With $50 billion flowing through the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP), healthcare leaders are questioning whether this marks short term stabilization or a real opportunity to redesign rural care. In this episode of PwC’s Next in Health, Glenn Hunzinger speaks with Thom Bales and Jill Olmstead about how states are deploying funds, how accountability is shaping execution, and what sustainable rural transformation could look like.

Discussion highlights:

• Why the RHTP differs from prior relief efforts, with funding tied to measurable outcomes and accountability
• How states are prioritizing workforce sustainability, value based care, and regional partnerships
• The role of technology, telehealth, shared data infrastructure, and AI in expanding access and modernizing rural delivery models
• What successful execution requires across governance, compliance, milestone tracking, and multi state coordination
• Why provider engagement with state strategies and ecosystem collaboration will be critical to success
• What durable rural transformation could look like over the next three to five years

Speakers:
Glenn Hunzinger, US Health Industries Leader, PwC
Thom Bales, US Health Services Advisory Leader, PwC
Jill Olmstead, Principal, Health Services, PwC

You can access the full report here: https://www.pwc.com/us/en/industries/health-industries/health-policy-and-intelligence-institute/ruralhealth.html

For more information, please visit us at: https://www.pwc.com/us/en/industries/health-industries/health-research-institute/next-in-health-podcast.html.

From the JPM Healthcare Conference in San Francisco, Glenn Hunzinger, PwC’s Health Industries Leader, speaks with Jeremy Gelber, Partner at Vitruvian Partners, and Claire Love, Principal in PwC’s Deals Strategy practice to explore where healthcare investment momentum is building for 2026, how technology is reshaping value creation, and what investors are watching as care models, consumer behavior, and capital deployment continue to evolve.

Discussion highlights:

• Where technology and AI are delivering near term returns by improving efficiency, reducing administrative friction, and streamlining care delivery and payment
• Why women’s health is gaining attention as an underinvested growth opportunity, driven by unmet need, changing consumer expectations, and attractive long term economics
• How regulatory uncertainty is influencing investment decisions, increasing the importance of scenario planning and flexibility
• Where deal activity is expected to pick up in 2026 across healthcare subsectors, including healthcare IT, pharma services, medtech, diagnostics, and biotech
• How consumer trust, access to health data, and evolving behavior are shaping future care models and investment priorities

Speakers:

Glenn Hunzinger, US Health Industries Leader, PwC
Jeremy Gelber, Partner, Vitruvian Partners
Claire Love, Deals Strategy Principal, PwC

This episode is also available as a video on our website: https://www.pwc.com/us/en/industries/health-industries/health-research-institute/next-in-health-podcast/2026-healthcare-investment-trends.html

For more information, please visit us at: https://www.pwc.com/us/en/industries/health-industries/health-research-institute/next-in-health-podcast.html.

From the JPM Healthcare Conference in San Francisco, Glenn Hunzinger brings together Sunil Patel of Merck and Sumit Khedekar of Citigroup for a conversation about where growth in the pharmaceutical and biotech industry is headed over the next five to ten years. They explore how scientific innovation, global sources of capital and talent, and a more forward looking approach to risk taking are shaping the future of healthcare, and why this moment may be pivotal for patients and the industry alike.

Discussion highlights:

• Scientific innovation and unmet patient need remain the primary drivers of long term growth across pharma and biotech
• Global sources of innovation, including China, are reshaping licensing strategies and competitive dynamics
• Companies are increasingly willing to take calculated risk earlier in the drug development lifecycle
• Value creation depends on entering assets at the right inflection point rather than waiting for fully de risked launches
• Payer dynamics, pricing pressure, and evolving consumer expectations are influencing how drugs are developed and commercialized

Speakers:

Glenn Hunzinger, US Health Industries Leader, PwC
Sunil Patel, SVP, head of corporate development and business development & licensing, Merck
Sumit Khedekar, Global head of Healthcare Investment Banking, Citigroup

This episode is also available as a video on our website: https://www.pwc.com/us/en/industries/health-industries/health-research-institute/next-in-health-podcast/where-will-growth-emerge-across-healthcare.html

For more information, please visit us at: https://www.pwc.com/us/en/industries/health-industries/health-research-institute/next-in-health-podcast.html.