Healthcare digital strategy is changing faster than most systems can keep up with. Privacy restrictions are tightening, AI is rewriting search, patients are shifting expectations, and many of the digital tactics health systems still rely on are quietly becoming obsolete.

In this episode, hosts Chris Boyer and Reed Smith count down six digital habits the industry needs to retire. They explore why consumer behavior, AI-driven browsing, telehealth recalibration, and the rise of machine-readable content have fundamentally changed what “good digital” looks like in 2025. From outdated SEO assumptions to bloated maps and embeds to the myth of the “digital front door,” this episode challenges legacy thinking and separates modern strategy from comfortable habits.

If your organization is still operating on models built for 2015, this countdown will help reset your digital roadmap for the next decade.

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Recorded on-site at the 2025 HealthCare Internet Conference (HCIC) in Las Vegas, host Chris Boyer sat down with consulting experts Cynthia Newton, Therese Lockemy, and Christine Albert from Solutions Central to discuss the biggest trends shaping healthcare marketing and digital strategy today.

Together, they explore how health systems are navigating rapid change—balancing technology innovation with real-world challenges of collaboration, governance, and growth. The conversation dives into:

Why outside perspectives help organizations see beyond internal blind spots

How cross-department collaboration unlocks smarter, faster decision-making

The role of technology and partnerships in solving core business challenges

Emerging conference themes and what they signal for healthcare marketing in 2025

Plus, the episode wraps up with a special Touch Point Hot Takes segment, where each guest shares their boldest predictions for the future of healthcare digital strategy.

Mentions from the Show:

Cynthia Newton on LinkedIn

Therese Lockemy on LinkedIn

Christine Albert on LinkedIn

SolutionsCentral on LinkedIn

Reed Smith on LinkedIn

Chris Boyer on LinkedIn

Chris Boyer website

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AI is no longer just a search companion; it’s becoming a digital negotiator. In this episode, hosts Chris Boyer and Reed Smith explore how agentic AI and new AI-driven browsers like Atlas and Comet are transforming the healthcare consumer experience.The discussion examines how these emerging tools are rewriting the rules of visibility, consent, and control - shifting healthcare from a web built for people to a web built for machines.

As AI learns to summarize, recommend, and even schedule care, health systems must rethink what it means to be findable, trustworthy, and human in a machine-readable world.Key themes include:

Mentions from the Show:

Carrie Liken: The Google Checkmate: Has Atlas Sparked the End of the Internet as We Know It?

John Munsell: How AI Browsers Harvest Information Without Your Consent

Accenture: Technology Vision 2024: Human by design

Deloite:. AI in health care: Balancing innovation, trust, and new regs

Reed Smith on LinkedIn

Chris Boyer on LinkedIn

Chris Boyer website

Chris Boyer on BlueSky

Reed Smith on BlueSky

Sources discussed include recent work by Carrie Liken and John Munsell, alongside insights from Accenture, Deloitte, and federal agencies guiding AI ethics and data use.

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In this episode, hosts Chris Boyer and Reed Smith explore what it takes to build a future-ready marketing organization that connects intelligence to impact. They break down why the next phase is about velocity—turning insight into action—rather than visibility alone, and how maturity depends on integration, governance, and access to data.

Then, Priyama Barua of Merge joins the conversation to discuss findings from her latest marketing maturity research. She shares how high-performing health systems operationalize insights, the gaps holding teams back, and what the next three to five years could look like as marketing evolves from a campaign function to a growth ecosystem.

Key themes:

Why speed of learning and action will define the next era of digital marketing

How unified data, AI, and governance reshape marketing’s role in growth

The CMO as ecosystem integrator across brand, access, and operations

Practical steps to move from campaign cycles to continuous learning

Mentions from the Show:

Marketing in healthcare: Improving the consumer experience

Accenture Technology Vision 2024: “Human by Design” Technologies Will Reinvent Industries and Redefine Leaders by Supercharging Productivity and Creativity

PriyamaBarua.com

Priyama Barua on LinkedIn

Merge Marketing Maturity Study: Results and Analysis

Reed Smith on LinkedIn

Chris Boyer on LinkedIn

Chris Boyer website

Chris Boyer on BlueSky

Reed Smith on BlueSky

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In this episode, hosts Chris Boyer and Reed Smith explore why traditional healthcare marketing is falling behind, and how focusing on relationships instead of reach may be the only sustainable path forward. They unpack the data showing the industry’s growing gap between visibility and value:

Only 28% of healthcare marketers have a documented content strategy.

65% of patients search online before contacting a provider, yet most health system sites still frustrate or confuse.

Retention costs up to 25x less than acquisition, but most budgets are still chasing awareness.

Chris and Reed discuss how loyalty and lifetime value (LTV) are reshaping the marketing playbook - arguing that connection, not conversion, is the next competitive advantage. They explore what happens when hospitals treat patients as long-term partners instead of one-time encounters, and how CRM, automation, and authentic storytelling can turn engagement into measurable growth.

Key themes of this episode include:

Why healthcare must shift from transactional outreach to relational engagement

How trust and personalization directly influence lifetime value

Practical steps to audit patient touchpoints and measure engagement beyond claims data

Why the future of marketing belongs to teams who build community, not campaigns

Mentions from the Show:

Calculating the Lifetime Value of Review-Generated Patients: The Complete ROI Framework for Healthcare Providers

Reed Smith on LinkedIn

Chris Boyer on LinkedIn

Chris Boyer website

Chris Boyer on BlueSky

Reed Smith on BlueSky

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For all the talk about digital transformation, finding a doctor is still one of healthcare’s most frustrating experiences.In this episode, hosts Chris Boyer and Reed Smith explore why access and accuracy remain elusive even as health systems roll out new self-service tools, AI agents, and “digital front door” platforms. The paradox is clear: smarter technology has not simplified the search for care—it has layered complexity on top of broken data. They discuss:

In the guest interview, Morgan Beschle, VP of Product at Kyruus Health, shares findings from a new 2025 study that exposes persistent provider data issues and highlights how consumers are redefining what “finding care” really means in the age of AI.

Mentions from the Show:

Charted: Wait for a doctor's appointment is longer than ever

 CMS Contract Year 2026 Proposed Rule

Morgan Beschle on LinkedIn

Kyruus Health

Reed Smith on LinkedIn

Chris Boyer on LinkedIn

Chris Boyer website

Chris Boyer on BlueSky

Reed Smith on BlueSky

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As AI becomes more fluent, empathetic, and embedded in communication workflows, healthcare’s relationship with voice, empathy, and trust is being redefined. In this episode, hosts Chris Boyer and Reed Smith explore the coming shift where technology mediates the patient experience itself, interpreting emotions, intent, and tone.They discuss:

In the expert interview, Stephanie Wierwille, EVP of Engagement at BPD Healthcare, shares her perspective on how AI will reshape creativity, communication, and the psychology of trust, and why healthcare marketers must lead this next transformation.

Mentions from the Show:

Stephanie Wierwille on LinkedIn

BPD Insights

The Einstein Divide blog post

Laurin Engle Bobo on LinkedIn

Reed Smith on LinkedIn

Chris Boyer on LinkedIn

Chris Boyer website

Chris Boyer on BlueSky

Reed Smith on BlueSky

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The era of easy targeting and attribution in healthcare marketing is over. With disappearing cookies, stricter platform restrictions, and growing consumer expectations, health systems are being forced to rethink how they segment audiences, measure ROI, and test emerging channels. In this episode, hosts Chris Boyer and Reed Smith explore:

Segmentation in a Privacy-First World – Why CDPs, not CRMs alone, are becoming the foundation for first-party and cohort-based targeting, and how to balance richer signals with regulatory risk.

Measurement in the Age of Proxies – How marketers can use matchbacks, lift studies, and proxy metrics (like click-to-directions or portal logins) to prove ROI when platforms restrict attribution.

Consumer Readiness for New Media – The growing role of CTV, podcasts, and AI-powered campaign tools — and why testing budgets and structured measurement are essential.

In our expert interview segment, Laurin Engle Bobo and Craig Blake from Amsive share insights from the field, including how they help health systems adapt segmentation strategies, measure ROI with imperfect data, and invest in emerging media without falling for hype.

Why this matters today: Healthcare marketers can no longer rely on “easy” targeting and reporting. Success will depend on how quickly they adapt to privacy-first segmentation, faster but defensible ROI proof, and disciplined experimentation in new media channels.

Mentions from the Show:

Amsive blog

Craig Blake on LinkedIn

Laurin Engle Bobo on LinkedIn

Reed Smith on LinkedIn

Chris Boyer on LinkedIn

Chris Boyer website

Chris Boyer on BlueSky

Reed Smith on BlueSky

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HIPAA is no longer the only rule that matters in healthcare privacy. State laws, FTC enforcement, and even wiretapping lawsuits are reshaping what health systems can and cannot do with data — and AI is adding another layer of complexity. In this episode, hosts Chris Boyer and Reed Smith explore:

Beyond HIPAA: How state privacy laws and enforcement actions are redefining what “compliance” means for digital marketing.

Wiretapping lawsuits: Why session replay, chat tools, and pixels are pulling hospitals into new liability risks.

AI oversight: Where AI introduces opportunity in marketing workflows, and where it creates risk in advertising and personalization.

Compliance as differentiator: How health systems can turn responsible AI and privacy practices into trust-building brand advantages.

 In our expert interview segment, Jennifer Everett and Jen Pike from Alston & Bird share their legal perspective on HIPAA’s gaps, state law proliferation, FTC enforcement, and what marketers should expect next in AI regulation.

Why this matters today: Marketing leaders can no longer treat privacy as an afterthought. Success will depend on integrating legal frameworks and AI governance directly into digital strategy.

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For years, HIPAA has been the rulebook for healthcare privacy. But in 2025, the real drivers of risk (and opportunity) come from state laws, FTC enforcement, and lawsuits that extend well beyond traditional PHI. In this episode, Chris Boyer and Reed Smith explore:

Why state privacy laws are reshaping digital marketing more than HIPAA.

How the marketing funnel is being rewritten, with upper-funnel tactics carrying the highest risk.

Whether health systems should shift back to safer group-based targeting and focus more on owned channels.

How AI fits into this conversation — transformational for efficiency, but potentially dangerous in third-party advertising contexts.

Jeremy Mittler, CEO and Cofounder of Blueprint Audiences, unpacks how state laws are colliding with HIPAA, what enforcement trends are signaling to health systems, and why privacy must be built into every stage of the funnel.

Mentions from the Show:

IAPP US State Privacy Legislation Tracker

HHS OCR Bulletin: Use of Online Tracking Technologies by HIPAA-Covered Entities

IAPP: Key Trends in U.S. State Privacy Law Amendments (2025)

Court Vacates Portion of OCR Guidance Regarding Proscribed Combination

OCR Updates Guidance on Use of Online Tracking Technologies (Mar 2024)

Jeremy Mittler on LinkedIn

BlueprintAudiences.com

Reed Smith on LinkedIn

Chris Boyer on LinkedIn

Chris Boyer website

Chris Boyer on BlueSky

Reed Smith on BlueSky

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