The final day of the 2025 Nashville Healthcare Sessions closed with a forward-looking agenda that reflected the industry’s rapid evolution.
Discussions spanned from reimagining whole-person care and advancing women’s health to navigating the shift toward outpatient settings and exploring specialty solutions that ease cost and complexity. Sessions concluded with practical insights from CEOs reflecting on strategies needed for the decade ahead, highlighting both the opportunities and challenges of a transformative era. Throughout the day, themes of innovation, integration and collaboration remained central, offering a clear call to action for leaders shaping the future of healthcare.
A special thank you to our panelists, attendees, partners, sponsors and team for making this year’s Sessions a success. Mark your calendars today for Nashville Healthcare Sessions 2026, taking place September 14-15, 2026. We look forward to welcoming you back next year in #TheHealthcareCity!
In case you couldn’t attend today’s Sessions, we’ve got you covered!
Below is a recap of key highlights and discussions from today.
Coordinating Care for the Whole Person: Innovation Across Medical, Behavioral, and Consumer Health
A panel discussion with Chris Hunter, CEO, Acadia Healthcare, Cheryl Pegus, MD, Chair, & CEO, FlyteHealth, and Daniel Stein, MD, President & Founder, Embold Health. Moderated by Jon Kaplan, Managing Director and Senior Partner, Boston Consulting Group
A thoughtful conversation on whole person healthcare highlighted the need to better integrate physical, behavioral and consumer-focused care. Hunter, Pegus and Stein emphasized that team-based approaches and patient advocacy are essential to achieving sustainable outcomes. Pointing to the promise of technology – particularly AI and data sharing – in helping providers, patients and payers navigate a fragmented system. Panelists also underscored the role of employers and joint ventures in driving innovation and accountability. Ultimately, the leaders agreed that advancing whole person health requires rethinking traditional models, aligning incentives and keeping patients at the center of their care.
“50% of the time someone has a behavioral health condition, there’s an underlying physical health condition – and vice versa. Integration isn’t optional, it’s essential.” – Chris Hunter, CEO, Acadia Healthcare
Closing the Gap: Innovating for Women’s Health
A conversation with Claire Pearson, Managing Director, Barclays and Tammy Sun, Founder & CEO,Carrot. Moderated by Paul Kusserow, Chairman, Amedisys
Women make 80%of healthcare decisions for their households, positioning them as key drivers of both care and spending. Yet despite this influence, unmet needs across fertility, maternity, menopause and behavioral health remain significant. Panelists underscored how shifting demographics, later-in-life pregnancies and rising complexity in care are fueling demand for innovative solutions. They pointed to the growing role of employer benefits, digital health and integrated care models as essential to improving access and outcomes. While challenges in provider capacity and reimbursement persist, women’s health continues to evolve as a dynamic frontier for investment and transformation.
“Employers want integrated, unified solutions – not just point products. The next wave of women’s health will be holistic and connected.” – Tammy Sun, Founder & CEO, Carrot
The Outpatient Surge: Competing and Thriving in Ambulatory Care
A panel discussion featuring Renee Buckingham, President, Primary Care Organization, Humana CenterWell, Eric Evans, CEO, Surgery Partners, and Jeff Snodgrass, President & CEO, AMSURG. Moderated by Leif Murphy, CEO, TeamHealth.
This panel discussion examined the accelerating shift from inpatient to outpatient care and what it means for patients, providers and payers. Buckingham, Evans and Snodgrass emphasized how ambulatory surgery centers are driving down costs while improving the overall patient experience, but noted that regulatory barriers, workforce shortages and payer dynamics remain significant hurdles. They highlighted the importance of aligning incentives across primary care, surgery and payer relationships to ensure patients receive care in the right setting at the right time. While challenges in supply, training and access persist, the outpatient surge represents one of healthcare’s most transformative opportunities.
“Physicians want time back, a real voice, and a simpler environment. That’s what will drive the next wave of growth in outpatient care.” – Eric Evans, CEO, Surgery Partners
Smart Carveouts: Specialty Solutions that Reduce Cost + Complexity
A panel discussion with Michael Aratow, MD, Co-Founder & Chief Medical Officer, Ellipsis Health, Doug Ghertner, CEO, IVX Health, and Robin Shah, Co-Founder & CEO, Thyme Care. Moderated by Ken Leonczyk, Jr., SVP, Enterprise Clients, Optum.
Who owns the power of integration? Panelists explored how integration and specialization can reshape specialty care, driving both cost reduction and improved outcomes. The discussion highlighted the role of dedicated carveouts for complex conditions such as cancer, where innovation and focused expertise enable smarter use of technology, virtual navigation and integrated services. By aligning resources and implementing thoughtful solutions, leaders emphasized the potential to lower expenses while enhancing the overall patient experience across the healthcare journey.
“For decades, we have really tried to build everything under one roof, and we found that there are new ways of doing this that can lower cost, that can bring a better patient experience, a better consumer experience, and a better clinician experience.” – Ken Leonczyck, Jr., SVP, Enterprise Clients, Optum
Smart Carveouts: Specialty Solutions that Reduce Cost + Complexity
A conversation with Eduardo Conrado, President, Ascension, and David Dill, Chairman & CEO, Lifepoint Health. Moderated by David Feinberg, MD, Chairman, Oracle Health & Life Sciences.
An insightful conversation with CEOs from two of the nation’s largest health systems examined how leaders are positioning their organizations for the decade ahead. Panelists emphasized the need to balance mission with margin while reshaping portfolios to reflect shifting patient and payer expectations. Ambulatory expansion, integrated behavioral and rehab services, and smarter use of data and technology were highlighted as essential levers for sustainable transformation. Yet with persistent challenges in workforce, regulation and reimbursement, leaders agreed that long-term success will hinge on mission-driven innovation, organizational agility and partnerships built on shared values.
“In the midst of adopting technology and policy changes, it’s the humanity of what we do that matters most. Small things done every day make the biggest difference.” – David Dill, Chairman & CEO, Lifepoint Health