A Strategic Look at What’s Driving CPE Decision Making
In this session, you'll hear what leading independent health system Chief Physician Executives discussed during our Spring 2026 in-person gathering in Dallas, TX — and we'll share our perspective on the key themes and what they mean for industry organizations that work with them.
Below are key takeaways from our in-person forum with Health System Chief Physician Executives, offering insights on their top-of-mind issues
Key Themes Discussed
Access as a self-reinforcing operational problem: Why framing access improvement as "work harder" guarantees resistance — and how no-shows, wait times, and physician frustration compound each other
Compensation as the binding constraint on access: How RVU-based models quietly shape who gets seen, why specialists resist APP delegation, and where APP scope is expanding anyway
Consumer AI filling the access gap: Patients are already turning to AI after hours, on weekends, and in rural markets — health systems are competing with it whether they engage or not
Recalibrating the AI performance bar: The right comparator for AI isn't perfect care — it's the care patients are actually receiving today
Physician well-being as organizational design, not personal coping: Inbox redesign, board-level KPIs, and why the framing shift is what separates real programs from side projects
"If we over-govern, we kill agility; if we under-govern, risk and complexity run rampant. We're balancing on a razor edge."
By the numbers: Specialty access can be roughly 10x worse than primary care at the same system. 24% of all AI searches are healthcare-related, concentrated after hours and in rural markets. One system's physician education program scaled from ~50% engagement in week one to near-universal attendance by week three — reaching 500 leaders across a 5-week curriculum with no additional compensation. One system reports physician turnover of 4–5%, among the lowest tracked nationally.
Why This Matters for Industry
For industry partners, these conversations reveal where CPEs are most actively evaluating solutions — and where structural barriers like compensation design and governance pace are slowing adoption. Understanding the access constraints, the AI deployment tensions, and the well-being investments gaining traction is essential context for how you position your outreach and frame the value of your solutions.