Sg2 Blog

For most health systems, the post-COVID survivor mode has ended. Systems have reached some level of cost structure and workforce stability, and they can turn their attention once again to strategic investments and growth. But that doesn’t mean the coming years will be without challenges. Top of mind for many is ambulatory growth and access, capacity management, new revenue generation, and s...

As part of Sg2’s value-based care (VBC) analysis and market research, we review the quarterly earnings calls from a subset of publicly traded legacy payers and VBC-focused entrants. The summary is designed to highlight emerging trends and dynamics in these closely related industries, especially as they tie to VBC. The following post draws from recently released earnings call transcripts fro...

I had just finished giving a presentation to a room of hospital CEOs on the current AI landscape when one of the executives raised her hand. “Is AI really going to be a thing in health care? We’ve spent over a decade installing EHRs in our system and all they have done is increased cost and burnout. And with cybersecurity threats, I feel AI is only going to make things worse,” she said. I responde...

Virtua Health is a five-hospital system with more than 350 locations in southern New Jersey, including 40+ ambulatory surgery centers, seven emergency departments, and seven urgent care centers, as well as telehealth options; its specialties include orthopedics and advanced surgery. The system aimed to optimize its digestive disease services after acquiring several gastroenterology groups and Lour...

Direct-to-employer healthcare offerings benefit from proof-of-concept, and often your employees can provide an excellent test group. As health systems pursue employer engagement through direct-to-employer healthcare solutions, two of the first questions health systems marketing their services to local employers should expect are: Have you done this with your own employees? and How did it go? Organ...

Legacy healthcare, a domain once perceived as an unassailable fortress, now finds itself besieged by unconventional adversaries. Retail powerhouses, tech titans, venture capitalists and insurance providers are collectively reshaping the healthcare terrain. The expansion of these 'game changers,' propelled by mergers and acquisitions (M&As), appears limitless, showing no regard for geographical...

Virtual visit volumes have increased dramatically due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many health systems have made strides in virtual health program implementation. However, virtual visits are only one element of a robust digital health program. Provider systems have yet to fully capitalize on the benefits of digital solutions, and the vast menu available can be confounding. Understanding how specific...

The Fairview Health Services Chief Strategy Officer outlines how a successful, data-driven strategy must align with an organization’s strengths, deliver positive margins, and enhance care quality, safety and patient experience. Sameer Badlani, Chief Strategy Officer at Fairview Health Services, believes building better health care is more about what you shouldn’t do than what you sho...

Jerry Vuchak is the chief information and innovation officer of Children’s Nebraska, based in Omaha, Nebraska. Q: Tell us about your background and how you arrived at your current position? A: My journey in health care started in 1991 and my background prior to Children’s Nebraska has primarily been working in large adult academic medical centers. I was at Houston Methodist for 15 year...

In today's health care landscape, data has become the currency that drives informed decision-making. You can’t go a day without hearing bold statements from companies promising revolutionary data that will drive "unprecedented precision" and "transformative intelligence.” At Sg2, a Vizient company, we sift through these glossy guarantees so that you can understand the gap between what...