Sg2 Blog

Health care is dynamic, and external market forces are increasingly volatile. Health systems are beginning to see margins stabilize, but long-term financial strength continues to be top of mind for health care leaders throughout the nation. One way systems can look to diversify financial performance is through enhancing their value-based care (VBC) strategy, but how to best do that may take on man...

It is with great sorrow that we share the passing of Sg2 former imaging expert and beloved friend and mentor Henry Soch on November 16, 2023. He was a leader of Sg2’s clinical technology research, analyzing the impact of medical technologies on care delivery and collaborating with organizations to develop operational strategies. “I am among the many at Sg2 (and in health care in...

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...

Editor's note: Randena Hulstrand, Lead Brand Journalist, Vizient, contributed to this post. By addressing hospital utilization and quality, implementing innovative models of care and forging partnerships, health systems can help reduce economic disparities and improve patient access to behavioral healthcare services. While behavioral health conditions—including major depression, anxiety and ...

Just because healthcare organizations open their doors doesn’t mean that patients will show up. This was especially true during the pandemic as a pause on elective surgeries, lack of a transactional care and revenue led healthcare systems to struggle. Add to that inflation and the increase of nontraditional disruptors — whether tech, private equity or venture capital-backed firms or pa...

Health systems and organizations face numerous evolving challenges when it comes to achieving strategic growth — be it due to changing competitive landscapes, workforce constraints, or access and capacity challenges, among many others. And while the terrain has become tumultuous, there is an essential constant that exists with great potential for differentiation and growth for any healthcare...

Clinical and technological advances continuously reshape healthcare services and the workforce that delivers them. In a cycle of creative destruction, new roles emerge while some legacy positions are reconsidered. Multiple drivers will also impact workforce needs in coming decades. Examples include an older and more diverse population, environmental impacts that disproportionately affect vulnerabl...

Many health systems have intentionally delayed taking downside risk in payment contracting for many reasons. In some cases, organizations aren't ready to perform in these contracts. In too many cases, there's a detrimental level of risk aversion that's impeding health systems from margin growth, particularly in value-based care (VBC) arrangements. Health systems and provider organizations that suc...

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...

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...