Big Tech Is Redefining Healthcare Access — How Will We Respond?

The American Hospital Association recently highlighted a shift worth watching: Amazon, CVS, and Walgreens are pulling back on brick-and-mortar clinic expansion and doubling down on their real strengths including pharmacy, virtual care, logistics and integrated consumer experiences.

The advantage for these giants isn’t physical space. It’s frictionless access, transparent pricing, and precision outreach and they’re moving fast to deliver on those fronts.

For local and regional health systems, this is both a challenge and an opportunity. We can’t (and shouldn’t) try to out-Amazon Amazon. But we can compete and win on what they can’t replicate: trusted relationships, continuity of care, and deep community roots. The key will be pairing those strengths with the same level of convenience and clarity Big Tech delivers.

It’s a reminder that in 2025 and beyond, our brand story isn’t just told in ads it’s lived in the design of every service experience.

How are you and your organization preparing for this shift?