By Emily Boland
I’m still reeling from my time at last week’s Becker’s Healthcare Conference, where leaders from across the world gathered to discuss the biggest issues facing healthcare and the transformative strategies and innovations necessary to solve the industry’s biggest challenges. I attended panels, Q&A sessions, and speaker events. I walked the exhibit hall, I networked, and I eavesdropped — absorbing all the insights I could from the top minds in healthcare. After several days, over 100,000 steps, and somewhere near a billion handshakes, these are my top 10 takeaways:
01. There’s a digital knowledge + access gap
Patients are more empowered than ever to manage their healthcare, largely thanks to the health tech solutions and tools that enhance their experience. However, these solutions aren’t accessible or practical for every patient, particularly those over 65, a group anticipated to represent 23% of the U.S. population by 2050. Many of these individuals will have high acuity needs in the coming years, and may not have the digital literacy or access to tools — such as smartphones or reliable WiFi — required to schedule or receive care. Hospitals and health systems must ensure their digital initiatives are not leaving these patients behind, and find opportunities to engage with them, even if it requires a more vintage approach.
Hospitals and health systems must ensure their digital initiatives are not leaving these patients behind, and find opportunities to engage with them, even if it requires a more vintage approach.
02. Dialing isn’t outdated
While we live in a digital world, and it's true that a majority of patients prefer to schedule appointments online, a whopping 33%—or 112M patients — still prefer to schedule them over the phone. Meaning hospitals and health systems need to tailor strategies for improved patient access to the preferences of their patient populations, rather than make assumptions or cater solely to a growing trendline.
03. AI isn’t optional
Most medical practices and institutions have already discovered AI’s potential and ability to dramatically cut costs and save time. If you aren’t already using AI to schedule appointments, review claims, transcribe notes at the bedside, or otherwise streamline a once manual process, you’re leaving time and money on the table, and your competition is likely taking the lead in a way that will be increasingly challenging to overcome.
04. Botox your booth
Marketers vie for, and companies invest in, beautiful booth displays. One way to lessen the impacts of that thoughtful booth design? Wrinkles. Handheld steamers are packable and worth the investment for a seamless appearance on the trade show floor!
05. Invite the cool kids
A truly effective marketing and communications strategy goes far beyond traditional campaigns or event presence. To maximize impact, marketing and communications leaders must be actively involved in high-level strategic discussions, long before execution time. By including these professionals in payer negotiations, mergers and acquisition discussions, and other pivotal conversations, organizations can develop and execute cohesive strategies that drive success across all facets of the enterprise.
06. Awards + rankings: who really cares?
Several spirited discussions centered on the sometimes relentless promotion of hospital awards in marketing campaigns. Who among us hasn’t bragged about being ranked in the U.S. News & World Report list? Even leaders from top institutions questioned the value of this approach, suggesting patients view safety, cleanliness, and quality as fundamental, non-negotiable aspects of care. For patients, constant reminders about awards can feel more unsettling than reassuring. The consensus: these accolades might matter more to prospective physicians and staff than the people seeking care, so consider shifting the focus of such recognition in recruitment efforts rather than using it as a primary marketing tool.
The consensus: these accolades might matter more to prospective physicians and staff than the people seeking care, so consider shifting the focus of such recognition in recruitment efforts rather than using it as a primary marketing tool.
07. Precision marketing works
As a hospital or health system, deep diving into an analysis of your patient population and allowing this to inform your strategy is essential to a positive return. An AdventHealth executive shared the system's initial internal approach to addressing lengthy outpatient surgical procedure wait times was to expand scheduling options and make weekend appointments available. However, a simple patient survey revealed that no one really wanted to schedule an appointment on the weekend. This information ended up saving the organization from costly implementation fees.
08. Patients make great advocates
Patients are empowered to take control of their healthcare, so give them a platform to stand on and shout from. Patient newsletters and satisfaction surveys, appointment scheduling reminders, check-ins, and post-appointment surveys — each interaction presents organizations with an opportunity to build a patient advocacy group, and presents patients with the opportunity to opt in. Thoughtfully maintain and grow your list of patient advocates. When you provide them with opportunities to influence the care being received in their communities, you'll be impressed at how they show up.
09. Trust is built between people
In healthcare, trust isn’t established between organizations — it’s built between individuals. Every interaction your employees have with patients, partners, and vendors shapes your reputation. That’s why it’s essential for your brand values to be authentically embodied by every team member, not just outlined in a brand book. When employees consistently reflect your organization’s values, trust and meaningful relationships naturally grow across the communities you serve.
10. Listen for the signal
Celebrity keynote speaker Kevin O'Leary (AKA “Mr. Wonderful” for you Shark Tank fans), underscored an essential concept for reaching a lofty goal — distinguish the signal from the noise. He claimed a signal is defined as a critical task that you must complete within 18 hours to advance an initiative, where noise is everything else that stops you from completing that task. According to him, an optimal divide among successful leaders is 70-80% signal, 20-30% noise.
Pro tip: Becker’s is an event every healthcare professional should attend at least once in their career, with applicable content for all roles across all sectors — health tech, biotech, pharma, medtech, life sciences, and more. If you’re lucky enough to attend next year, I advise wearing comfortable shoes, leveraging an AI-companion for taking notes, and making the most of every learning opportunity.