New AHA Insights Report: 5 Imperatives for Redesigning Care Delivery

A new AHA Insights report, sponsored by TeamHealth and summarizing the annual Leadership Summit held in July, highlights how hospitals and health systems nationwide are redesigning care delivery across settings to meet patients' evolving needs. Despite pressures such as regulatory volatility, increasing acuity and an aging population, hospitals continue to adapt and innovate, leveraging new approaches and technologies to create care models that last.

AHA members are revamping operations and paving the way for a future of high-quality care delivery through the following imperatives.

1 | Start with the patient and redesign across the continuum.

Health systems that redesign care around what matters most to the patient have found that approach supports both quality and financial sustainability. The standouts seek to meet people where they are, whether that’s the emergency department (ED), at home or online via virtual visits.

Example

San Diego-based Sharp HealthCare treats aging as a service line; its Generational Health program hinges on how patients answer the question, “What matters to you, and what are you capable of?” Average length of stay has decreased from 7.5 to 3.5 days, and early goal-setting in the ED has saved $13.8 million.

2 | Build the workforce that makes redesign possible.

High-quality care delivery starts with your team. Healthcare leaders are building durable talent pipelines, career pathways and cultures that encourage staff to stay and grow with the system.

Example

Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services in Grand Rapids, Michigan, reduced environmental-services turnover from 60% to 15% in a couple of years by inviting frontline staff into the boardroom and acting on their feedback.

3 | Lead on AI: the accelerant.

The health systems leading the pack in AI have established governance with real authority and applied the technology to tackle clinical challenges, not just administrative ones.

Example

York, Pennsylvania-based WellSpan Health’s assistant ANNA handles more than 140,000 patient calls per month, operating within clearly defined parameters and with oversight from a human staff member.

4 | Lead through accelerating change with clarity and discipline.

Successful change at scale requires leaders who clearly define the problem, listen to frontline workers and create cultures that support continuous improvement.

Example

When Eric G. Wexler first became president and CEO of Renton, Washington–based Providence, he asked thousands of frontline workers for feedback and acted on it, expanding ambient technology and reducing in-basket burden to lighten physicians’ administrative load.

5 | Drive follow-through because that’s what turns strategy into results.

Overall, the health systems that stand out for their success in adapting to a challenging environment and redesigning care delivery in response to shifting trends and demographics share one characteristic: They possess the drive and discipline to turn ideas into action and effect change that patients and clinicians can feel. These leaders are creating career pathways, prioritizing what matters most to patients and applying AI to address real clinical pain points.

Download the full report to explore additional examples and recommendations for redesigning care delivery and operating models for the future.