Mark Francis

expert panel

Prior authorization has become one of the rare healthcare policy issues that unites physicians, health systems, insurers, employers and lawmakers around a common conclusion: The current process creates unnecessary friction for everyone involved. While prior authorization remains an important utilization management tool, growing evidence suggests that excessive administrative complexity delays care, contributes to clinician burnout and increases costs throughout the healthcare system.According to the American Medical Association's 2024 physician survey, physicians complete an average of 43 prior authorizations each week, while 95% report the process contributes to physician burnout and 78% say patients sometimes abandon recommended treatment because of authorization delays.Yet technology alone will not solve the problem. Members of the Senior Executive Healthcare Think Tank bring expertise spanning healthcare operations, technology, AI, interoperability, workforce strategy and patient experience. Collectively, they argue that meaningful reform requires more than faster approvals—it requires redesigning how prior authorization works altogether.The perspectives that follow explore where healthcare leaders believe reform efforts should focus first—from reducing unnecessary reviews and increasing transparency to advancing interoperability, automation and shared accountability across the healthcare ecosystem.

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In the past, healthcare cybersecurity strategies focused primarily on preventing attacks. Investment, policy and executive attention centered on hardening systems, securing networks and keeping threat actors out. But that framing is increasingly out of step with reality.Today, healthcare organizations operate in an environment where sophisticated ransomware groups routinely target hospitals, health systems and their vendors. Prevention still matters, but it is no longer sufficient on its own. The operational reality is that even well-defended organizations can and do experience disruptions that affect clinical systems, scheduling, pharmacy operations and, in the most severe cases, direct patient care.This shift has pushed cybersecurity leaders and clinicians toward a more pragmatic conclusion: It’s no longer about whether a breach will occur, but how well an organization can continue functioning when it does.Healthcare continues to experience some of the highest breach-related costs and longest recovery times of any sector, according to industry analysis on the IBM Cost of a Data Breach Report, with patient care delivery increasingly affected when clinical systems go offline.Against this backdrop, members of the Senior Executive Healthcare Think Tank explore what modern cyber resilience actually requires in practice—from clinical continuity planning and system architecture to executive leadership, workforce readiness and the ability to maintain safe patient care during active disruption.

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Patients today have more healthcare information at their fingertips than ever before. Online reviews, provider ratings, quality scores, patient experience surveys and publicly reported outcomes all offer new ways to evaluate healthcare organizations. At the same time, healthcare providers are investing heavily in branding, digital engagement and reputation management as competition for patients continues to intensify.This evolution raises an important question for healthcare leaders: When patients choose where to receive care, what matters more—a trusted brand or measurable quality and outcomes? While transparency initiatives have made performance data more accessible, many patients still begin their search with recommendations, online reviews and existing perceptions of an organization. In fact, according to a 2025 Press Ganey study, 86% of consumers say brand reputation influences their choice of healthcare organization, while roughly 60% rely on online reviews and recommendations when evaluating providers.Members of the Senior Executive Healthcare Think Tank, whose expertise spans patient experience, healthcare technology, quality improvement, operations, AI and policy, largely agree that reputation remains a powerful driver of patient choice. However, they also emphasize that reputation alone is no longer enough. As patients gain access to more information and healthcare becomes increasingly consumer-driven, organizations must ensure their brand promise is supported by consistent experiences and measurable results.Below, they explore how healthcare organizations can strike the right balance between reputation and performance. Because while reputation may earn a patient's attention, long-term trust is built through transparency, exceptional experiences and outcomes that consistently deliver on the brand's promise.

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Healthcare organizations face unprecedented pressure to do more with less. Labor shortages, rising costs, shrinking reimbursements and increasing patient expectations are forcing leaders to examine every operational process through the lens of efficiency. Automation, artificial intelligence and outsourcing have become critical tools for preserving margins while maintaining access to care.Yet amid the drive toward optimization, healthcare leaders must answer a fundamental question: What should never be outsourced or automated?Members of the Senior Executive Healthcare Think Tank—a group of experts specializing in patient experience, workforce strategy, healthcare technology, quality, policy and innovation—largely converge on a common answer. While administrative functions, repetitive workflows and operational processes may benefit from automation, the human judgment and relationships at the center of care must remain protected.Their perspectives align with a growing body of research showing that trust, continuity of care and clinician oversight remain critical determinants of patient outcomes even as technology becomes more sophisticated. The challenge for healthcare leaders is not deciding whether to automate, but determining where automation should stop. Think Tank members share their perspectives on the functions that should remain in-house, the risks of removing human oversight from care delivery and the practical steps organizations can take to improve efficiency without compromising patient trust, clinician engagement or quality outcomes.

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Healthcare organizations are investing billions of dollars in artificial intelligence, automation, analytics and digital transformation. Yet many health systems continue to struggle with implementation, workforce shortages and operational complexity. The challenge is no longer simply acquiring technology but finding professionals who can translate emerging technologies into practical improvements for clinicians, staff and patients.According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, healthcare occupations are projected to grow much faster than average over the next decade, creating roughly 1.9 million openings annually. At the same time, healthcare leaders face mounting pressure to improve patient outcomes, reduce administrative burden and integrate rapidly evolving technologies into everyday workflows.To better understand which roles will be most critical by the end of the decade, members of the Senior Executive Healthcare Think Tank shared their perspectives. While their titles for these future positions differ, a common theme emerges: Healthcare's most valuable professionals will be those who bridge clinical care, operations, governance, data and technology.

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Healthcare investment is no longer flowing evenly across the market. Investors are concentrating capital into a smaller group of healthcare companies that can prove operational maturity, measurable outcomes and scalable economics. According to a 2025 digital health funding overview from Rock Health, fewer companies are capturing larger investments as mega-deals and AI-focused healthcare startups increasingly dominate venture funding.That shift has raised the stakes for both legacy healthcare organizations and emerging startups alike. Companies can no longer rely on broad AI claims, ambitious growth projections or pilot programs without measurable results. Instead, investors are prioritizing reimbursement alignment, interoperability, governance, operational discipline and leadership teams capable of driving adoption at scale.Members of the Senior Executive Healthcare Think Tank—a curated group of leaders specializing in healthcare technology, workforce strategy, patient experience, AI, analytics, policy and operational transformation—say the market now rewards healthcare organizations that demonstrate durable business fundamentals alongside innovation. Their insights reveal how both established healthcare enterprises and up-and-coming disruptors can compete for capital in a market increasingly defined by scrutiny and selectivity.

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The healthcare industry’s relationship with Big Tech has entered a new phase. What once looked like experimentation has evolved into a sustained push into primary care, diagnostics, pharmacy, remote monitoring and consumer health. Amazon owns One Medical. Apple continues expanding the health capabilities of the Apple Watch. AI-powered healthcare tools are accelerating across nearly every corner of the patient experience.For healthcare leaders, it’s no longer about whether companies like Amazon and Apple will influence care delivery. It’s about determining where collaboration creates value, where competition becomes necessary and how providers can preserve the clinical trust and accountability that technology platforms still struggle to replicate.That tension is reshaping strategic priorities across the industry. According to an American Hospital Association analysis of Amazon’s One Medical expansion, Amazon is steadily expanding its healthcare footprint through employer partnerships, integrated pharmacy services and digitally driven care models designed around consumer convenience. At the same time, Apple’s growing portfolio of FDA-cleared health features continues raising patient expectations around personalization, accessibility and real-time health insights.Members of the Senior Executive Healthcare Think Tank—a group of leaders specializing in healthcare technology, patient experience, AI, policy, interoperability and digital transformation—say providers should resist viewing every Big Tech expansion as a direct threat. Instead, they argue healthcare organizations need a clearer framework for deciding which capabilities should be outsourced, which partnerships deserve investment and which parts of the patient relationship must remain firmly under provider control.Across the following perspectives, Think Tank members explore where the clearest competitive boundaries are emerging—from clinical governance and patient trust to interoperability, logistics and data ownership—and what healthcare executives should do now to avoid becoming interchangeable service providers within someone else’s platform ecosystem.

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Healthcare organizations are under pressure from every direction. Consumers increasingly expect the same convenience, transparency and responsiveness they receive from retail, banking and hospitality brands. At the same time, providers and health systems face shrinking reimbursement rates, labor shortages, administrative burdens and rising operational costs. The tension is becoming impossible to ignore. According to a 2025 McKinsey analysis of the U.S. healthcare industry, financial pressures remain severe across hospitals and physician groups despite gradual margin stabilization. Meanwhile, a growing number of patients delay or avoid care because of cost concerns and confusion around billing and insurance coverage. Members of the Senior Executive Healthcare Think Tank argue that organizations cannot solve this challenge through cost-cutting alone. Instead, they believe healthcare leaders must rethink how care is delivered, coordinated and experienced. Below, Think Tank members share how healthcare leaders can reduce waste, improve patient trust and modernize care delivery while navigating the financial realities reshaping the industry.

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Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping healthcare, from predictive analytics to clinical decision support. Yet its promise comes with a critical caveat: AI systems are only as reliable and equitable as the data and decisions that shape them. Without intentional oversight, these tools risk reinforcing—rather than reducing—longstanding disparities in care delivery. Members of the Senior Executive Healthcare Think Tank bring deep expertise across technology, policy, patient experience and equity. They believe addressing bias in clinical AI is not just a technical challenge but a leadership responsibility. A recent analysis from Kaiser Family Foundation found that AI can exacerbate disparities when models are trained on biased or incomplete data, with studies linking AI use to longer wait times, underdiagnosis and poorer predictive performance for Black and Hispanic patients. At the same time, the research notes that AI could help reduce disparities if it is intentionally designed with representative data, transparency and ongoing oversight—reinforcing the dual reality leaders now face. Against this backdrop, healthcare leaders must rethink how AI is designed, validated and governed. The following insights from Think Tank members offer a roadmap for ensuring clinical AI improves outcomes for all patients—not just a subset.

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Healthcare affordability remains one of the most persistent and complex challenges facing policymakers, providers and employers today. While coverage rates have improved in recent years, being insured does not always translate into affordable access. High deductibles, co-pays and other out-of-pocket expenses continue to create financial strain, particularly for lower-income and vulnerable populations who may technically have coverage but still struggle to use it. A Harvard analysis of rising health insurance premiums highlights how costs continue to increase for many Americans, particularly as enhanced subsidies expire, forcing more individuals to shoulder higher financial burdens. This dynamic not only limits access to timely care but also contributes to a cycle of delayed treatment and escalating healthcare spending. The challenge, then, is not simply reducing costs, but doing so in a way that improves access, maintains actuarial balance and avoids shifting financial burdens elsewhere. Insights from the Senior Executive Healthcare Think Tank—a curated group of leaders across patient experience, policy, workforce strategy and health technology—offer a nuanced view of how targeted reforms can do exactly that: deliver affordability where it is needed most without creating unintended consequences across the healthcare ecosystem.

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In an era defined by rapid technological advancement, healthcare leaders face a unique challenge: reconciling the breakneck pace of consumer technology innovation with the deliberate, evidence-based cadence required in clinical environments. While tech companies iterate in weeks, healthcare systems often require years of validation to ensure patient safety and regulatory compliance. A 2023 Forbes report notes that while AI and digital tools promise efficiency and improved outcomes, improper implementation can introduce bias, safety risks and clinician distrust. The challenge, then, is not choosing between speed and caution—but designing systems that allow both to coexist. Members of the Senior Executive Healthcare Think Tank—a curated group of experts in patient experience, workforce strategy, policy, quality, equity and digital transformation—are uniquely positioned to address this tension. Their collective experience spans clinical care, enterprise IT, AI, data infrastructure and healthcare policy. Below, they outline actionable strategies for senior leaders seeking to innovate responsibly without compromising trust or safety.

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Healthcare organizations are facing a workforce crisis that shows little sign of easing. From hospitals to outpatient clinics, staffing shortages are straining care delivery, increasing burnout and threatening patient outcomes. According to a 2024 report from the Association of American Medical Colleges, the U.S. could face a physician shortage of up to 86,000 by 2036, highlighting the urgency of rethinking traditional care models. At the same time, broader workforce analyses suggest these gaps could be even more pronounced in primary care and rural settings, further complicating access and equity challenges. Members of the Senior Executive Healthcare Think Tank, a curated group of leaders across workforce strategy, patient experience, policy and healthcare technology, argue that incremental fixes will not suffice. Instead, organizations must fundamentally redesign care teams—shifting from rigid, physician-centric models to flexible, capability-based systems powered by advanced practice providers (APPs), automation and continuous training pipelines. In the sections that follow, Think Tank experts explore how such a redesign of care can help organizations expand access, sustain high-quality care and attract and retain top talent.

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Healthcare is entering a pivotal moment: What was once a system built around episodic visits and institutional control is rapidly shifting toward continuous, consumer-driven engagement. Patients—now armed with data, digital tools and rising expectations shaped by other industries—are no longer passive participants in their care. According to a recent PwC healthcare consumer insights survey, 65% of consumers want healthcare systems built around prevention rather than treatment, while seven in 10 already use digital health tools and expect more advanced, AI-driven personalization in the near future. At the same time, industry analysis shows that consumer expectations are actively reshaping how care is delivered. A Forbes analysis on evolving healthcare expectations notes that patients are becoming active participants in their care, driving demand for more personalized, tech-enabled and longitudinal healthcare experiences. Members of the Senior Executive Healthcare Think Tank, a group of leaders specializing in patient experience, workforce strategy, policy and digital transformation, see this shift accelerating over the next five years. Their insights suggest that what lies ahead is not merely a more convenient healthcare experience but a fundamental redesign of how care is delivered, coordinated and measured. The following perspectives from Think Tank members reveal the expectations most likely to reshape healthcare—and the strategic imperatives leaders must embrace now.

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Public trust in the U.S. healthcare system has declined steadily in recent years. Rising costs, opaque billing practices and persistent inequities in access have led many patients to question whether the system prioritizes institutional revenue over individual well-being. Furthermore, healthcare costs in the United States continue to outpace inflation while delivering uneven outcomes, a dynamic that has intensified scrutiny of how care is delivered and financed. Members of the Senior Executive Healthcare Think Tank—a curated group of leaders specializing in patient experience, workforce strategy, policy, quality and emerging technologies such as AI and telehealth—say restoring confidence will require far more than better messaging. It demands a fundamental reconsideration of healthcare’s core assumptions. Many of those assumptions—such as the belief that higher service volume means better care, or that consolidation naturally improves outcomes—have shaped decades of policy and organizational strategy. Yet Think Tank experts argue that rebuilding trust requires confronting those assumptions directly and redesigning systems to prioritize transparency, prevention, access and shared decision-making. Below, their insights point to a clear conclusion: Trust is not rebuilt through public relations campaigns but through structural change.

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Consumer-driven healthcare has long been heralded as the industry’s next transformation. Yet for decades, adoption lagged behind the headlines. Today, rising out-of-pocket costs, wearable device proliferation and AI-powered navigation tools are reshaping patient expectations in ways that feel materially different. According to a recent analysis in Forbes, the rapid expansion of AI in clinical workflows and patient engagement tools signals that healthcare is moving beyond experimentation toward operational integration—particularly as systems confront workforce shortages and cost pressures. Meanwhile, high-deductible health plans and health savings accounts continue to shift financial decision-making to consumers, increasing demand for transparency and measurable value. Against this backdrop, members of the Senior Executive Healthcare Think Tank—a curated group of healthcare leaders specializing in patient experience, workforce strategy, policy, quality, equity and responsible technology adoption—are watching for early indicators that signal durable change rather than fleeting enthusiasm. Here are some of the signals they are paying the most attention to, and why healthcare leaders should take notice.

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Healthcare executives are navigating one of the most complex economic environments in modern history. Margins are tight, reimbursement models are shifting and technology is evolving at unprecedented speed. According to the American Medical Association, U.S. healthcare spending reached nearly $4.9 trillion in recent years—an amount that underscores both the scale of opportunity and the urgency for transformation. Members of the Senior Executive Healthcare Think Tank—a curated group of experts in patient experience, workforce strategy, policy, quality, equity and thoughtful technology use—argue that the next generation of healthcare leaders must move beyond incremental improvement. They must integrate financial rigor with AI literacy, systems thinking and cultural leadership. A recent Forbes analysis on how AI is transforming healthcare notes that AI-driven efficiencies in diagnostics, administration and predictive analytics are no longer experimental—they are becoming operational imperatives. But technology alone will not distinguish high-performing executives. Execution, ethics and culture will. Here, Think Tank members outline the capabilities that will define successful healthcare execs in this next stage of the economy—and how leaders can develop them.

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After peaking during the COVID-19 pandemic, virtual care utilization has settled into a hybrid rhythm—one that blends digital tools with in-person services. While some observers interpret this normalization as stagnation, members of the Senior Executive Healthcare Think Tank see something else entirely: a reset that creates space for smarter, more intentional use of virtual care. While telehealth visit volumes have declined from pandemic highs, organizations that embed virtual care into longitudinal care models continue to see gains in patient satisfaction, access and efficiency, particularly for chronic disease management and preventive services. The opportunity, experts agree, lies not in doing more virtual visits—but in applying virtual care where it can have the greatest clinical and financial impact. Drawing on their experience across medical devices, AI-enabled care-at-home, culturally responsive wellness and payer-led care delivery, Think Tank members outline where virtual care still holds untapped promise—and how healthcare leaders can unlock it.

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AI and digital health tools are advancing at breakneck speed, yet adoption and outcomes often lag behind investment. While hospitals and health systems race to deploy chatbots, predictive analytics and remote monitoring, many solutions remain incremental rather than transformative. A comprehensive survey published in the Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association found that while health systems are piloting or deploying a wide range of AI use cases, success and implementation depth vary dramatically across clinical and operational domains, with many tools still immature or not integrated into care delivery workflows. The result: technology that generates data but fails to meaningfully change care delivery. Members of the Senior Executive Healthcare Think Tank—a curated group of leaders spanning patient experience, workforce strategy, equity, quality, policy and health technology—see a different path forward. Drawing on deep expertise across AI, EHRs, diagnostics, telehealth and care-at-home models, they argue that the next wave of impact will come not from more dashboards, but from smarter, more adaptive and more human-centered systems. Below, they identify underrepresented areas of innovation that hold disproportionate promise for improving outcomes and reducing burden for clinicians.

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Healthcare technology leaders are navigating an era of unprecedented change. Interoperability mandates, accelerating AI adoption, rising cybersecurity threats and shifting care models are forcing organizations to rethink how their technology foundations are built. Future-proofing infrastructure is no longer about predicting the next big system upgrade—it’s about designing for continuous evolution. When it comes to healthcare interoperability and data standards, organizations relying on rigid, legacy architectures struggle to adopt FHIR-based integrations and AI tools at scale, slowing innovation and increasing operational risk. As healthcare ecosystems expand, leaders must ensure their technology stacks can absorb new standards, data models and partners without costly disruptions. Members of the Senior Executive Healthcare Think Tank bring deep, hands-on expertise to this challenge, spanning patient experience, workforce strategy, policy, quality, equity and the thoughtful use of technologies such as EHRs, analytics, AI and telehealth. Here, they highlight how their organizations are building flexibility, interoperability and trust directly into their technology foundations so they can adopt new standards, data models and integrations as they emerge, rather than scrambling to catch up later.

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The promise of artificial intelligence to revolutionize diagnostic medicine—from imaging and pathology to conversational symptom triage—has never been more real. But as the momentum grows, so does the need for rigor. The Senior Executive Healthcare Think Tank, a multidisciplinary group of leaders with expertise in patient experience, workforce strategy, health equity, policy, quality and technology adoption, cautions that deploying AI diagnostics requires more than clever algorithms. It demands structured validation, transparency and regulatory awareness. Recent moves by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) illustrate how seriously regulators take this need. In January 2025, the agency issued far-reaching draft guidance aimed at managing “AI-enabled devices throughout the device’s Total Product Life Cycle.” As AI-enabled diagnostic tools become more common, companies must reconcile speed of innovation with accountability and patient safety—or risk undermining trust, quality and compliance. Below, Think Tank members map a set of practical, tested strategies to balance innovation and validation, offering readers actionable pathways to integrate AI safely and effectively into diagnostic practice.

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Across healthcare systems, the excitement around generative AI is palpable—from diagnostics that interpret imaging with near-human precision to chatbots that streamline patient communication. Yet the same momentum fueling this technological revolution also exposes the cracks beneath it: siloed systems, governance challenges and talent shortfalls that hinder adoption at scale. According to a recent survey, more than 80% of healthcare executives see AI as vital to their strategy, but a mere 13% feel they have a clear strategy for how to use it. Members of the Senior Executive Healthcare Think Tank—a curated community of leaders across patient experience, policy and health innovation—agree that the promise of AI will remain unrealized until foundational gaps in governance, data infrastructure and workforce readiness are addressed. Below, they dive into these gaps and what healthcare leaders must do to close them before AI can have any meaningful impact on current healthcare systems—because, as their insights show, AI can’t scale without trust, integration and people who understand both medicine and machines.

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Across boardrooms and innovation labs, established health systems and provider organizations are asking the same question: As capital again floods healthtech, how should incumbents respond? Members of the Senior Executive Healthcare Think Tank bring deep expertise in patient experience, workforce strategy, equity, policy and technology to help guide that answer. In 2024, venture capital investment into healthcare rose to $23 billion (from $20 billion in 2023), with nearly 30% of that funding directed to AI-enabled ventures. In the first half of 2025, healthtech investors injected $6.4 billion into U.S.-based digital health companies—fueled largely by AI‑driven innovation. That renewed momentum intensifies the pressure—and the opportunity—for incumbents to move beyond incumbency toward true transformation. However, the Think Tank’s experts caution: The window to adapt is narrow, and missteps risk disruption. What follows are thematic frameworks, expert-driven insights and real‑world examples to help senior executives in provider organizations navigate partnerships, acquisitions and internal innovation.

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As healthcare costs rise faster than reimbursement rates, insurers like UnitedHealth and Molina are grappling with shrinking margins—and the ripple effects are being felt across the care continuum. From rising drug prices and expensive therapies to increased patient utilization and workforce shortages, these challenges are straining traditional payer-provider dynamics and threatening the affordability and accessibility of care. Recent financial disclosures illustrate the urgency of transformation. UnitedHealth, for instance, cut its profit outlook amid unexpectedly high medical claims costs, triggering sharp stock declines and signaling that traditional models may no longer suffice. As margins compress, the imperative to rethink payer-provider relationships has never been stronger. To understand how healthcare leaders can preserve access and affordability in this evolving landscape, we turned to members of the Senior Executive Healthcare Think Tank —a curated group of experts in patient experience, policy, digital health, equity and workforce transformation. Their insights reveal not only how payer-provider relationships are changing, but also what strategies healthcare organizations must adopt now to ensure care delivery remains equitable, efficient and financially sustainable.