The problem of competing demands
As a senior executive at a major healthcare network, imagine just completing a merger with a neighboring system. The promise? Greater reach, expanded services, and the efficiencies of a unified health system. But blending two organizations brings challenges: overlapping technologies, disjointed processes, rising costs, and more.
Now you're managing a mixed technology fleet with interoperability gaps, ballooning maintenance costs, redundant IT systems, disparate supply chain contracts, and a stretched workforce. Stabilizing operations is urgent—but so is investing in advanced technologies to upgrade aged equipment and support the transition to a unified health system.
With limited resources, the tension between short-term fixes and long-term transformation is real. But so is the opportunity to define the future of your organization’s success.
Fund the future without breaking the bank
Immediate demands like patient care, staffing, and equipment upgrades often compete with future-focused investments. For leaders caught in the middle, the key is shifting from traditional transactional spending to flexible, innovative financial strategies.
Value-based contracting. This can help bridge the gap between current financial constraints and future transformation goals by providing financing options aligned to long-term success rather than short-term sales.
Partial self-funding. Advanced technologies like AI and digital platforms can help pay for themselves by increasing efficiency and throughput. They can also upgrade and scale over time, extending their value. For example:
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Reduced length of stay. Advanced remote care technologies and operational command-centers can help increase throughput while reducing staff burden by streamlining care coordination, reducing occupancy, and minimizing delays.
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Increased efficiency. AI, automation, and assistive technologies can help enhance productivity. Equipment with standardized capabilities, protocols and maintenance helps simplify workflows, improve efficiency and elevate patient care.
Aligned incentive-based agreements. Healthcare solution partners can share responsibility for value realization by achieving pre-agreed outcomes, fostering accountability.
Predictable payment schedules. Consistent long-term payment schedules help enable better financial planning and allow for scaled investment over time.
Learn how to reduce the complexity of integrating advanced healthcare technologies at scale.
Plan strategically for a stronger future
A multi-year technology roadmap, that integrates financial and operational goals, is essential for balancing today’s demands with tomorrow’s opportunities. By prioritizing scalability and flexibility, it supports sustainable growth, operational stability, and adaptability to evolving market and system needs.
Futureproof technology ecosystems
To build sustainable long-term success, consider these technology principles:
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Maximize existing assets. Ensure your installed base is delivering maximum benefit. Are there unused features that can unlock efficiencies?
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Manage Lifecycles. Retire or reallocate aging equipment based on clinical needs and acuity rather than a one-for-one replacement. This ensures the right technology is where it’s needed most, maximizing asset value.
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Plan for obsolescence. Anticipate technology obsolescence with proactive planning to minimize disruption and avoid unnecessary costs.
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Prioritize Scalability. Integrating technologies that grow with evolving needs can help ensure consistency even with mixed-age fleets. Many can now be upgraded or offer scalable platforms for future expansion.
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Play the long game. Think in decades rather than years. A programmatic approach, with workflow and technology assessments, can reveal big opportunities, boost cross-team collaboration, and help create integrated ecosystems that foster growth.
By adopting this approach, health systems can create resilient ecosystems that support immediate needs and prepare for sustainable success in the future.
Maximize potential and minimize inefficiency through integration of people, processes and technology
Start with the right allies
Technology integration requires expert guidance and trusted collaborators. Value-based partners work closely with health system teams to help align investments with clinical and operational goals, supporting the full lifecycle of implementation and beyond. They co-develop roadmaps that align people, processes, and technology to ensure measurable outcomes over time.
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Governance frameworks. Partners help co-develop and execute strategic initiatives by setting clear KPIs and aligning technology with long-term goals, ensuring accountability and sustained progress throughout implementation.
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Flexible financial solutions. These allies can provide predictable long-term expenditures, supporting innovation while allowing adaptability to future needs.
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Integration and change management support. They help ensure smooth adoption and enhanced ROI.
Build the future, today
Successfully balancing the urgent demands of today with the transformative potential of tomorrow is critical for healthcare systems transitioning to more cohesive, efficient health system models. By leveraging flexible financial strategies, adopting multi-year technology roadmaps, and forming value-based alliances, healthcare leaders can successfully navigate this challenging balancing act.
Now is the time to align today’s actions with tomorrow’s ambitions and deliver on the promise of system-wide transformation that drives both resilience and growth.
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