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Health System Leaders Reveal 6 Lessons Shaping 2026 Operations
Executives from top healthcare systems share the key insights guiding their strategic approaches this year.
Feb. 20, 2026 at 10:53pm
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Health system leaders are facing a range of operational challenges in 2026, including emerging technologies, government regulations, workforce shortages, and rising labor costs. In response, these executives are pivoting their strategies to empower frontline staff, improve patient care, and boost efficiency and profitability. Becker's Hospital Review spoke with six health system leaders about the critical leadership lessons that are shaping their operational approaches for the year.
Why it matters
As the healthcare industry continues to evolve, understanding how top executives are adapting their strategies and leadership styles can provide valuable insights for other systems navigating similar challenges. The lessons shared by these leaders offer a glimpse into the priorities and best practices that are driving operational improvements across the sector.
The details
The health system leaders highlighted several key lessons that are guiding their 2026 approaches. These include getting out of the office to connect with frontline staff and patients, focusing on the variables within their control to cut costs and drive revenue, designing systems that make the right thing easy to do, ensuring strategic priorities translate to reliable frontline execution, prioritizing a narrower set of high-impact initiatives, and fostering collaborative, trust-building cultures.
- The interviews and insights were published on February 20, 2026.
The players
Bryan Croft
Executive Vice President and COO of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
Brian Evans
CEO of Optim Health System in Savannah, Georgia.
Dawn Thompson
Chief Strategy Officer of Advanced Diagnostics Healthcare System in Houston.
Doug McGill
Vice President of Quality Strategy and Operations at Emory Healthcare in Atlanta.
Matthew Timmons
COO of LCMC Health in New Orleans.
Kelli Novant
Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer of Novant Health in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
What they’re saying
“Given the operational challenges facing healthcare, I would advise leaders to get out of your office and walk the halls. See and talk to patients. See and talk to your people, your caregivers and get to know what motivates them to come in and deliver care, and help your institution put its best foot forward.”
— Bryan Croft, Executive Vice President and COO
“Control what you can control." It's advice I've heard time and time again. But with shifting payer mixes and the rising costs of labor and supplies, margin goals are increasingly difficult to reach. In 2026, my focus is sharp: I am prioritizing the variables within my scope to cut costs, maximize efficiency and aggressively drive revenue.”
— Brian Evans, CEO
“Healthcare operations improve when leaders design systems that make the right thing the easy thing to do. Operations must be designed around systems — not individual heroics.”
— Dawn Thompson, Chief Strategy Officer
“One leadership lesson stands out most for me: strategy only creates value when it shows up reliably at the frontline of care. Emory Healthcare's new tagline, 'The frontline of care. The forefront of discovery,' captures that tension well. Discovery and strategy matter, but they only make a difference when they are translated into consistent, executable practice.”
— Doug McGill, Vice President of Quality Strategy and Operations
“As our senior leadership team was developing goals and priorities for 2026, a clear theme arose from our discussions: meaningful and intentional prioritization. As we have now moved into the first part of the year, our approach is being driven by a clear, narrowed focus on a smaller number of priorities.”
— Matthew Timmons, COO
“My operational approach for 2026 is fundamentally shaped by the understanding that how I engage my team matters as much as the decisions I make. I'm focused on fostering collaborative, candid conversations that build trust and encourage thoughtful dialogue.”
— Kelli Novant, Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer
The takeaway
The leadership lessons shared by these health system executives highlight the multifaceted challenges facing the industry and the innovative approaches being taken to drive operational improvements. By prioritizing frontline engagement, strategic focus, system design, and collaborative cultures, these leaders are positioning their organizations to navigate the evolving healthcare landscape and deliver high-quality, efficient care in 2026 and beyond.
