Ambulatory care leaders are under pressure from shrinking margins, staffing shortages, and patient access challenges. The 7 Levers of Efficiency framework offers a proven blueprint for boost finances, streamline operations, and position practices for long-term success — without adding headcount. This session explores how to strategically apply AI-powered tools, automation, and data-driven insights across seven key levers: revenue cycle precision, contract and referral optimization, staffing and capacity, patient acquisition and retention, physician efficiency, cost containment, and new revenue expansion. Through real-world examples from leading ambulatory organizations, attendees will learn practical strategies to capture hidden revenue, reduce administrative burden, and improve access, leaving with clear next steps on their journey toward a more efficient, resilient, and future-ready practice.

Patients are no longer typing “best doctor near me” into Google and clicking the first result. Instead, they’re getting AI-curated answers that summarize the best options at the top of the page — and there’s no page two. If AI tools aren’t surfacing your practices and providers, your organization is effectively invisible. This session will explore how a reputation management strategy that combines transparency and verified reviews can establish pervasive visibility across traditional search and AI platforms, signaling to patients that your practice is the trusted choice for care.

Front-end operations are the heartbeat of medical practices, shaping patient satisfaction and financial stability. In high-volume outpatient clinics, these workflows often suffer from inconsistent processes, unclear staff expectations, and high turnover among non-clinical staff. Drawing on real-world examples from multispecialty medical and surgical clinics, attendees will learn how to reduce bottlenecks (registration, check-in, scheduling), improve patient throughput, and build a culture where non-clinical staff feel supported in their roles. The session emphasizes scalable, technology-agnostic approaches that can be applied across multiple specialties and EHR platforms, giving leaders tools they can use immediately to strengthen front-end operations and elevate the overall patient experience.

Are you trying to do more with less? How about doing a lot more for a lot less? Today’s artificial intelligence and robotic process automation (RPA) tools can save medical practices significant time for a reasonable investment. This interactive session focuses on practical ways to use tools such as ChatGPT and Microsoft Power Automate to accelerate operational efficiencies in your practice. ChatGPT is a game-changing AI technology that can write formulas, code, and professional correspondence. Power Automate is an RPA platform that streamlines workflows, automates repetitive tasks, and integrates systems without significant IT intervention. The discussion will highlight real-world business intelligence (BI) and operational workflow examples from medical practices, giving attendees concrete ideas they can adapt to increase profitability, speed up workflows, and improve productivity for your team.

Healthcare executives and operations leaders face increasing pressure to expand patient access, maintain financial stability, and foster collaboration, often in environments with limited resources and rising demand. This session shares real-world strategies from academic health systems that combine operational efficiency, patient-centered design, and long-term stewardship to create measurable impact. The panel will show how a 10-year strategic plan, anchored in financial stewardship and patient experience, positions health systems to weather inflation, shifting sites of care, and declining margins by aligning resources across the enterprise. It will highlight multidisciplinary clinics at UChicago Medicine that that coordinate multiple providers in a single visit and cross-system scheduling collaborations across three large health systems that preserve market share, improve access, and strengthen regional integration. Attendees will also examine how external service agreements can serve as strategic levers for growth — balancing profitability and mission — alongside a scalable model for access optimization through scheduling redesign that increased volumes, satisfaction, and long-term capacity. Attendees will leave with a practical playbook to connect strategic vision with day-to-day execution and build more resilient health systems.