Healthcare Thought Leadership

Welcome to the very best of our healthcare thought leadership – completely free with no registration required.

Practical guides, real-world case studies, and thought-provoking trends: Higher Thinking offers our best, long-form content to meet the varied needs of healthcare leaders. New articles are added every month, and subscribers get an advance copy delivered straight to their inbox.

Looking for quick analysis and breaking news? Be sure to check out our healthcare blog.

GuideGuide

Public Health Strategic Planning: the Ascendient Guide

Where are we? Who are we? Where are we going? Wrestling with those three questions is the key to public health strategic planning in a time of turmoil. | By Brian Ackerman

An abstract watercolor painting of the sun is the symbol of Ascendient's Healthcare Horizons series, including this installment on health equity strategy

Healthcare HorizonsHealthcare Horizons

Smart Health Devices: A Smart Business for Hospitals?

Why a hospital-based tech boutique might be a viable strategy for building enduring patient relationships and new revenue streams | By Dawn Carter

Healthcare HorizonsHealthcare Horizons

Disruption Alert: Mayo’s Hospital at Home Program

Mayo Clinic recently published some surprising results from its innovative, hub-and-spoke hospital at home program. Beyond the encouraging clinical and business results, we see potential for large-scale industry disruption. | By Dawn Carter

GuideGuide

Public Health Workforce Strategies: the Ascendient Guide

The entire healthcare industry is struggling with workforce issues, but public health may be facing the biggest crisis of all. Here are a few strategies for both the near- and long term. | By Brian Ackerman

Healthcare HorizonsHealthcare Horizons

Rural Telehealth: Re-Thinking the Timeline

Rural telehealth can seem like a distant dream due to broadband access issues, but the future is here today if you simply look up | By Brian Ackerman

Healthcare HorizonsHealthcare Horizons

Hospital M&A: 3 Reasons to Know Your HHI

As regulators ditch long-established guidelines for evaluating mergers, healthcare leaders need to defend their plans with a combination of numbers + narrative. The Herfindahl-Hirschman Index is a good place to start. | By Dawn Carter

GuideGuide

Look-Alike Health Centers: the Ascendient Guide

Hospitals and health systems are beginning to look closely at look-alike health centers, a relatively obscure provider type that can offer financial and strategic benefits while simultaneously improving care for underserved communities. | By Dawn Carter

Case StudyCase Study

Health System Strategy: The Affiliation Option

Affiliation should always be considered an option in health system strategy – provided the process is deliberate rather than desperate. Here’s how one small system kept control of its destiny and its mission by choosing to pursue affiliation from a position of strength. | By Dawn Carter

Healthcare HorizonsHealthcare Horizons

Health Equity Strategy: 6 Things to Know About New CMS Rules

Starting in 2023, the Hospital IQR Program will include new rules promoting health equity. In addition to explaining the regulations in detail, we offer 6 actionable steps that healthcare leaders should consider … starting now.

GuideGuide

The Ascendient Guide to Rural Emergency Hospitals

Medicare’s new Rural Emergency Hospital model will debut in January 2023. Could it be right for you? Here’s an in-depth look at some implications for finances, strategy, and mission. | By Dawn Carter