Daily Dispatch, Day 2: Connecting the people and ideas that move healthcare forward

Editor’s note: This is the second of three daily recaps featuring highlights from Vizient Connections Summit (read day 1). Look for the day 3 recap this afternoon on Vizient Insights (and don’t forget to subscribe for expert perspectives on the biggest healthcare trends).

If you haven’t already, be sure to check out our full slate of coverage by following Vizient, The Leading Edge, and Vizient Supply Chain Orchestration on LinkedIn.

Wednesday’s Data and Digital Forum took place over lunch, but the most compelling offerings weren’t on the menu. Attendees came to explore how health systems can turn an overwhelming volume of data into the timely, relevant intelligence leaders need to make better decisions.

For years, healthcare leaders have wanted a clearer way to identify the signals that matter, understand what’s driving them, and determine what to do next. As financial, workforce, and operational pressures intensify, that capability has become less of a wish and more of a necessity.

That’s why Vizient Chief Product Officer Dr. Shannon Sims spent much of the Forum delving into Vizient Edge, an intelligent orchestration platform designed to bring clinical, operational, strategic, reimbursement, and supply chain intelligence together in a single digital experience.

A quality team might trace a performance gap to its root cause and identify interventions that have worked at peer organizations. Strategy leaders could uncover an opportunity in a local market, model its potential impact, and build a stronger case for action. Finance and revenue cycle teams could spot missed reimbursement, while operational leaders could pinpoint where care is running long and focus on the levers most likely to improve flow and capacity.

“Clinical teams don't need more data for the sake of more data. They need the right signal at the right time and the right view,” Dr. Sims said. “The most important way we at Vizient can make healthcare better is to give you the time and the tools to do the work that matters.”

As part of the Vizient Edge presentation, Dr. Sims highlighted several enhancements to existing products, including Operational Intelligence, which builds on the Operational Data Base with AI-assisted data preparation, guided analytics, and clearer insight into the drivers of performance gaps. Meanwhile, the next evolution of Strategy Intelligence combines market data, patient journeys, and expert research to help leaders identify growth opportunities and evaluate tradeoffs. Enhancements to the Clinical Data Base will support more timely analytics and system-level reporting, while Procedural Analytics and its new Procedural Performance Coach will help teams prioritize opportunities to improve procedural cost and clinical outcomes through evidence-based interventions. Additionally, Dr. Sims and Dr. Robert Lord, SVP, Vizient Research and Development, discussed new AI-enabled intelligence products expected to roll out in 2027.

“Vizient is uniquely well-situated to help solve some of the most important challenges in healthcare operations through intelligent orchestration,” Dr. Lord said. “How can we unlock the power of the data, knowledge, and trust within the Vizient network to improve outcomes, drive down costs, and improve the patient and provider experience? I’m now seeing that vision come to fruition through the products we’re building, and that’s enormously exciting.”

During the session “The Healthcare ‘SaaSpocalypse’: Rethinking build versus buy in the age of AI,” Dr. Sims; Vizient Chief Technology Officer James Gain; RWJBarnabas Health Senior Vice President and Chief Analytics Officer Roshan Hussain; and Tampa General Hospital Associate Chief Medical Informatics and AI Strategy Officer Dr. Jaimie Weber joined moderator and Vizient SVP of Sales, Services, and Insight Delivery John Becker to examine how the changing software landscape is reshaping the relationship between health systems and technology partners.

The panelists challenged the idea that every decision comes down to build vs. buy. Instead, leaders should consider speed to market, cybersecurity, intellectual property, workflow disruption, cost structure, and the resources required to maintain a solution over time. In some cases, an internally developed application may be the best way to protect a differentiating capability or preserve a familiar workflow. In others, a vendor can provide the speed and specialized expertise needed to address an urgent problem. A co-development or strategic partnership may offer the best of both worlds, combining clinical direction from the health system with engineering support from a technology partner.

The sessions ultimately landed on a shared message: AI will create the most value when it is connected to trusted data, human expertise, thoughtful governance, and the decisions leaders must make every day.

Learning from peers and putting ideas into practice

Some of the most valuable conversations at Vizient Connections Summit happen when healthcare leaders share what they’re learning with one another.

That spirit of peer-to-peer exchange is at the center of this year’s event, where more than 540 client speakers are presenting real-world strategies, lessons, and results from their organizations. Across education sessions, clients are offering practical examples of how health systems are responding to workforce pressures, improving access and capacity, strengthening clinical outcomes, and making more disciplined decisions about technology, supplies, and investments.

Wednesday’s sessions included a close look at how Houston Methodist Physician Organization and UChicago Medicine are using data and governance to bring greater discipline to advanced practice provider hiring. In “From Requests to Results: Data-Driven APP Position Control,” leaders shared how standardized business cases, pro forma reviews, scorecards, and executive oversight can help organizations align APP positions with patient access needs, scope of practice, and financial stewardship. Their approach has generated an estimated $9 million in incremental financial gain while supporting improved access and workforce planning.

At “Go with the Flow: Optimizing Academic Emergency Department Treatment Completion,” leaders from SSM Health discussed a quality improvement effort to reduce the number of patients who leave before completing treatment. By applying high-reliability principles and engaging nursing, physician, and operations teams, the organization redesigned processes across the care journey (from triage through discharge) to improve visibility, strengthen throughput, and help ensure patients receive safe, complete care.

Another session brought together leaders from Stanford Medicine and Kaiser Permanente to explore how clinical governance and analytics can work together to improve value. “From Sourcing to Utilization: Integrated Value-Based Approaches” highlighted physician-led product evaluation, responsible sourcing, and the use of advanced analytics to reduce unwarranted variation in supply and implant utilization while supporting quality, sustainability, and cost effectiveness.

These, along with the hundreds of client sessions at this year’s Summit, capture what makes the event distinctive: Healthcare leaders learning from peers who are doing the work now, sharing what worked, acknowledging the challenges, and offering ideas that others can adapt when they return home.

There’s plenty more to learn from Thursday’s education sessions. See more in the app or peruse the agenda here.

Thank you to the many sponsors who make Vizient Connections Summit possible.