Adventist Health One of Many Hospitals Making Changes as Healthcare Landscape Evolves
6 December 2022 |
ROSEVILLE, CALIFORNIA – According to an article in Chief Healthcare Executive, hospitals and health systems say they are feeling the pressure of non-traditional rivals entering the healthcare space. This month, VillageMD, backed by Walgreens Boots Alliance, purchased Summit Health-CityMD in an $8.9 billion deal. In September, CVS Health announced the $8 billion acquisition of Signify Health. Industry giants such as Amazon, Walmart, and Apple have also been joining the race to change the face of healthcare.
Health system executives have acknowledged they are going to have to improve the consumer experience, an area where their newer rivals have decades of expertise. Echoing the sentiments of other healthcare leaders, Kerry Heinrich, president and CEO of Adventist Health, said at the American Hospital Association Leadership Summit in July that his system is looking at providing a better customer experience.
“We have only scratched the surface of consumerism and how it will impact how we deliver healthcare,” Heinrich said at a seminar on hospital leadership. “Our strategic focus is very much driven by, how do we be more consumer-friendly to the patient?”
Consumers have higher expectations from health systems, hospital leaders and industry analysts say. Increasingly, patients want the same ease in using healthcare services they have in other facets of their lives.
“Let’s look at everything from the standpoint of the consumer,” Heinrich said. “How to use technology to make it better for the consumer,” he said, adding, “How do we make it more user-friendly?”
Healthcare services must be both efficient and relevant, Heinrich said. “It requires you to think about re-engineering what you do.”