5 Insights from Healthcare Leaders at Nashville Healthcare Sessions

In an era where healthcare leaders must balance financial sustainability with care quality, scale with personalization, and innovation with operational stability, finding the right path forward can be challenging.

At the Nashville Healthcare Sessions conference, healthcare executives at the forefront of addressing these challenges shared their real-world strategies and insights.

For a special two-part episode of The Better Care Podcast, EvidenceCare CEO, Bo Bartholomew, and President & COO, Amy Deaton, interviewed healthcare leaders at the conference to uncover how they’re navigating these competing demands while driving meaningful change.

In this article, we’ll explore practical approaches to some of healthcare’s most pressing challenges – from preserving local care access while achieving system-wide efficiency, to implementing new technologies without disrupting critical operations.

Whether you’re leading a rural hospital, managing a regional health system, or overseeing a national network, these insights offer actionable strategies for balancing innovation with impact in today’s complex healthcare landscape.

Some quotes have been slightly edited for brevity.

Preserving Local Healthcare

A major challenge in healthcare today is maintaining local access while achieving the operational efficiency of larger systems, especially in rural areas. Local healthcare is essential for rural communities, ensuring timely access to care and fostering strong patient-provider relationships. William Haugh, Division President at Lifepoint Health, highlights that this is a key issue he’s focused on.

“Something I would like to see going forward, is more intentionality around keeping healthcare local and keeping appropriate healthcare in the community. It’s going to be resource intensive… but there’s also going to be technology that comes along to help us do that.” – William Haugh

To achieve this, executives must determine which services to centralize and which to keep local, using technology to bridge gaps. Many organizations are adopting hub-and-spoke models to balance local presence with the efficiency of larger systems, supporting both community access and operational sustainability.

Mission-Driven Care

For healthcare organizations to deliver on their mission, they must achieve a balance of financial sustainability. Fahad Tahir, President & CEO of Ascension St. Thomas, explains his framework, “be good to do good,” as a guide for achieving this balance.

“We want Ascension to be a destination for patients with a choice… and make that same caliber of healthcare available to everybody, regardless of their ability to pay.” – Fahad Tahir

This approach involves building centers of excellence that attract patients, creating a financial base to support underserved populations. By standardizing best practices at scale, organizations can provide high-quality care to all while maintaining fiscal responsibility.

Prioritizing Technology

In healthcare, technology often generates excitement, but leaders must focus on achieving practical impact. Tech solutions should address real operational challenges to improve both care delivery and patient experience.

“I think the word innovation is overused. We’re not doing innovation just because it’s the cool thing to do. We’re doing innovation to make an impact. What are the problems we have as an industry, and where can we leverage technology to make it easier for caregivers to deliver care and for patients to experience it?” – Marty Bonick, CEO of Ardent Health

For healthcare executives, this focus on practical impact translates into prioritizing technology that tackles real barriers to efficient, high-quality care. Fahad Tahir echoes this when sharing his priorities at Ascension St. Thomas.

“One of the things we spend time on is the degree of automation we can bring to traditional, bureaucratic processes. And a big one is around the documentation burden on caregivers. These incredible people are overburdened with paperwork, so we must come up with better solutions to help them be the best version of themselves.” – Fahad Tahir

But as digital solutions multiply, healthcare systems face another challenge: managing an overwhelming number of single-function systems.

Vic Gatto, Co-Founder & Managing General Partner of Jumpstart Capital, notes,

“I’m seeing fatigue around multiple point systems. Many health systems have thirty, forty, fifty different vendors with point solutions, and that’s difficult to maintain. Health systems are looking to cut back and have fewer tools while still improving technology and information.” – Vic Gatto

To address these challenges, healthcare leaders must prioritize technology that directly supports core challenges without overwhelming providers with fragmented tools. This involves carefully selecting solutions and streamlining partnerships.

Asking the Tough Questions About AI

AI is a polarizing topic in healthcare, with opinions ranging from skepticism to optimism. While some await AI’s tangible impact, others believe in its potential. William Haugh is among those who see AI’s promise, specifically it’s potential impact on data management and revenue.

“I’d like to see AI used to comb through patient charts and capture the ‘clinical truth.’ This is essential for public reporting, and AI can help scrub data, ensuring we’re not missing anything. On the revenue cycle side, it’s critical to reflect all care in our bills. For instance, if a patient has a case mix of 1.2, and AI can identify data that raises it to 1.25 or 1.3, there’s real value there.” – William Haugh

AI can enhance both clinical accuracy and financial performance, to make AI effective, however, leaders must address ethical, operational, and practical implications, ensuring AI enhances healthcare delivery without compromising standards.

Anika Gardenhire, Chief Digital & Information Officer at Ardent Health, stresses the need for a thoughtful approach.

“I’m fascinated by the ‘war of the AI bots,’ but I hope it pushes us to ask tough questions. You have to train models on something, teach the algorithms, and create a real workflow. We also need to determine who should have authority to make decisions. Governance is essential to putting anything ‘into the bot.’ I hope this push for AI brings candor and transparency, forcing us to confront difficult questions.” – Anika Gardenhire

Gardenhire’s insights highlight the need for defined governance and ethical standards in AI implementation, ensuring it complements human providers effectively. Only by addressing these questions can healthcare organizations integrate AI safely into clinical and operational workflows.

Building Integrated Care Models

The future of healthcare requires integrated models that address both physical and mental health needs. Amy Green, Founder and CEO of Mamaya Health, envisions a future where systems communicate seamlessly for a holistic approach.

“I would love to see our EHR systems talk to each other, allowing us to integrate and deliver care more efficiently. This would give us a holistic understanding of the data, outcomes, and implications of treatments, helping patients receive comprehensive care embedded into their lives.” – Amy Green

But achieving true integration involves restructuring traditional care delivery. Instead of organizing services around departments, organizations should design them to support patients throughout their lives, establishing smooth referral pathways, and measuring outcomes across all care domains for a cohesive approach to population health.

A barrier that must be overcome is adapting to diverse provider workflows.

“A big challenge is figuring out unique provider workflows and building into those workflows effectively, especially when they may be using a different EHR system. We want to do this in the least disruptive way possible, without adding administrative burdens. Our goal is to support both the patient and the provider without adding extra tasks to them or their nursing teams.” – Amy Green

By focusing on seamless integration and support for both patients and providers, healthcare organizations can move closer to a comprehensive care model that benefits all.

Looking Ahead

As healthcare continues to evolve, a common thread emerges from these leaders’ insights: the need for innovation that is not only cutting-edge but also purposeful and impactful.

Whether through strengthening local care access, balancing mission-driven care with financial sustainability, or implementing AI and technology in ways that solve real challenges, the focus must remain on enhancing patient outcomes and operational efficiency.

This approach requires healthcare leaders to be selective and intentional—prioritizing innovations that simplify workflows, reduce administrative burdens, and deliver tangible value for both patients and providers. By thoughtfully integrating technology and reimagining traditional care models, healthcare organizations can build a system that is resilient, patient-centered, and prepared to meet the demands of the future.

To watch or listen to the full episodes Live from Nashville Healthcare Sessions, check out Episodes 20 and 21 of The Better Care Podcast.