Edge Perspectives

In this episode of Edge Perspectives, host Jayme Zage, PhD, is joined by Strategy Intelligence experts Janelle Kwan, Associate Principal; Mahaya Walker, Senior Director; and Jen Goff, Intelligence Director, to discuss the latest payment updates shaping healthcare. They explore what's accelerating the shift to alternative payment models, how trends differ across payer segments, and what health syst...

In this episode of Edge Perspectives (that’s right new name, new logo, new brand!), host Trevor DaRin is joined by Strategy Intelligence experts Tori Richie, Associate Principal, and Karyl Kopaskie, PhD, Principal, to unpack the latest Impact of Change® Forecast and the forces shaping healthcare demand over the next decade. Together, they explore the shift from inpatient to ambulatory care, the gr...

In this episode of Sg2 Perspectives, host Trevor DaRin is joined by Sg2 experts Brian Esser and Jayme Zage, PhD, for a discussion of recent health care headlines and what they may signal for health systems. The conversation explores affordability and AI, hospital rankings, Medicare Advantage tensions, workforce pressures, and GoodRx’s subscription strategy. Together, they separate signal from nois...

In this episode of Sg2 Perspectives, host Trevor DaRin is joined by Sg2 expert Tony Guth to explore academic ambulatory surgery center (ASC) strategy. They discuss why academic medical centers face unique hurdles as surgical cases shift away from the hospital, including faculty practice dynamics, partnership apprehension and the need to create capacity for higher-acuity care. The conversation also...

In this episode of Sg2 Perspectives, host Jayme Zage, PhD, is joined by Sg2 Senior Intelligence Director Andrew Rebhan to discuss how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the health care workforce. Together, they explore the evolving relationship between human and AI capabilities, from creativity and empathy to judgment, accountability and leadership. The conversation also examines emergin...

In this episode of Sg2 Perspectives, host Jayme Zage, PhD, is joined by Donnelle Jageman and Rachael Zirkelbach to explore what it takes to achieve service line success in today’s rapidly evolving health care environment. The discussion examines how leading health systems are rethinking service line structures, leadership models, strategy, communication and performance measurement to drive growth...

In this episode of Sg2 Perspectives, host Trevor DaRin is joined by Sg2 experts Rebecca Limestall, Jayme Zage, PhD, and Anthony Guth to debrief insights from a recent Vizient® member network meeting focused on access and capacity. They discuss what health care leaders are prioritizing now, from internal alignment and value-based care to ambulatory strategy, philanthropy and care at home.    We are...

In this episode of Sg2 Perspectives, host Trevor DaRin is joined by Sg2 experts Rebecca Limestall and Brian Esser to unpack the growing urgency health systems are facing as financial pressure, payer mix shifts and margin challenges accelerate. Drawing on stories from the field and conversations with health system leaders across the country, they explore why long-term strategy and short-term priori...

Host Trevor DaRin is joined by Sg2 experts Ivy Zhu and Tori Richie to explore the evolving role of freestanding EDs, hybrid ED–urgent care models and micro hospitals in health system strategy. Together, they discuss how these sites can improve access, relieve pressure on traditional EDs and support more efficient care delivery—when deployed with clear intent. The conversation also looks ahead to h...

In this episode of Sg2 Perspectives, Jayme Zage, PhD is joined by Erika Johnson, Victoria Beal and Vernon Herbener of the Vizient Research Institute to explore the growing access challenges facing health care systems. Drawing on new research, they examine how aging populations and patients with multiple chronic conditions are driving disproportionately high utilization and care fragmentation. Toge...

In this episode of Sg2 Perspectives, host Jayme Zage, PhD, is joined by Sg2 Associate Principal Trevor DaRin to explore the growing urgency of rural hospital strategy. They discuss mounting financial, workforce and access pressures, along with emerging opportunities tied to funding, partnerships and telehealth-enabled care models. The conversation highlights how health systems can support rural su...

In this episode of Sg2 Perspectives, Jayme Zage, PhD, is joined by Sg2 experts Justin Cassidy, PhD, and Brian Esser to explore the evolving role of pharmacy across the health care system. As care shifts toward ambulatory settings, pharmacy is both a critical revenue driver and a strategic lever for growth, innovation and value-based care. The discussion highlights how clinical advancements, consum...

In this episode of Sg2 Perspectives, Jayme Zage, PhD, is joined by Sg2 expert Hailey Mulliner to explore the growing momentum behind integrative medicine. They break down what integrative medicine includes, why consumer demand is accelerating, and how health systems can translate interest into viable strategy. The discussion also highlights evolving care models, competitive pressures from disrupto...

In this episode of Sg2 Perspectives, Jayme Zage, PhD, is joined by Sg2 experts Tori Richie and Karyl Kopaskie, PhD, to unpack a notable shift in health care volumes as annual growth stabilizes. Together, they explore the drivers behind softening inpatient growth, recent operational efficiency gains, innovation and evolving payer pressures. The conversation highlights how outpatient migration and c...

In this episode of Sg2 Perspectives, Jayme Zage, PhD, is joined by Sg2 experts Rebecca Limestall and Janelle Kwan to explore why strategic plans often fail—and how effective communication can change that. They unpack how clear, consistent, and audience-specific messaging drives alignment across stakeholders and sustains momentum through execution. The conversation introduces a practical framework...

In this episode of Sg2 Perspectives, host Tori Richie is joined by Sg2 experts Yelena Bouaziz and Nikita Arora to unpack the evolving reality of health care consumerism. Drawing on new national survey data, they challenge common assumptions and reveal what consumers truly value—long-term relationships, coordinated care and loyalty-driven experiences over transactional convenience. The conversation...

In this episode of Sg2 Perspectives, host Trevor DaRin is joined by Sg2 Intelligence Director Ryota Terada to examine the evolving realities of Medicare Advantage. Moving beyond headlines, they explore new data on utilization, cost and patient mix—highlighting meaningful differences from fee-for-service. The conversation unpacks what these trends mean for health system strategy, operations and fin...

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly reshaping how patients search for, access and navigate care. Host Trevor DaRin is joined by Sg2 Senior Director Andrew Rebhan to explore the rise of the “AI care broker” and what it could mean for health care’s digital front door. From OpenAI and Anthropic to payers and disrupters, they unpack how AI intermediaries may increasingly steer patient decisions—of...

Sg2’s Three Years Forward webinar highlights the forces set to shape health care strategy through 2026. Host Trevor DaRin is joined by Sg2 experts William Woodson, Chad Giese and Brian Esser to examine mounting financial pressures, shifting site-of-care dynamics and widening economic divergence across markets. Together, they explore what system optimization, ambulatory and post-acute growth and em...

In this episode, we unpack new pediatric research from the Vizient® Clinical Data Base (CDB) with Sg2 Associate Principal Rhae Ana Gamber and Vizient’s Research, Analytics and Insights team—Lead Hannah Murphy, PhD, and Associate Principal Alyssa Harris. From rising ICU utilization and RSV surges to firearm injury, diabetes and mental health, the team explores how clinical complexity and community...

In this episode of Sg2 Perspectives, host Jayme Zage, PhD, is joined by Sg2 Senior Director Joshua Aaker, PhD, to explore how health systems can tackle rising cardiovascular (CV) demand amid growing capacity constraints—especially in the cath lab. As transcatheter valve procedures expand and outpatient volumes surge, cath labs are becoming a critical bottleneck for growth and performance. Jayme an...

In this episode of Sg2 Perspectives, host Jayme Zage, PhD is joined by Sg2 experts Catherine Maji and Jodi Eisenberg to unpack new research on the relationship between quality and health system resilience. The conversation explores why quality is no longer just table stakes—but a strategic lever tied to financial performance, workforce stability, and long-term sustainability. From executive leader...

Pain management touches nearly every patient and every site of care, yet most health systems still struggle to define it as a cohesive strategy. In this episode of Sg2 Perspectives, host Trevor DaRin is joined by Sg2 experts Justin Cassidy, PhD, Donnelle Jageman and Kate Zentner to explore why pain is a critical front door to health care services. The conversation examines new non-opioid innovatio...

In this episode of Sg2 Perspectives, host Trevor DaRin is joined by Sg2 Senior Principal Bill Woodson to explore the “tailwinds” shaping health care in 2026. From financial stability and operational discipline to bold transformation strategies, Bill shares reasons for measured optimism across the industry. The conversation covers workforce innovation, ambient scribing, artificial intelligence (AI)...

In this episode of Sg2 Perspectives, host Trevor DaRin is joined by Sg2 experts Tori Richie and Karyl Kopaskie, PhD, to unpack the 2026 Insurance Coverage Forecast and major shifts expected across Medicaid, the ACA exchanges, commercial coverage and Medicare Advantage. They also discuss how this data informs Sg2’s Impact of Change® forecast and supports scenario planning for demand and utilization...