Trust, Technology, and Trump: Healthcare's 2025 Challenge

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HEALTHCARE’S 2025 CROSSROADS: GROWTH, AI, AND POLICY SHIFTS

Healthcare leaders are betting on growth in 2025—but not the kind generated by mergers and acquisitions. Almost three quarters of organizations are focusing on organic growth through enhanced consumer engagement, trust-building, and improved care experiences.

Yet three major forces are reshaping the landscape:

• The AI trust gap

• Critical workforce challenges

• Policy uncertainty under the incoming Trump administration

This week, we break down:

• Essential priorities for health plans vs. health systems

• Why only 45% of clinicians trust leadership decisions

• How leading organizations are building AI acceptance

• Success stories from Cleveland Clinic and Vanderbilt

• Plus: Your free 2025 Healthcare Calendar

🗞️ In case you missed it: Major hospital wage increases announced, new HCAHPS changes coming, and concerning findings about drug price hikes add $815M to healthcare costs.

SPREAD FOR YOU
📢  HR’s DOUBLE CHALLENGE IN 2025: BALANCING PEOPLE & TECHNOLOGY

Learn about the multidimensional strategies healthcare leaders will need to implement in the coming months to boost growth.

As healthcare enters 2025, organizations are pivoting from traditional growth strategies to focus on organic expansion, technological innovation, and workforce resilience. Mergers & acquisitions are out, and multidimensional strategies are in.

Two thirds (65%) of leaders are prioritizing consumer engagement and care experience improvements. Expect to see strategies that prioritize:

• Enhanced consumer engagement

• Rebuilt trust with stakeholders

• Improved care experiences

This strategic pivot creates distinct challenges for different healthcare organizations; there are no promises of smooth sailing. Leaders must overcome three critical hurdles in 2025: 

• Regulatory uncertainty

• Workforce stabilization

• AI adoption

Health plans’ focus will be on adopting transformative technologies and navigating regulatory shifts. While health systems will attempt to modernize operations to improve patient care and organizational efficiency and continue to tackle workforce shortages and burnout. 

At the same time, regulatory uncertainty under President-elect Donald Trump’s administration has health leaders on high alert. Potential changes to Medicare, Medicaid, and Affordable Care Act provisions could reshape healthcare access and affordability—adding another layer of complexity for HR teams as they strive to support resilient, adaptable healthcare workforces.

So, how can you prepare to navigate growth in 2025? Continue reading to learn more…

HR in Health Plans: Technology and Regulatory Demands

Health plans must be prepared to embrace new technologies and respond to evolving regulatory demands. For HR leaders, the top priorities in 2025 will be:

1. Upskilling and reskilling employees: With health plans rapidly adopting AI-powered solutions, HR teams will focus on designing training programs to ensure employees—particularly in claims, underwriting, and compliance—are equipped to use new tech tools effectively. 

2. Leading change management: For the successful adoption of AI and automation, HR will work on communication strategies, hands-on training, and phased rollouts to minimize resistance and build trust in new tech. Check out Hacking HR’s step-by-step guide for successful AI implementation and learn how to navigate the cultural shift.

3. Strengthening AI governance: One of the biggest challenges for HR. Partnering with stakeholders and leadership to define policies for the ethical use of AI to ensure transparency, educate the workforce, and continuously monitor its outcomes will be crucial for sustainable success in 2025. Clear policies will boost employee confidence in AI's role as a support—not a replacement—for human expertise.

4. Building workforce trust: Misconceptions about automation replacing jobs remain widespread. 64% of nurses believe AI will hurt employment. HR must focus on transparent communication and emphasize how technology augments workflows rather than replaces employees.

5. Enhancing regulatory compliance: With regulatory uncertainty ahead, HR teams must collaborate closely with legal and compliance leader and work on proactive education while monitoring its impact on workflows to ensure smooth adoption.

6. Attracting talent for emerging roles: The rise of AI and analytics demands new skill sets, particularly in cybersecurity, data science, and AI governance. HR can partner with universities and upskill internal talent to address these emerging needs.

Health Systems: Workforce Stabilization and Modernization

Staff shortages, healthcare burnout, and rising labor costs will continue impacting health systems in 2025. To guarantee efficiency and improve care delivery, HR leaders will work on stabilizing the workforce while ensuring seamless integration of core technologies. The top priorities for HR leaders will be:

1. Attracting and developing talent for critical roles: Workforce shortages are significantly impacting high-skilled medical positions. 75% of organizations reported difficulty recruiting for full-time roles, and a staggering 89% found high-skilled roles "very difficult to fill.” HR can create streamlined training pathways by collaborating with academic institutions to accelerate programs for in-demand roles like nursing assistants or medical technicians.

2. Rebuilding workforce trust: Trust remains low among frontline clinicians, with only 45% trusting leadership to make patient-centered decisions. HR must launch listening initiatives, create inclusive cultures, and establish leadership roles that amplify clinician voices. 

3. Redesigning care teams: HR will have to optimize interdisciplinary teams and explore virtual nursing or telehealth models to reduce workloads and improve staff satisfaction and talent retention.

4. Integrating technology with intensive training: As healthcare executives plan to incorporate EHRs, automation tools, and enterprise systems, successful adoption will require intensive training to ensure employee readiness. HR must deliver personalized, hands-on training programs to ensure frontline staff adapt to these changes seamlessly. 

5. Supporting well-being and tackling burnout: Burnout still affects nearly 60% of healthcare workers, leading to turnover and reduced care quality. HR strategies for 2025 should prioritize peer-support networks to reduce isolation, flexible schedules and wellness programs, and empathy-driven leadership training to identify and mitigate burnout.

The Path Forward

HR leaders will drive healthcare transformation in 2025. Success hinges on two key factors: how well health plans adapt to AI and regulatory changes and how effectively health systems stabilize their workforce while modernizing operations. 

The priorities are clear—upskill talent, build trust, and innovate recruitment to ensure resilient growth and enhanced care delivery.

​​Yet even as organizations tackle these workforce challenges, a critical question emerges: do employees & patients trust the very technologies we're implementing? The answer might surprise you…

HR HURDLES
CONSUMERS DON’T TRUST AI: WHAT YOU CAN DO

Generative AI promises faster diagnoses, lower costs, and personalized care. But here’s the catch: consumers don’t trust it.

Deloitte’s latest survey shows 30% of consumers now distrust AI-generated health information, up from 23% last year. The skepticism is especially sharp among millennials (30%) and baby boomers (32%), two groups whose trust healthcare leaders can’t afford to lose.

What can your organization do?

• Engage clinicians as AI advocates: Consumers trust their doctors. 74% see clinicians as their most trusted source for treatment options. Health systems need to ensure AI tools are provider-endorsed, carefully monitored, and integrated responsibly. Train clinicians in AI use and its benefits for patient care and offer them resources to share with patients. 

• Be transparent about how AI is used: 80% of consumers want to know how their providers use AI in care decisions. Transparency through explaining AI’s role and limitations could be the key to acceptance. 

• Partner with trusted community organizations: Aligning with community health centers and local agencies helps demystify AI and build understanding among diverse populations. 

Trust is the first step for AI to transform health care. Generative AI has potential, but consumers need to see it not as a black box—but as a trusted ally for better care.

Want to see these trust-building strategies in action? Discover how three leading healthcare organizations transformed skepticism into acceptance—and how you can apply the same methods...

SUCCESS STORIES
HEALTHCARE X AI SUCCESS STORIES

📚 The Physician's Guide to AI

Turning Clinicians into AI Advocates requires resources to educate them and patients about the benefits of AI for patient care. The Physicians’ Charter for Responsible AI created a fantastic manual that can be used for educational purposes or as an inspiration to create your organization’s handbook.

🔍 Cleveland Clinic's Transparency Strategy

If you plan to disclose how your organization uses AI, check out how Cleveland Clinic did it! The organization has a dedicated page to educate patients and the community on the use of AI, its benefits, and how it is integrated into every step of the patient care process—from research to diagnosis, treatment, and aftercare.

🤝 Vanderbilt's Collaborative Approach

An amazing example of networking and building a community to benefit from AI-powered technological advancements is Vanderbilt University. Their ADVANCE program created a collaborative network to study AI capabilities for interdisciplinary research and practice. This initiative brings together clinicians, computational scientists, and patients in a collaborative hub to improve clinical outcomes.

Success stories like these show it's possible to build trust in AI. But what about the broader policy landscape? Let's examine how the incoming administration could reshape healthcare delivery...

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🗞️ IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

As you plan for significant change & development in 2025, below are the latest developments that could impact your strategy…

Trump's Healthcare Agenda: What to Watch 

Major changes loom as the President-elect prepares to take office. From ACA funding to Medicaid work requirements, see which policies could reshape healthcare access and delivery in 2025. Read more →

Hospital Data Breach Leads to $2M Settlement 

Holiday season cybersecurity warning: A recent breach at a major billing vendor resulted in substantial penalties. Learn key takeaways for protecting your organization. Read more →

Drug Price Hikes Add $815M Without Clinical Support

New ICER report reveals shocking findings: Five high-impact drugs saw price increases without new clinical evidence to support the change. See which medications made the list. Read more →

Nationwide Wage Increases Transform Healthcare Staffing 

Over 50 healthcare organizations announce major compensation changes, with some offering up to 65% increases plus retention bonuses. See the full breakdown. Read more →

HCAHPS Updates Coming in 2025 

Critical changes to patient experience measurement are on the horizon. Get the details on what's changing and how to prepare. Read more →

Don't miss a critical deadline or important event again—download our comprehensive 2025 Healthcare Calendar below...

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DOWNLOADABLE RESOURCE: KEY HR & HEALTHCARE DATES FOR 2025

Stay organized with our 2025 HR & Healthcare calendar

A must-have resource for healthcare HR professionals. Your 2025 Healthcare HR Calendar includes:

• Key compliance deadlines

• DEI awareness dates

• Healthcare observances

• Holiday scheduling guidance

• Regulatory milestones

Download your free calendar now and stay ahead of important dates in 2025!

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