Written by: David C. Grandy FACHE, SHSMD Advisory Board President and Head of Product, Risant Health
Earlier this year, I shared my personal approach to setting intentions—prioritizing what matters and how I aspire to lead through complexity. That same discipline shapes how the SHSMD Advisory Board determines where to focus, especially at inflection points in health care.
Guided by our three-year strategic plan, SHSMD continues to deliver relevant, high-value content for our members—from podcasts and webinars to self-paced courses and toolkits. If you haven’t already, take advantage of the most accessed resources from this past quarter—each one designed to sharpen your edge in an increasingly complex environment.
But staying current isn’t enough. The Advisory Board is also looking forward—examining the forces (re)shaping our field so SHSMD remains out ahead, not just keeping pace. In our recent meeting, several high-impact themes stood out:
- AI is no longer hypothetical. Its ability to offload administrative burden, personalize engagement, and drive real-time insights is pushing health systems toward more tech-enabled and predictive models of care and service—like telehealth, hospital-at-home, automation, and virtual-first care. The implications for strategy, experience design, and operational planning are profound. Contemplating AI as an extension of the team is a promising way forward.
- R&D for workforce is a differentiator. Structural shortages, generational divides, and regulatory drag are converging. Digital-native patients and professionals expect a different kind of system—leaner, faster, more adaptive. But many health organizations are still solving 2025’s problems with 2018’s playbooks. Ongoing staff shortages, worsening strain on workers, and talent migration are intensifying the crisis. Investing in the workforce experience and how we create differentiated value for our work family must be prioritized alongside top strategic initiatives.
- Trust requires continuous reinvestment. Health equity and patient-reported outcomes are no longer fringe metrics—they’re fast becoming strategic imperatives. Demographic change and lived experience are reframing what communities expect from us and how they measure value. Marketing and communications teams, in particular, are on the front lines of this trust equation. Earning and maintaining trust is a 24/7 game.
- Consolidation isn’t slowing down. As affiliations, mergers, and partnerships accelerate, the landscape is redefining itself. The future belongs to those who can build cross-organizational strategies and collaborations that preserve local relevance while achieving broader scale. This takes new muscles—and a willingness to unlearn some old habits.
We’ll dive deeper into these issues at this year’s SHSMD Connections Conference in Dallas, where we’ve restructured the experience to deliver more value: all pre-conference sessions are now included with your registration. Register here if you haven’t already.
We’re not here to watch the future unfold. We’re here to shape it—together. I look forward to continuing that work with you in Dallas.
All the best,
-David
David C. Grandy FACHE
Head of Product
Risant Health