Healthcare organizations have always faced operational, financial, and strategic pressures—but in 2025, those challenges are intensifying. A wave of current and anticipated policy changes is reshaping the industry, leaving leaders to navigate an increasingly complex and uncertain landscape.

To better understand how executives are preparing for what’s ahead, Advisory Board held more than 130 conversations through one-on-one calls, small-group policy forums, and other formats. These discussions revealed a wide range of strategies, concerns, and priorities.

The reality? There’s no universal playbook for this moment.

When best practices fall short, peer-to-peer insights offer a powerful way to benchmark reactions and learn from others.

In this episode, host Rachel (Rae) Woods sits down with Natalie Trebes and Chad Peltier—two researchers leading Advisory Board’s policy work. Together, they explore why peer learning is more critical than ever, what’s top of mind for executives across the industry, and how organizations are responding to the shifting policy landscape.

Interested in joining future focus groups or workshops? Reach out to the team at [email protected] to get involved.

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In times of uncertainty, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by what’s out of your control. That’s why over the next few weeks we’re revisiting three powerful conversations that remind us where to focus: on operational excellence, on what is within your control, and on the urgency to act now. Don’t miss Radio Advisory’s operational excellence series, beginning August 19th.

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A transcript of this episode as well as more information and resources can be found on RadioAdvisory.advisory.com.

For health system leaders, managing the cost of purchased goods is no longer just a budgeting exercise—it’s a strategic necessity. As margins tighten and supply chain disruptions persist, health systems are rethinking everything from vendor relationships to value analysis. In this episode of Radio Advisory, host Rachel (Rae) Woods welcomes Advisory Board expert Nick Hula to unpack the findings of the 2025 Health System Purchasing Survey. Together, they explore how economic and policy pressures are reshaping purchasing strategies across the industry.

Nick shares how leaders are balancing short-term cost-saving tactics with long-term resilience, and why holistic evaluation—factoring in real-world outcomes, clinician experience, and supply chain security—is becoming the new standard.

Plus, stay tuned until the end of the episode for a policy update on CMS’s proposed payment rules for CY 2026—a timely reminder that regular rulemaking not only persists but can also rapidly advance an administration’s stated goals.

We’re here to help:

In times of uncertainty, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by what’s out of your control. That’s why over the next few weeks we’re revisiting three powerful conversations that remind us where to focus: on operational excellence, on what is within your control, and on the urgency to act now. Don’t miss Radio Advisory’s operational excellence series, beginning August 19th.

Send a voice message to Radio Advisory.

A transcript of this episode as well as more information and resources can be found on RadioAdvisory.advisory.com.

For health care purchasers, women’s health is no longer a niche offering—it’s a strategic imperative. In this episode of Radio Advisory, host Rachel (Rae) Woods welcomes Dr. Neel Shah, Chief Medical Officer at Maven Clinic—the world’s largest virtual clinic for women’s and family health—to unpack the clinical, financial, and operational benefits of investing in holistic women’s health.

As costs rise, employee expectations evolve, and working parents face mounting pressures, purchasers are navigating a complex balancing act: managing their own financial health while offering benefits that attract and retain top talent. Dr. Shah explains how partners like Maven are helping employers and purchasers offer holistic, cost-effective care across the full lifecycle—from fertility and pregnancy to postpartum and menopause.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

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Health System Growth Series

A transcript of this episode as well as more information and resources can be found on RadioAdvisory.advisory.com.

To make progress on delivering behavioral healthcare at scale, we have to hold up examples of what progress looks like—and unpack how we achieve it. That was the goal of our live panel discussion at the Advisory Board Summit in Washington, D.C., moderated by Radio Advisory co-host Abby Burns.

In today’s episode of Radio Advisory, hear Abby’s conversation with three provider leaders—Dr. Tristan Gorrindo, former Chief Medical Officer of Optum Behavioral Care, Dr. Mustafa Mufti, Chair of Psychiatry at ChristianaCare, and Dr. Ken Rogers, Chief Medical Officer for Behavioral Health at WellSpan. The group explores how each of these provider organizations are approaching digital health, workforce, crisis care, and, of course, financial sustainability in behavioral health.

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Health System Growth Series

A transcript of this episode as well as more information and resources can be found on RadioAdvisory.advisory.com.

Treatments like cell and gene therapies (CGTs) and GLP-1s are transforming care, but with double-digit growth in drug spend year over year, this transformation comes with an unsustainable price tag. And it’s putting pressure on every part of the healthcare ecosystem, from patients and providers to employers and health plans.

The strategies that purchasers have used to manage drug spend in the past are no longer getting the job done. But when our Advisory Board experts set out to find the innovators creating new ways to rein in spend, they came up empty. Purchasers appear to be stuck in a “wait and see” pattern—but no silver bullets are coming.

This week, host Abby Burns invites Advisory Board experts Chloe Bakst, Aaron Hill, and Amanda Okaka to discuss the drivers behind rising drug costs and why traditional cost-saving strategies are falling short. They provide actionable guidance on how purchasers and plans can modernize their approach to utilization management and make moves toward integrating pharmacy and medical benefits in order to manage total cost of care—in other words, move toward value.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

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Survey insights: What to know about the clinician workforce today

A transcript of this episode as well as more information and resources can be found on RadioAdvisory.advisory.com.

On July 4th, 2025, President Donald Trump signed the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” into law. In this “minisode,” host Rachel (Rae) Woods unpacks the sweeping implications of the most significant healthcare legislation since the Affordable Care Act.

From enhanced subsidies expiring to major cuts to Medicaid and ACA marketplace coverage on the horizon, Rae explores what this legislation means for providers, payers, and the broader healthcare ecosystem. Listen to this short policy update for strategic steps leaders must take to manage the cascading impacts of the Act’s implementation.

This episode was recorded on July 7th, 2025.

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A transcript of this episode as well as more information and resources can be found on RadioAdvisory.advisory.com.

In this special live episode from the 2025 Advisory Board Summit, host Rachel (Rae) Woods sits down with a leader well-versed in bold transformation: Paul Markovich. After more than a decade as President and CEO of Blue Shield of California, Paul now leads Ascendiun—a new nonprofit parent company that includes Blue Shield of California, its clinical services firm Altais, and the newly launched health services business, Stellarus.

Together, they explore the mounting pressures facing health plans and the bold bets Paul has made in pursuit of a powerful mission: to eagerly create a healthcare system that is worthy of friends and family—and sustainably affordable. Upholding that mission while navigating constant disruption is no easy feat. In this episode, you’ll learn:

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Advisory Board Fellowship

A transcript of this episode as well as more information and resources can be found on RadioAdvisory.advisory.com.

Healthcare executives are closely watching legislative activity in Congress—anticipating shifts in government-funded insurance, new economic headwinds, and regulatory changes. And while change is certainly coming, what remains uncertain is how these forces will shape market dynamics and organizational finances.

To help hospitals and health systems prepare, Advisory Board’s quantitative experts developed an impact estimator to size the financial impact of Congress’s ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’.

This week, host Abby Burns invites Advisory Board experts Sebastian Beckmann, Deeksha Aleti, and Vidal Seegobin to share the scenario planning tool and explore the range of potential outcomes—from moderate disruption to catastrophic margin impact.

Together, they explain how leaders can predict the total impact on their organizations, break down how specific policies will shift their finances (and when), and offer actionable strategies leaders can take today to mitigate risk and plan effectively.

We’re here to help:

4 ways to improve site-of-care transitions for sickle cell patients

How VCU built an ‘inescapable’ Adult Sickle Cell Medical Home to improve inpatient to outpatient transitions of care

4 keys to success in the New England Sickle Cell Institute’s outpatient program for adult sickle cell patients

Get in touch to learn more about Advisory Board's Policy Scenario Impact Calculator and other tools

A transcript of this episode as well as more information and resources can be found on RadioAdvisory.advisory.com.

When experts warn that the economy could be headed for a recession, people working across different corners of the economy get nervous. People working in healthcare, maybe less so. That’s because of a longstanding idea that healthcare is impervious to recession. Okay, maybe that’s overstating it. Healthcare is less susceptible than other industries. But did this notion hold up during the pandemic? During the Great Recession? More importantly, will it hold up now?

This week on Radio Advisory, host Rachel (Rae) Woods invites Advisory Board Research Vice Presidents Shay Pratt and Vidal Seegobin to debate the question: Is healthcare really recession-proof? We are not economists, we are healthcare experts. So throughout the conversation, they reflect on how past dislocations affected the healthcare industry, and what leaders can—and can’t—learn from these events to help them interpret the current turbulence.

Plus, stay tuned to the end of the episode for a policy update on the ripple effects of Secretary Kennedy’s recent shakeup of the CDC’s vaccine advisory committee.

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Additional resources related to the Advisory Committee on Immunization practices:

4 ways to improve site-of-care transitions for sickle cell patients

How VCU built an 'inescapable' Adult Sickle Cell Medical Home to improve inpatient to outpatient transitions of care

4 keys to success in the New England Sickle Cell Institute's outpatient program for adult sickle cell patients

Health policy playlist

Modeling Reemergence of Vaccine-Eliminated Infectious Diseases Under Declining Vaccination in the US | Infectious Diseases | JAMA | JAMA Network

A transcript of this episode as well as more information and resources can be found on RadioAdvisory.advisory.com.

Artificial intelligence (AI) continues to generate excitement across healthcare, promising to reduce clinician burnout, fuel innovation, and ease financial pressures. But despite the hype, AI is far from a “plug-and-play” solution—and simply investing in AI won’t guarantee success.

This week, host Rachel (Rae) Woods is joined by Advisory Board AI expert Ty Aderhold to explore what it really takes to see value from AI in healthcare. Together, they unpack:

Instead of chasing the latest tech trend, leaders should take a problem-first approach—investing in the right governance, expertise, and evaluation to ensure AI solutions are aligned with their organization’s needs.

Links:

Radio Advisory Tech & AI playlist

Survey insights: What to know about the clinician workforce today

A transcript of this episode as well as more information and resources can be found on RadioAdvisory.advisory.com.