What You Should Know:
– A new report from the Center for Connected Medicine (CCM) at UPMC and KLAS Research outlines how health systems are reevaluating and expanding their ambulatory care strategies in response to shifting patient expectations, workforce constraints, and increased financial pressures.
– The research, “Moving Outside the Hospital: Ambulatory Care Strategies at Leading Health Systems,” explains how large systems are adapting by providing more care in communities, closer to patients, and outside traditional inpatient settings.
Centralized Leadership Guides Strategic Shift
The growing importance of ambulatory care is reflected in a structural shift toward centralized leadership within health systems. Most respondents stated that their ambulatory strategy is guided by leaders who have system-wide visibility and the authority to shape decisions across clinical programs. Regardless of the specific structure, the consistent goal of this centralization is to ensure internal alignment around care access, efficiency, and long-term sustainability.
Investing in High-Growth and Underserved Markets
Health systems are adopting a more intentional approach to expansion, focusing on markets and service lines that offer the most strategic importance or strongest patient demand. Systems are prioritizing investments in care models that can scale, specifically targeting high-growth or underserved markets.
Common areas of investment focus include:
- Multispecialty clinics
- Ambulatory surgical centers
- Virtual care platforms
This shift is driven by the aim of increasing patient retention and addressing care-access gaps.
Partnerships Fuel Ambulatory Expansion
A key theme of the research shows the critical importance of partnerships in expanding care options and accessibility. Health systems are relying on partnerships to extend their capabilities and respond to evolving care demands. These collaborations take many forms:
- Independent physician groups and technology companies are the most commonly reported partnerships.
- Third-party providers are used for specialized services such as telehealth and behavioral health.
For example, the report notes that UPMC, which established a Community and Ambulatory Services division, is expanding access through a strategic partnership with GoHealth Urgent Care, which began operating more than 80 urgent care centers in Pennsylvania and West Virginia this year.
For more information about the report, click here.
