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Roundtable Discussion

The $900B Black Box: Why Health Systems Need a New Solution to Manage Their Largest and Most Important Asset

In this discussion, leaders from Hallmark, Bryan Health, Mass General Brigham, and Ballad Health Medical Associates share how health systems are improving workforce visibility and decision-making across physicians, clinicians, and non-clinical staff.

Speaker Panel

Bharat Sundaram

Bharat Sundaram

Chief Executive Officer,
Hallmark

Bonnie Jensen

Bonnie Jensen, DNP, RN

Chief Nurse Executive,
Bryan Health

Meredith OKeefe

Meridith OKeefe, MHA

Chief Operations Officer,
Ballad Health Medical Associates

Jacquie Liddell

Jacquelyn Liddell

VP, Talent Acquisition and Workforce Development,
Mass General Brigham

Missed the Live Session?
Watch how workforce intelligence is rewriting the rules of healthcare labor. 

Labor is the biggest line item, and the biggest headache, in healthcare. In this on-demand conversation, leaders from Ascension and Hallmark break down how workforce intelligence, smarter staffing models, and cleaner compensation design helped Ascension unlock millions in margin improvement while supporting clinicians and protecting mission-driven care.

 If rising labor costs, clinician burnout, or chaotic compensation models feel a little too familiar, this is your playbook. You’ll learn how to: 

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Align staffing with demand — without the guesswork

The difference between “We hope this works” and “We know this works.” 

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Turn data into decisions 

AI-driven insights that cut spending, lift revenue, and actually make staff happier. 

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Build flexibility without breaking operations 

Why giving clinicians more schedule control can be your best retention strategy. 

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Streamline physician compensation (yes, really)

Cleaner models → better alignment → fewer headaches. 

Provider Enablement Trends

Attendees weighed in on the current state of workforce intelligence, provider engagement and compensation. See what they had to say.

Top Initiatives:

Leaders shared their top priorities, with leveraging a flexible workforce #1.

Leveraging a flexible workforce

38%

Reducing contract labor

29%

Gaining better visibility into total labor supply

21%

Centralizing labor management

13%

Confidence in Provider Compensation Strategy

Leaders shared that their confidence level in current provider compensation strategies is not very high, indicating it may be time for a change.

Somewhat confident

67%

Not at all confident

33%

Confident

0%

Very confident

0%

Provider Enablement Opportunity

Leaders indicated that better market visibility (compensation benchmarks at the national, regional and system level) is the biggest opportunity for provider alignment and compensation.

Better market visibility (compensation benchmarks)

31%

Provider visibility into compensation structure and drivers

31%

Focus on APP compensation design, structure and alignment

25%

Improved physician compensation designs

13%

Locums Spend

In addition to better compensation management, leaders noted they will have an increased focus on locums to augment and improve provider relations while decreasing burnout. Many noted they plan to have a centralized or optimized locums spend plan in place.

Yes

75%

No

25%

Locums Improvements

The biggest area of opportunity for locums, according to respondents, is better visibility into spend, and finding ways to connect locums to a holistic, organization-wide labor strategy. 

Better visibility into spend, including integration with broader labor strategy

55%

Speeding time to value (credentialing, payor enrollment, etc.)

27%

Better visibility into quality of clinicians

9%

Other

9%