Mark Hallman, MHA

Very timely and wise comments by Nathan H. “$10 billion in digital health investments made healthcare WORSE last year” AI is transforming healthcare, but in 90% they are making problems words. 35 years of experience trumps bad idea with money. Healthcare is the one industry in America that throwing money or technology makes it worse. We have lived it. Silicon Valey loves new ideas and young founders who can’t relate or have practical experience. They fail horribly in time. Great examples below. We can look at example of Amazon, JPM, Berkshire with Haven Health. I was in SFO when they made the announcement January 30. 1988. It was child’s play to predict it would fail.

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Healthcare capital does not operate in isolation. It moves in alignment with policy, regulation, and execution discipline. At eCap Summit 2026, conversations with FHA leadership reinforced an important reality for healthcare operators: Structured capital strategy must anticipate regulatory direction — not react to it. In today’s environment, HUD-insured executions, bridge-to-HUD strategies, and long-term healthcare real estate planning require more than access to capital. They require alignment. At Capital Stack Advisors, we remain actively engaged in the policy conversations shaping skilled nursing, assisted living, behavioral health, and memory care capital markets. Because when strategy aligns with policy, execution becomes seamless. Where Capital Strategy Meets Execution. Connect With Us. #HealthcareCapital #HUD232 #HealthcareRealEstate

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A great example of how Carta Healthcare's intelligence platform can deliver real value for health systems. Most health systems view registry abstraction as a cost center, a necessary check box for compliance. But when a single metric like "Elective PCI with Stress Imaging" (Metric 4462) flags a fallout, it’s a hit to quality of care, reputation and reimbursement. The work Jessica Norman, MSN, RN, CPPS and Betsy Castillo just published in JACC: Case Reports is a great example of how to use Carta’s hybrid intelligence approach to deconstruct the logic of the failure. (link in the comments) The result? A 68% reduction in fallouts. Huge congratulations to Jessica, Betsy, and the entire Carta Healthcare team for demonstrating that accurate data is the best route to better performance. If your organization is still treating abstraction as manual labor rather than business intelligence, you need to look at what Carta is building with Atlas and Navigator. Dozens of health systems are doing the same! Brent Dover Mary H. Christopher Mazzanti Lucas Tanner James Matheson Greg Miller Jared Crapo #HealthTech #ClinicalData #AI #CartaHealthcare

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Traditional approaches to population health are evolving, advanced patient segmentation is now key to moving beyond one-dimensional analytics to a comprehensive, validated approach. In our on-demand webinar with experts from Johns Hopkins ACG® System, we explore proven strategies that are helping public health organizations deliver measurable impact. Watch now to see segmentation in action here: https://lnkd.in/eh_ShjPt #populationhealth #HopkinsACG #patientsegmentation

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Anthropic just made its healthcare move - and it’s not “Claude gives better medical answers.” It’s a workflow + connector strategy: CMS coverage policy, ICD‑10, NPI registry, PubMed - plus skills aimed at prior auth and interoperability. Compare that to OpenAI’s recent stack: consumer Health front door + enterprise posture + benchmark narrative + deployment story. The field is changing and I love it! They are playing the same game, different entry points: OpenAI is going bottom‑up via engagement. Anthropic is going sideways into admin + life sciences ops. The shift as I see it: the agent layer is trying to become the system of engagement, while the EHR stays system of record. (Not a safe place if you don’t move very fast) And the moat is not going to be “conversation quality.” Although that is very important. It is the judgment boundaries: when the agent stops, who it escalates to, what gets documented, and who owns the miss. This space is changing on so may fronts it’s fantastic. So many players need updated strategies.

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It had to be said! 🎯 Epic's stranglehold on healthcare IT has stifled innovation for too long and the writing is on the wall. The consolidation myth needs to die already. We were promised efficiency and lower costs, but what we got was bloated bureaucracies that prioritize profits over patients. The data doesn't lie: smaller, agile providers consistently outperform these healthcare monopolies on both outcomes and patient satisfaction. Time for a major reset in how we think about healthcare delivery.

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𝐌𝐞𝐝𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡 𝐌&𝐀: 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐄𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐈𝐬 𝐒𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐜𝐞 Why are the most active MedTech private equity sponsors European, while the most active investment banks are U.S.-based? While the total number of deals in this data set is modest, the tilt toward European private equity is clear. A likely explanation lies in how MedTech M&A actually works. While U.S. firms often lead large MedTech megadeals, European PE sponsors tend to treat MedTech as a core vertical and participate in more transactions. They are comfortable operating in regulated environments, taking longer hold periods, and building platforms across fragmented markets in Europe, the U.S., and beyond. U.S. investment banks, by contrast, are located closest to the largest buyer pools and deepest exit markets, advising strategic acquisitions, PE sponsor exits, and select late-stage venture transactions. US PE firms do tend to drive the very large megadeals If this pattern persists, European sponsors will increasingly set the pace for MedTech consolidation and platform formation, positioning themselves as long-term shapers of the sector. 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐥𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐌&𝐀 𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐚 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐠𝐞𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐢𝐜 𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐭? #PrivateEquity #MedTech

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Star Ratings as a Strategic Imperative and Why Alignment Sets the Benchmark   Today, star ratings in Medicare Advantage show how well plans deliver quality, build trust, and stay sustainable. CMS reviews these ratings based on clinical results, member experience, complaint handling, retention, and access to care. Managing these areas takes focus and commitment.   This is why Alignment Health Plan’s latest results stand out. For the second year in a row, 100% of members are enrolled in plans rated 4 stars or higher. Two Nevada HMO contracts earned 5 stars, and a Texas plan earned 4.5 stars. These results demonstrate that a member-first care model can be replicated and scaled, rather than being a one-time achievement.   Why This Matters   1. Sustained reliability Many plans aim for high star ratings but struggle to maintain them as CMS raises the bar. Alignment’s California HMO has held 4 or more stars for nine years in a row, which is rare. This steady performance leads to better risk management, stronger member loyalty, and more reliable bonus incentives. 2. Clear market differentiation. Medicare’s Plan Finder clearly displays star ratings, which directly impact consumers' choices. High ratings give plans a real edge over competitors, not just a mark of honor. 3. Quality as a business driver, not just compliance.   The most successful plans prioritize quality by closing care gaps, retaining valuable services, and responding promptly to members, rather than merely meeting minimum requirements.   The New Age of Medicare Advantage   New carriers are transforming the industry through flexibility, data-driven insights, digital engagement, and a focus on members. Here’s what makes them different:   * Flexible modular care models delivering individualized quality care * Bold benefit innovation that differentiates * Relentless measurement and iteration, where analytics feed continuous quality improvement * Culture-driven execution, where clinical leaders, operations, and member services act with alignment   Alignment demonstrates how these strengths can be leveraged on a large scale to consistently deliver great results across different markets.   Our Dedication to Long-Term Quality   * We invest in quality to achieve lasting results that can be replicated across different markets, yielding clear benefits from the first year. * Our benefits are tied to clear clinical and satisfaction goals, as shown by our star ratings and member feedback. * All of our members are enrolled in high-rated plans, not just a select few.   The future of Medicare Advantage will favor those who pair strong performance with new ideas that put members first. Alignment is already leading the way and setting the standard for the next generation of plans.   #AlignmentHealthPlan #AlignmentHealth #Duals #HealthcareLeadership #AdvocacyMatters #ValueBasedCare #FreedomOfChoice #LeadershipInAction #MedicareAdvantage #HealthPolicy

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Launching 6 de novo healthcare units in 12 months reinforced something simple: opening the doors isn’t the hard part. A few lessons for operators scaling multi-site platforms: • Market selection is everything. Optimism doesn’t outperform bad geography. • Real estate is strategy. Lease terms and accessibility shape long-term EBITDA. • Seed the market before you open. Referral relationships, employer outreach, and brand awareness should start months before Day 1. • Respect the ramp curve. Most sites need ~12-18 months to stabilize. Plan accordingly. • Reduce appointment lag early. Access drives growth faster than marketing spend. Expansion works when infrastructure and discipline scale alongside square footage. ❔ For those growing in Texas or similar competitive markets - how are you underwriting ramp in 2026?

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8:47 PM. A patient finally decides to book an appointment. The clinic is closed. Opportunity lost. Today, leading healthcare providers are solving this with AI that answers calls, schedules appointments, and qualifies patients — 24/7. Not replacing staff. Empowering them. Here’s how patient acquisition is being redefined. → Read the blog. https://lnkd.in/gcr3v42B #VoiceAI #HealthcareTechnology #PatientAcquisition #AIInHealthcare #ClinicGrowth

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Operating models shape how health systems make decisions, allocate resources, and deliver on their mission. But few leaders take the time to step back and ask: Is our model still working? This piece outlines four distinct approaches in use today, each offering a different path to system alignment, efficiency, and care delivery. For organizations facing growth, consolidation, or performance pressure, rethinking the operating model may be the lever that matters most. https://hubs.la/Q0417Krk0

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In healthcare M&A, growth isn’t created at close — it’s created in integration. This piece is a strong reminder that value realization in healthcare lives in the details: systems, workflows, clinical alignment, revenue cycle, and culture. When integration is treated as a growth strategy, not a clean-up exercise, outcomes improve for patients, clinicians, and investors alike. Especially relevant as providers, PE sponsors, and health systems look to scale in a more regulated, margin-compressed environment. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/ekEH75gn Curious how others are thinking about integration as a growth lever, not just a risk to manage. #healthcare #MergersAndAcquisitions #GrowthStrategy #IntegrationStrategy #ValueCreation #DealMaking

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Humana and Providence are taking a bold step forward in solving one of the most persistent challenges in healthcare: fragmented data exchange.     Too often, payers and providers are buried under thousands of files in inconsistent formats – slowing down care, increasing costs, and creating barriers for patients. Our new collaboration flips the script. Together, we’re asking: What data truly matters for managing patient populations and value-based care? And how can we exchange it instantly, securely and accurately using national standards?    This isn’t just about compliance – it's about transforming how we collaborate, how we care, and how we scale innovation across the industry.     We are proud to work alongside Providence to build a model that puts patients and clinicians first. Let’s unlock the future of healthcare.     Read more about the collaboration at https://lnkd.in/eCvWB2Mw   #HUMemployee #Interoperability 

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Here are four changes that matter to you and your hospital about the CMS 2026 hospital star ratings. The May 2026 Hospital Star Ratings update brings significant shifts that quality leaders need to understand now, before preview reports are released on February 19th. I just walked through the CMS presentation to pull out what actually matters for strategic planning: ✓ October 2025 Care Compare data confirmed as the basis (published in November) ✓ Bottom quartile safety domain penalty now live (expands in 2027) ✓ Hospital-Wide Mortality added to measure set ✓ Five new OAS CAHPS measures in Patient Experience CMS reports that almost half of hospitals will see a star change. 29% of hospitals will see an improvement and 18% will see a star drop. Preview reports available February 19th. Public release May 13th. To see their presentation and register for tomorrow's webinar: https://lnkd.in/emBZ28RF Questions on how these changes affect your hospital's rating? Post them in the comments.

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Want a stronger capital request business case? Start with the fundamentals: evidence, data, objectivity, risk, and the cost of inaction. A healthcare facilities executive recently shared one more strategy that deserves attention: bring in a clinical partner and quote them directly in the business case.  🙌 Very clever. Most infrastructure capital requests compete against clinical priorities, and clinical revenue usually has the advantage. But the conversation changes when a facility's need is clearly tied to patient care and supported by a clinical voice. Years ago, while overseeing a facilities infrastructure capital pool for a 70-hospital system, the strongest requests consistently did two things well: they showed clear evidence of need and framed their requests in terms of risk. Patient safety, patient care, compliance, revenue protection, and the cost of inaction all mattered. Adding a clinical partner makes that case even stronger. When a clinician helps explain the impact in terms of patient care, the request becomes more than a facilities issue. It reads as an organizational priority. 👌 That is a powerful move. Any other hot tips for strengthening a capital request business case? Share them below. To keep the conversation going, join LegacyLIVE next week on March 25: From Boiler Room to Boardroom: How to Speak “CFO” about Facilities ✌️ Legacy FM #LegacyFM #EmpowermentThroughEducation #HealthcareFacilities #FacilityManagement #healthcare #FacilitiesManagement #leadership #business #CapitalPlanning #BusinessCase #StrategicLeadership #CostOfNo #LegacyLIVE

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