Health care did not have a quiet year. AI, experience, platforms, and “vibe” all took turns in the spotlight. In this first half of our Holiday Sampler, hosts Chris Boyer and Reed Smith revisit four of the most downloaded Touch Point episodes of 2025. These clips capture the themes that kept listeners coming back. This episode features standout moments from:

Episode 421: The Evolution of Patient Experience We look at how patient experience grew up. From the days of satisfaction surveys and HCAHPS to a broader, human centered view that includes families, communities, and digital expectations. This clip returns to the point where COVID, consumer behavior, and online access collided and forced health systems to rethink what experience really means.

Episode 428: Breaking the Healthcare Content Mold AI quietly moved from pilot projects to everyday content work. In this segment, we revisit how health systems are using AI to draft education materials, website copy, social content, and SEO at scale, while staying compliant and avoiding PHI. The clip focuses on the human plus AI dynamic and why better prompts and guardrails lead to better outputs.

Episode 431: AI, Are You Killing Our Vibe Vibe marketing became one of the buzz phrases of the year. Here we unpack what people actually mean when they talk about “vibe,” how it influences discovery and trust, and where AI fits in as a tool to shape and scale emotional connection. This highlight walks through concrete examples of how teams brought vibe into campaigns without losing substance.

Episode 435: The Website Is Now a Platform In this conversation, we challenged the idea of the hospital website as a static brochure. The clip you will hear looks at what happens when you treat the site as a true platform for access, engagement, and growth. We talk about scheduling flows, self service tools, data capture, and the privacy and trust questions that come with a more intelligent experience. It is a snapshot of how digital front doors are becoming digital operating systems.

Taken together, these four episodes show how quickly the ground is shifting under healthcare marketers and digital leaders. Experience is broader. Content is more automated. Brand is more emotional. The website is more operational. The leaders who follow these threads are already working differently heading into 2026.

Our annual listener survey is open through December 19. It is your chance to vote for the best guest and best interview of the year and to tell us what you want more of in the year ahead. We will share the results and celebrate the winners in our final episode of 2025.

Mentions From the Show: 

2025 Annual TouchPoint Listener Survey

Reed Smith on LinkedIn

Chris Boyer on LinkedIn

Chris Boyer website

Chris Boyer on BlueSky

Reed Smith on BlueSky

Final note

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