As healthcare heads into 2026, the signals are getting harder to ignore. Financial pressure is mounting. Consumer expectations are accelerating. And digital strategies that once felt optional are now core infrastructure.

In this episode, hosts Chris Boyer and Reed Smith kick off the new year with a trend-focused conversation unpacking what is actually changing across healthcare, digital strategy, and consumer behavior and what that means for health systems of all shapes and sizes.

The discussion spans three critical areas. First, how hospitals, health systems, and academic medical centers are navigating margin pressure, workforce challenges, and increasing scrutiny while being asked to do more with less. Second, how digital and marketing strategies are evolving from campaign-driven efforts into intelligence and experience infrastructure powered by data, AI, and governance. And third, how patient expectations are shifting as consumers bring behaviors learned from retail, banking, and technology into healthcare.

Rather than predictions for prediction’s sake, this episode focuses on real signals already shaping 2026 and the strategic implications leaders need to understand now. From hybrid care and digital access to AI-enabled personalization and experience design, this conversation is about where healthcare is heading and how prepared organizations truly are.

Whether you work in marketing, digital experience, strategy, or executive leadership, this episode offers a grounded look at what is changing, what is breaking, and where health systems need to adapt next.

Mentions From the Show:

Chartis: From reactive to proactive: Health systems look to AI and digital to flip the healthcare delivery paradigm within 5 years
Fierce Healthcare: 2026 Outlook: Hybrid care companies poised for growth driven by economic, policy tailwinds
Gartner: AI’s Influence Runs Deeper Than You Think — 2026 Gartner Strategic Predictions Explain Why
Paul Keckley website
HealthGrades: Special Report: Seven Hospital Marketing Trends You Should Know in 2026
KLAS: AI being used more often at point of care, KLAS research shows
Salesforce: The Ninth Edition State of Marketing Report
Telus Digital: Six healthcare trends reshaping digital care in 2025 with expert insights on AI, ops, mobile and more
The Economist: The truth about affordability
Reed Smith on LinkedIn
Chris Boyer on LinkedIn
Chris Boyer website
Chris Boyer on BlueSky
Reed Smith on BlueSky

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