with tighter financial and operational discipline.
How to lead health system staff through transformation and uncertainty from 5 strategic leaders
As staff members from health systems across the country continue to tackle government regulations, emerging technology, and evolving patient expectations, Becker’s asked five strategic leaders in healthcare how they lead their teams in times of transformation and uncertainty.
Breaking the discharge bottleneck: 3 systems’ strategies
Planning a patient’s discharge the day they are admitted is important — but not enough to fix the complex bottlenecks that slow hospital throughput and lead to emergency department boarding.
How SSM Health integrates specialty care into value-based models
St. Louis-based SSM Health is working to bring more specialty care under value-based compensation models over the next two years, as the health system seeks to extend physician accountability for quality metrics beyond traditional primary care-focused arrangements.
A community health system CEO’s bet on academic medicine
Christopher Newman, MD, stepped into the president and CEO role at Mary Washington Healthcare last March amid significant leadership transition, workforce pressure and rapid population growth in the region.
How healthcare executives are managing value-based care challenges
Becker’s asked five health system strategic leaders about the role value-based care plays in their system’s strategic planning and how they’re managing the challenges it presents.
Why transformation funds are ‘critical’ for rural healthcare
Andy Zukowski, CFO of Greenville, N.C.-based ECU Health and the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, is tackling healthcare industry uncertainties head on with his finance team as a new year dawns.
The top workflow pain points frustrating physicians
Across health systems, chief medical information officers say physician frustration is not driven by a single broken workflow, but by the compounding effect of documentation burden, chart review overload, inbox volume, payer friction and fragmented digital tools that pull clinicians away from patient care.
Why Geisinger went biosimilar-1st across its pharmacy portfolio
As drug pricing pressure intensifies and benefit structures shift, some health systems are still treating biosimilars as a selective cost lever — deploying them in certain payer segments while preserving legacy models elsewhere.
CEO Strategy
10 themes for health system growth in the next year
As health systems head into 2026 amid margin pressure, policy uncertainty and rising demand, executives are converging around a shared set of priorities. Across responses from CEOs, CFOs and senior leaders, the message was consistent: growth must be disciplined, operationally grounded and closely tied to mission and access.
The ‘strategic accelerator’ healthcare CEOs need for transformation
As hospitals across the country navigate financial pressure, workforce strain and rapid digital change, cultural transformation has moved from a soft concept to a strategic necessity.
A community health system CEO’s bet on academic medicine
Christopher Newman, MD, stepped into the president and CEO role at Mary Washington Healthcare last March amid significant leadership transition, workforce pressure and rapid population growth in the region.
CFO Finance
‘Act like a payer’: A CFO’s strategy for margin growth
As many health systems remain focused on cost containment and recovery, Sutter Health is leaning into growth and pairing it with tighter financial and operational discipline.
Why transformation funds are ‘critical’ for rural healthcare
Andy Zukowski, CFO of Greenville, N.C.-based ECU Health and the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, is tackling healthcare industry uncertainties head on with his finance team as a new year dawns.
Why CFOs can’t play the ‘financial scorekeeper’ in 2026
Jacksonville, Fla.-based Nemours Children’s Health Executive Vice President and CFO Caswell Samms III is urging hospital and health system financial leaders to evolve beyond their traditional roles in 2026 as the industry navigates increasingly challenging circumstances.
Dartmouth Health’s new CFO charts course for rural care innovation
Wendy Fielding, named CFO of Lebanon, N.H.-based Dartmouth Health Jan. 10, is looking to innovative care delivery models and strategic facility partnerships to help address the industrywide challenges facing rural healthcare.
COO
How to lead health system staff through transformation and uncertainty from 5 strategic leaders
As staff members from health systems across the country continue to tackle government regulations, emerging technology, and evolving patient expectations, Becker’s asked five strategic leaders in healthcare how they lead their teams in times of transformation and uncertainty.
How healthcare executives are managing value-based care challenges
Becker’s asked five health system strategic leaders about the role value-based care plays in their system’s strategic planning and how they’re managing the challenges it presents.
CLIC
How SSM Health integrates specialty care into value-based models
St. Louis-based SSM Health is working to bring more specialty care under value-based compensation models over the next two years, as the health system seeks to extend physician accountability for quality metrics beyond traditional primary care-focused arrangements.
UChicago cut non-urgent ED visits by 45%: Here’s how
UChicago Medicine cut its nonurgent emergency department visit rates by 45% with a single initiative.
Breaking the discharge bottleneck: 3 systems’ strategies
Planning a patient’s discharge the day they are admitted is important — but not enough to fix the complex bottlenecks that slow hospital throughput and lead to emergency department boarding.
CIO
How physician ownership shapes OrthoIndy’s IT spending
As a private practice, Indianapolis-based OrthoIndy has an advantage with its IT investments, CIO Caroline Jarrell said.
The top workflow pain points frustrating physicians
Across health systems, chief medical information officers say physician frustration is not driven by a single broken workflow, but by the compounding effect of documentation burden, chart review overload, inbox volume, payer friction and fragmented digital tools that pull clinicians away from patient care.
PHARMACY
Why Geisinger went biosimilar-1st across its pharmacy portfolio
As drug pricing pressure intensifies and benefit structures shift, some health systems are still treating biosimilars as a selective cost lever — deploying them in certain payer segments while preserving legacy models elsewhere.
Pharmacy leaders’ biggest headwinds heading into 2026
Pharmacy leaders say 2026 is shaping up to be a year defined by financial volatility, regulatory pressure and workforce strain — all intensified by upcoming federal drug pricing reforms. Across organizations, the challenges are stacked.
CHRO
Hospitals rethink PTO to combat burnout
Hospital and health systems are reimagining paid time off not simply as a benefit, but as a proactive tool for combatting burnout, retaining talent and fostering a healthier workplace culture.
What culture means to OhioHealth’s CHRO
Tristan Hall, senior vice president and CHRO of Columbus-based OhioHealth, shared a candid reflection on culture and leadership amid uncertain times in a Jan. 7 LinkedIn post.
US companies are scaling back hiring in 2026. How do hospitals compare?
Across industries, most U.S. organizations are not planning to increase hiring in 2026. What is the outlook among hospitals and health systems?
RCM Leader
What to expect from hospital M&A in 2026: Kaufman Hall
Health systems will continue to “look beyond traditional inpatient services for new growth opportunities,” in 2026, according to a Jan. 15 report from Kaufman Hall.
How Novant Health is evolving its revenue cycle structure
Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Novant Health is evolving its revenue cycle structure to accelerate access to care and bring new technology and innovation into daily operations.
Revenue cycle leaders’ top priorities in 2026
Ask a Revenue Cycle Leader is a new series featuring insights from health system and hospital revenue cycle executives nationwide. Becker’s poses questions on the most pressing issues in healthcare finance — from payer relations and automation to workforce and patient experience. We welcome responses from all revenue cycle, finance and reimbursement leaders.
