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Change is constant in healthcare, but progress depends on how leaders approach it. Here’s how you can turn departmental change from a hurdle to a catalyst for growth—with real-world strategies to bring your teams along for the journey.
Start with Vision, Not Just Process
Too often, change management focuses on steps and checklists before laying out the bigger picture. Instead, transformation starts by connecting every step to a compelling “why.” For example, Providence Health outlined a new strategic direction for 2030 with a strong emphasis on communicating their future vision, making it tangible for every team member (Modern Healthcare, 2024).
Action step: Begin by defining—and clearly communicating—a vision that staff can get behind. Use stories, visuals, and open forums to make your message feel real at every level.
Cultivate Buy-In Early and Often
Change is not a one-person job. The most successful executives realize that early, repeated engagement wins hearts and minds. Listen to input from department leads, frontline staff, and even skeptics. Providence’s 2030 strategic reset succeeded in part because it sought feedback at every milestone and enlisted diverse leaders to spread trust in the process (Modern Healthcare, 2024).
Action step: Create structured channels for ongoing feedback and publicly recognize contributors who surface issues and drive consensus.
Break Innovation into Manageable Steps
Complex, multidepartmental change can be overwhelming. Leading organizations break grand ideas into pilot programs and phased rollouts. When Erlanger Health System introduced artificial intelligence tools for surgical growth, it rolled out solutions incrementally—gathering data and adjusting plans between stages (HIT Consultant, 2025). Similarly, global pharmaceutical organizations have seen success reducing compliance workload by piloting GenAI tools with selected teams before scaling (PharmaPhorum, 2024).
Action step: Start with a tightly defined pilot, then scale up as teams provide feedback and demonstrate results.
Empower Change Champions
Change champions turn strategy into action on the ground. These are influencers—both formal and informal—who rally peers and mentor others. For example, hospital systems like those using QGenda workforce optimization tools have seen smoother transitions by empowering nurse leaders to share best practices and support their colleagues (HIT Consultant, 2025).
Action step: Identify respected team members in each department and provide the training, support, and recognition they need to lead change efforts locally.
Measure, Celebrate, and Adjust
What gets measured gets managed—and celebrated. Track simple, actionable metrics such as staff adoption rates, efficiency gains, or patient satisfaction. After each milestone, share your progress and spotlight stories of impact. Abridge’s integration of artificial intelligence in revenue cycle management improved compliance and workflow performance—wins that were tracked, shared, and celebrated along the way (HIT Consultant, 2025).
Action step: Establish clear metrics from day one. After each phase, celebrate success stories and adjust based on feedback without losing momentum.
Key Takeaways for Executives
- Lead with a clear, inspiring vision and communicate it often
- Engage stakeholders early, listen to feedback, and build trust
- Divide large changes into pilot programs and phased rollouts
- Identify and empower change champions at every level
- Measure progress, celebrate wins, and remain adaptable
Embracing change is not just about new technology or processes—it is about guiding people through the journey. By focusing on the human side of innovation, you can turn even the most complex transformations into opportunities for lasting progress.
This article was produced in partnership with GetGloby. Review our AI Standards here.
Source List:
- Modern Healthcare. (2025) Providence’s Erik Wexler lays out strategic direction for 2030. Retrieved from https://www.modernhealthcare.com/providers/mh-providence-erik-wexler-strategy-2030/
- Modern Healthcare. (2025) Why Providence needs a new strategic plan for 2030. Retrieved from https://www.modernhealthcare.com/providers/mh-providence-strategic-plan-timeline-2030/
- HIT Consultant. (2025) Erlanger Partners with Qventus to Drive Surgical Growth and Patient Access with AI. Retrieved from https://hitconsultant.net/2025/06/18/erlanger-partners-with-qventus-to-drive-surgical-growth/
- HIT Consultant. (2025). Healthcare workforce management: Don’t let fear of change hold you back. Retrieved from https://hitconsultant.net/2025/06/23/healthcare-workforce-management-dont-let-fear-of-change-hold-you-back/
- HIT Consultant. (2025). Abridge Secures $300M to Embed Revenue Cycle Intelligence into Clinical Conversations. Retrieved from https://hitconsultant.net/2025/06/24/abridge-secures-300m-to-embed-revenue-cycle-intelligence-into-clinical-conversations/
- PharmaPhorum. (2025). From pilots to impact: What it really takes to scale GenAI in pharma. Retrieved from https://pharmaphorum.com/digital/pilots-impact-what-it-really-takes-scale-genai-pharma
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