Heard Around the C-Suite: The AI Arms Race and Other Insights from the Spring CFO & COO Forums

CFOs and COOs are navigating one of the most turbulent years in recent memory since 2020. From historic Medicaid cuts to escalating battles with payers, health system leaders are bracing for financial, political, and reputational pressures that demand new strategies.

In this episode of The Dispatch, we unpack the key themes from The Health Management Academy's 2025 CFO and COO forums:

• The fallout of the “One Big Beautiful Bill” and what comes next on site neutrality, 340B, and nonprofit status.
• Why payer relations have become an outright arms race and how AI is reshaping denials management.
• Workforce challenges: rising labor costs, unionization, and the push to build new pipelines.
• Where AI and automation are showing real ROI, from ambient listening to autonomous coding.