Healthcare leaders describe pathways to sustainability

In a recent Becker's Healthcare podcast, Grant Thornton’s Claudia Douglass, with over 30 years in healthcare operations and strategy, and Grant Thornton Principal Deirdre Dillehunt, with over 20 years in healthcare who focuses on patient experience and strategic transformation, painted a picture of today's challenging and unprecedented healthcare environment with the passage of OBBBA tariffs and cuts to NIH funding, and offered a roadmap for survival and success.

On our podcast below, the conversation begins with a reality check. Healthcare providers are facing what Douglass calls "the sheer volume and velocity of change" hitting systems simultaneously. From executive orders and policy shifts to declining Medicare reimbursements, and supply chain disruptions from tariffs, multiple challenges make addressing any one of them problematic.

Rather than simply cataloging problems, the discussion pivots to solutions. Douglass and Dillehunt reveal how leading health systems are building “margin resiliency” through multidisciplinary approaches that integrate clinical, operational, and strategic improvements. There are proven strategies that work when implemented thoughtfully.

The conversation's then centers on cultural transformation. Dillehunt and Douglass both emphasize that sustainable change requires treating frontline teams as “engines of transformation” rather than passive recipients of top-down directives. When caregivers feel heard and empowered to shape solutions, the culture shifts, creating what Douglass calls “a multiplier effect” for clinical and financial performance.

Dillehunt's insights on preparing leaders for transformation are valuable, as they focus on building accountability around a shared vision while creating safe spaces for innovation. The podcast discussion reveals how successful organizations balance quick wins with long-term transformation, always keeping the human element at the center.

Grant Thornton’s healthcare advisors engage in a practical conversation that offers specific strategies, real results, and actionable frameworks from consultants working directly with health systems navigating these exact pressures.