The 2026 Roadmap: Leading Health System Priorities Revealed
The Health Management Academy
We Power Our Community to Drive Health Forward.
There is a seismic shift in healthcare with changes as rapid and profound as we have ever seen. Sustainable growth despite tight financial restraints, disruptive market competition, and AI, to name a few, keeps the ground shifting under leading health care systems. For industry companies selling to leading health systems, understanding these C-suite pain points is a key differentiator. You need insights; we have some right here.
Our intel is based on real-time conversations across our community of healthcare leaders. The Health Management Academy (THMA) has direct engagement with top health systems and visibility into the C-suite. We know what leading health system executives are prioritizing, even before they hit mainstream reports.
Keep Your Eye on Leading Health Systems
U.S. Leading Health Systems are at the forefront of healthcare innovation. They are the bellwether for the industry’s most complex challenges. That’s because they identify them early and pioneer new approaches that shape the future of healthcare. Here is what they named as their top priorities.
1: Tight Financial Constraints
While some health systems have shown improved margins post-pandemic and the average margin has stabilized, wide variability persists across systems. Many are trying to adapt to new cost pressures, including:
- Rising labor costs
- Inflation-driven procurement expenses
- A payer mix increasingly reliant on fixed government reimbursement
To stay financially resilient, leading health system executives are adopting new cost models and scrutinizing return on investment across every service line. This includes:
- Optimizing sites of care
- Reducing unwarranted clinical variation
- Forming joint ventures instead of pursuing traditional M&A
Learn more about the economic and policy shifts impacting health systems by watching our latest healthcare leadership webinar.
2. Patient Access
In 2025, patient access was ranked the number one priority across every C-suite role in our member insights survey. From reducing appointment wait times to offering care beyond traditional hours, leading health systems are redesigning the front door to care.
They must. Disruptive market entrants have raised the bar by offering patients:
- Frictionless scheduling
- Callback options
- 24/7 access
Learn more with THMA’s exclusive “The Top 3 Priorities Health System CXOs Must Execute in 2025” is now available for download.
3: Artificial Intelligence
AI has quickly moved from pilot to priority. Executives now view AI as critical for both operational efficiency and care delivery transformation. Early adopters among top health systems are already seeing measurable ROI from AI-powered revenue cycle automation, capacity optimization, and clinical documentation.
Still, many health systems are cautious, and leaders are being intentional in AI implementation. They know they must balance innovation with governance, EHR integration, and frontline alignment.
Learn more with THMA industry membership and exclusive access to proprietary research and insights reports straight from the nation’s leading health systems.
Strategic Partnerships are Key to Success
If your organization is looking to engage a leading health system, peer-level access is essential. Health system CXOs are seeking trusted collaborators who understand the system’s strategic direction.
Leading health systems seek long-term, strategic partnerships. They know it’s the best way to expand digital care, support rural infrastructure, or improve population health in underserved communities. This collaboration is precisely what occurs in THMA’s Executive Convening forums. Our exclusive Forums are designed to foster closed-door, peer-level dialogue between C-suite executives from the nation’s leading health systems and a select group of industry leaders, designed for insight exchange, relationship-building, and strategic alignment.
Whether your team is looking to better understand health system priorities or accelerate executive engagement, Executive Convening offers the distinct advantage of bringing the people and perspectives shaping the future of healthcare together.