The past year was challenging for many health systems.
What should health care leaders be focusing on in 2026 as they look to balance quality care with financial viability?
Accessible, high-quality care is a cornerstone of healthy communities — yet achieving it has become increasingly difficult amidst rising demand for services, persistent labor shortages, and outdated compensation frameworks.
At the heart of the issue is a fundamental imbalance: organizations are struggling to deliver timely care because they can’t recruit and retain sufficient clinical and support staff. Labor shortages not only compromise health care access, but also drive up costs and, ultimately, negatively impact patient outcomes.
In his recent article for Forbes, SullivanCotter’s President and CEO, Ted Chien, calls attention to the need for innovative and strategic workforce planning that places equal emphasis on labor sustainability and financial viability.
He outlines three critical areas health systems can focus on as they navigate this complex environment:
Adopting New Business Models To Boost Health Care Access
- Rethink traditional care delivery models to better utilize clinician time
- Explore partnerships with innovative and membership-based care models
- Reassess the role of virtual care to improve reach, reduce emergency department utilization and support underserved populations
Alleviating Labor Challenges
- Recognize that workforce shortages are not short-term disruptions, but structural issues
- Avoid over-reliance on layoffs, which may weaken long-term growth and care quality
- Use technology, including AI-enabled tools, to improve operational efficiency, scheduling and workforce productivity
- Focus on strategies that reduce burnout and support a more sustainable workforce
Rebalancing Skills and Compensation
- Move beyond compensation structures based solely on tenure, volume or traditional productivity metrics
- Align pay with specific skills, competencies and organizational priorities
- Support value-based care by rewarding quality, outcomes and long-term performance
- Consider skills-based compensation approaches to better attract, engage and retain talent
Solving health care access and workforce challenges requires integrated, forward-looking strategies that align care delivery, labor planning and compensation design. Health care organizations that take a holistic approach will be better positioned to build resilient workforces, improve access for patients and succeed in an increasingly complex health care landscape.