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Peering into the crystal ball

The question we’ve been hearing recently is “what’s next?”. We’ve survived the beginning of the pandemic, where health systems had to rethink their operating model and rapidly implement digital solutions in order to continue serving their communities in an unprecedented time. We’ve made it through the peaks and valleys of caseloads, a contentious vaccine rollout, and a reimagining of how – and where – we can best treat patients. The pandemic accelerated digital initiatives and paved the way for rapid innovation.

So, what comes after such a major shift? Do we go back to “normal” and let digital fade to the background, or do we lean into the past two years of growth and progress and build the organization-wide infrastructure to make digital a long-term, foundational part of health systems’ success? Based on what we’ve been hearing from AVIA Members, digital isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Health systems are dedicating the time and resources necessary to make their COVID-19-implemented digital solutions sustainable and results-driving long into the future. Health systems that don’t make this shift risk getting left behind or beat out by industry disruptors. So, let’s get digital.

Industry insights

• Going virtual: Building sustainable virtual visit infrastructure post-COVID-19 [AVIA]
• AVIA expert spotlight: Scott Simeone, Vice President, Consulting [AVIA]
• 5 things we must do to improve the US healthcare system [Authority Magazine]
• Memo to vaccine advocates: Stop trying to scare the unvaccinated. It doesn’t work [Civis Analytics]

What we’re into this week

Read: Someone finally fixed the ending of The Giving Tree on Lithub for a 2021 revamp of Shel Silverstein’s classic children’s book

Listen: to Maintenance Phase, a podcast debunking and decoding the wellness and weight loss myths you may believe

Watch: Dopesick, a Hulu miniseries that dives into the opioid epidemic in America from Big Pharma boardrooms to the individuals affected