Podcast Summary

Podcast: Becker’s Healthcare Podcast
Episode: Andrew Chang, Chief Marketing Officer at UChicago Medicine
Date: January 12, 2026
Host: Laura Deardow

Episode Overview

This episode features a conversation with Andy Chang, Chief Marketing Officer at UChicago Medicine, who discusses the institution’s aggressive digital transformation journey, investments in AI and marketing analytics, omnichannel patient engagement strategies, and recent partnerships to enhance care delivery. The episode explores the measurable impact of marketing as a growth engine, challenges for 2026, and UChicago Medicine’s collaborative approach to innovation.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Andy Chang’s Background and Journey Into Healthcare

• [01:16] Andy shares that despite coming from outside healthcare, he’s now an experienced veteran after eight years in the industry, citing UChicago Medicine as the best job he’s had due to the amount of change and transformation in progress.
  • Quote: “I could say that with pretty big confidence because we're doing some really exciting things here.” (Andy Chang, 01:27)

2. Digital Transformation and Marketing Innovation

• [02:14] UChicago Medicine is deeply focused on digital transformation—especially in leveraging AI, cutting-edge tools, and automation to improve patient experience and drive institutional goals.

  • Patient engagement goes beyond advertising, involving relevant messaging, two-way communication (chat, texting, voice AI), and dynamic content delivery.

• Salesforce as a Key Engagement Tool:

  • Salesforce serves as an engagement technology stack with a Customer Data Platform (CDP) to log and personalize all patient interactions.
  • Dynamic, need-based messages are sent to patients, improving relevance and engagement.
  • Example: Automated outreach to patients overdue for screenings (e.g., mammography).
  • Quote: “We're able to dynamically create content and serve messages that are actually relevant to the patient.” (Andy Chang, 03:09)

• Measuring Impact & ROI:

  • Multi-campaign approach using control groups to compare campaign efficacy.
  • Collaboration with finance to validate incrementality and ROI.
  • Some campaigns have generated over $5 million in incremental appointments; others yielded no lift, leading to open analysis and iterative improvement.
  • Alignment of Salesforce with EPIC enables accurate patient-level ROI tracking.
  • Quote: “We're really focused on what did marketing deliver from an ROI standpoint and report back out on that to the organization to really justify the fact that marketing is an investment and an area of growth, not just a cost center.” (Andy Chang, 03:51)
  • Quote: “We treat it like almost a clinical trial: what worked, what didn’t work, why didn’t it work…” (Andy Chang, 06:08)

3. Omnichannel Patient Experience & AI Integration

• [07:22] Focus for 2026 is on enhancing experience and accessibility—not just messaging, but true omnichannel engagement for patients.
  • Leveraging AI to enable appointment scheduling, confirmation, cancellations, and general questions across multiple channels (phone, text, chatbots), allowing patients to interact on their preferred terms and times.
  • Goal: “Letting people engage with their own health on their own terms.” (Andy Chang, 08:37)
  • Launch of this omnichannel platform is imminent at UChicago Medicine.

4. Cross-Functional Collaboration

• [10:01] Execution of such wide-reaching transformation requires a collaborative, cross-departmental approach:
  • Executive Steering Committee: CMO, CIO, Chief Medical Informatics Officer, Chief Ambulatory Officer.
  • Inclusion of legal, compliance, IT security, finance, procurement, ops, marketing, and business teams.
  • Aim is to change patient engagement and the way employees serve patients, touching all aspects from front door to clinical to parking.
  • Quote: “This is about changing the entire—not just one upfront access point—it is the entire experience.” (Andy Chang, 10:43)

5. Challenges and Headwinds for 2026

• [11:48] Top challenges include adapting to policy changes (340B, Medicaid, Medicare Advantage), maintaining nimbleness, cost efficiency, and focusing on core mission—serving patients and communities.
  • Balancing technological innovation with safety, security, and staff buy-in.
  • Culture of transparency around mistakes and learning, with hopes to share lessons with peer institutions.
  • Quote: “There is full buy-in to do so here as well. So we're really excited about what's coming… But it is again, not easy.” (Andy Chang, 13:09)
  • Quote: “As long as we are able to learn from [mistakes] and hopefully share with others in the industry… we can make this go as smoothly as possible and really figure out a way to continue our growth strategy in the most beneficial and highest probability way.” (Andy Chang, 13:38)

6. Growth Opportunities and Partnerships

• [14:25] Growth in a saturated Chicago market, expansion into NW Indiana, and continued development of partnerships (notably with Advent Health through a joint venture and expansion of cancer networks).
  • Emphasis on reaching underserved communities and keeping quality of care high.
  • Willingness to pursue both geographic expansion and organic growth.
  • Quote: “It is all over the board, really. It's a very pretty vague answer, but that's really how we're looking at it.” (Andy Chang, 15:43)

7. The Advent Health Partnership

• [16:33] Positive, mutually beneficial joint venture with Advent Health (Great Lakes region, four hospitals).
  • Collaborative sharing of expertise: Advent’s scale and UChicago’s local knowledge.
  • Partnership extends to a new cancer network and potential further expansion.
  • Surpassing expectations on both sides.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “We're letting people engage with their own health on their own terms.”
  — Andy Chang, 08:37

• “We treat it like almost a clinical trial: what worked, what didn’t work, why didn’t it work?”
  — Andy Chang, 06:08

• “We're really focused on what did marketing deliver from an ROI standpoint... to really justify the fact that marketing is an investment and an area of growth, not just a cost center.”
  — Andy Chang, 03:51

• “This is about changing the entire—not just one upfront access point—it is the entire experience.”
  — Andy Chang, 10:43

• On partnership: “It's been going really, really well and also surpassing our expectations on both sides. They've been a great partner to work with.”
  — Andy Chang, 17:41

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:16 — Andy Chang’s background and joining UChicago Medicine
• 02:14 — Details on digital transformation, AI, and patient engagement
• 05:14 — Campaign measurement strategies and establishing ROI
• 07:22 — Building an AI-powered, omnichannel patient experience
• 10:01 — Cross-functional collaboration required for major change
• 11:48 — Biggest challenges and approach to navigating 2026 headwinds
• 14:25 — Growth opportunities in Chicago, Indiana, and beyond
• 16:33 — Reflections on UChicago’s partnership with Advent Health

Conclusion

Andy Chang’s conversation offers a deep dive into how UChicago Medicine leverages technology, data, partnerships, and organizational culture to drive patient-centered innovation and measurable outcomes. With a sophisticated approach to digital transformation and ROI, a commitment to omnichannel access, and candid reflections on challenges and growth, UChicago Medicine emerges as a forward-thinking leader in an evolving healthcare landscape.