Sg2 Blog

A new vision for health systems is emerging, where ambulatory care, enabled by mobile and digital tools, becomes the financial and operational backbone of the health system. Yet hospital-centric business models and mindsets so far have blocked progress. To flip the paradigm, health systems must focus on four transformation levers: financial growth, leadership and governance, capital allocation, an...

Debra “Deb” Raupers, MSN, RN, is the enterprise chief nurse executive for the Guthrie Clinic, based in Sayre, Pennsylvania. Q: To start us off, can you talk us through your career progression as a nursing professional and how you came to your current role at Guthrie? A: I have been in nursing for over 30 years, and it's been a wonderful career within the Guthrie Healthcare System. I w...

The health care landscape has evolved significantly over the past few decades, prompting health systems to adopt a range of physician alignment models. Yet, as highlighted in a recent Sg2 survey of strategy leaders, many of these models have been tried but have yielded limited results. One of the most significant shifts has been in physician employment trends. In the 1980s, approximately 75% of ph...

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...

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...

Mikki Clancy is the chief digital and information officer for Premier Health, based in Dayton, Ohio. Q: Let’s get this out of the way: artificial intelligence—exciting or overrated? A: I believe it's exciting, but in a different way than most people think. For me, it's one of several layers of tools that are available to us to help our staff work more efficiently. So that's exciting b...

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...

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...

In early 2024, the health care data ecosystem experienced a disruption. Long-standing assumptions about the reliability of claims data were challenged, and many organizations found themselves navigating with limited visibility. And for a moment, the industry paused. But we didn’t. At Sg2, a Vizient company, we took that moment of disruption as a signal to accelerate. Rather than just restore...

Michael Ash, MD, is the president and chief operating officer for Nebraska Medicine, based in Omaha, Nebraska. Q: You’ve had quite a career—starting as an internal medicine physician, moving into health IT at Cerner (now Oracle), and serving as a chief transformation officer before stepping into your COO role. How have these experiences shaped your leadership approach? A: I've always been interes...