Sg2 Blog

Digital transformation remains a key strategic goal for the health care industry, and the ongoing pressure to optimize workflows, maximize human resources and adjust to powerful technologies like generative AI has led to a resurging interest in the smart hospital concept. Broadly defined, a smart hospital is one that is fully digitized and interconnected across the care continuum, leveraging inter...

Eric Spann, MD, is a family medicine physician at Baxter Health, based in Mountain View, Arkansas. Q: Dr. Spann, how do you envision AI impacting your day-to-day work, your patient interactions and what defines good medicine? A: If we thought that addressing “Dr. Google” was a big part of our daily work, this is going to be Dr. Google on steroids. Patients are now going to have a large...

Brain tumor care is a highly specialized area that spans the cancer and neurosciences service lines. Sg2’s 2024 Impact of Change forecast projects modest growth for brain/central nervous system (CNS) tumor services over the decade: 1% for inpatient, 13% outpatient. Provider systems confront a highly competitive landscape for these low-volume, high-margin services. To capture the opportunity ...

Editor’s note: Answers have been edited for clarity. Sg2 was formed in 2001, and, today, our cutting-edge expertise, analytics and tailored consulting offerings help health industry leaders anticipate health care trends and provide them with unparalleled insight into local market dynamics. We are just one of the companies that founder Michael Sachs started—and grew—with his visi...

Editor’s note: Answers have been edited for clarity. Sg2 was formed in 2001, and, today, our cutting-edge expertise, analytics and tailored consulting offerings help health industry leaders anticipate health care trends and provide them with unparalleled insight into local market dynamics. We are just one of the companies that founder Michael Sachs started—and grew—with his visio...

CV advanced imaging is projected to grow 33% over the next decade. Significant progress has been made in coronary CT angiography (CCTA), cardiac PET, MRI, optical coherence tomography and intravascular ultrasound. Yet adoption of advanced imaging in CV service lines remains slow. The American Heart Association meeting held in November 2024 highlighted these modalities, emphasizing their critical...

The incidence of cancer in adults under age 50 is rising. Younger patients often are diagnosed at more advanced stages, after symptoms appear, since most routine screenings aren’t recommended for this age group. In response, many health systems are launching early-onset cancer programs. Common initiatives include: Expanding efforts to educate younger adults on cancer risks, symptoms and...

Health care organizations have turned the corner on pandemic recovery and are now strongly focused on strategy and investment. Day-to-day operations have stabilized for most. But the industry’s competitive landscape has irrevocably shifted, and the performance gap between the best and worst has widened. Health systems must chart this new territory with less capital, which makes strategy&mdas...

Numerous issues continue to impact health systems’ payment and accounts receivables. Among the top challenges, according to the recent Vizient® Payer Strategies Network Survey, are clinical and technical denials, DRG downgrades and claim delays.  In response, health system finance teams are deploying myriad tactics to address payer compliance issues. They’re having mixed succe...

I've started labeling cybersecurity as the "Achilles' heel" of digital health. Across meetings, workshops, and events, Sg2 experts have touted the opportunities that telehealth, AI, and other digital technologies can bring to health care, but cybersecurity risk always pumps the breaks on those discussions. It's the looming dark cloud. The elephant in the room. A digital skeptic's favorite topic to...