Redefining Relevance: How Health Systems Are Shaping Their Future

AHA Knowledge ExchangeRedefining Relevance: How Health Systems Are Shaping Their Future

AHA Knowledge Exchange

Health systems face a fundamental question: What role will they play as healthcare becomes more interconnected and extends beyond traditional care settings? Breakthrough therapies are changing care needs, while technology companies, retailers, payers and other new entrants are reshaping how consumers access services and manage their health. These shifts are prompting health systems to rethink traditional models centered on facilities and volume and consider where they can deliver distinct value, lead and differentiate. In this Knowledge Exchange e-book, health system leaders explore how evolving care models, strategic investments and partnerships can help their organizations strengthen their relevance, meet changing community needs and shape their role in an evolving health care landscape.

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5 strategies for shaping the health system of the future

Redefine the health system around patient needs, not the hospital. As more care moves into ambulatory, home-based and virtual settings, health systems are designing broader care networks that can make services more accessible, convenient and efficient. The goal is to match patients with the right care in the right setting while preserving access to the complex services communities depend on.
Align investment with community needs and local realities. There is no single blueprint for the health system of the future. Strategy must reflect population needs, local conditions, available scale and the organization’s role in the community.
Become an orchestrator of the healthcare ecosystem. Health systems can strengthen their relevance by designing and coordinating networks that connect clinical providers, community organizations, employers, payers and other partners. Their long-term value may increasingly depend on making care easier to navigate, aligning services with community needs and becoming an essential convener rather than simply another participant in the ecosystem.
Build partnerships selectively and protect mission alignment. Partnerships can provide scale, expertise and access to new capabilities, but they must create durable value for patients and communities. Careful evaluation of partners’ goals, time horizons and commitment to the organization’s mission is especially important when considering arrangements involving private equity or other outside investors.
Develop new economic models while confronting rising cost pressures. Health systems are expanding value-based care, payer-provider integration, direct-to-employer arrangements and other risk-based models. However, increasing outpatient utilization and the cost of pharmaceuticals, including GLP-1s and emerging cell and gene therapies, are complicating the transition. Sustainable models will require greater scale, stronger data capabilities and closer alignment among providers, purchasers and payers.