From cost control to continuous improvement
Service lines are where clinical strategy, financial discipline and operational excellence converge. They drive growth, elevate quality and anchor a health system’s ability to control costs and continuously improve. A key component of service line success is value analysis.
Value analysis is often described as a gatekeeping function focused on reviewing products and controlling costs. Leading organizations, however, are redefining value analysis as a strategic driver of continuous improvement in their service lines—one that simultaneously advances clinical outcomes, operational efficiency, patient satisfaction and financial performance.
HealthTrust Performance Solutions enables member organizations to move their value analysis initiatives from reactive decision-making to a proactive, data-driven approach.
A new perspective
“The question has changed,” explains Vicki Alberto, BSN, RN, Vice President of Performance Solutions with HealthTrust. “Cost remains essential, but it is no longer the starting point,” she says. “Better clinical and operational decisions ultimately drive stronger financial performance.”
That perspective is critical in environments where multiple products can achieve similar outcomes. As Jennifer Strachota, MS, BSN, RN, CNOR, Senior Director, Performance Solutions with HealthTrust, shares, “Organizations are increasingly focused on standardization and value rather than preference alone. First and foremost are patient outcomes. Cost comes into the conversation—but it’s further down the list,” she adds.
From reactive to proactive
Traditional value analysis programs are often reactive, with committees focused on new product requests—many of which add cost without clear clinical benefit. By working with members to rethink their service line strategies, the Performance Solutions team encourages providers to shift that focus. Performance Solutions promotes a proactive agenda that prioritizes identifying opportunities, evaluating utilization and addressing variation across the health system. “It’s shifting the agenda from urgent response mode to planning ahead,” explains Alberto. “This enables members to address inefficiencies early and create more consistent, sustainable value.”
Key Takeaway
Leading organizations are redefining value analysis as a strategic driver of continuous improvement in their service lines—one that simultaneously advances clinical outcomes, operational efficiency, patient experience & financial performance.
Use cases
The Performance Solutions team shares examples of how a service line strategy creates a sustainable framework for value analysis:
- In many cases, the impact extends well beyond cost savings. Reviews of medical products used for specific clinical indications may reveal that selection is not consistently aligned with established clinical guidelines. In these situations, clinicians on the Performance Solutions team evaluate how products are being utilized in practice and identify opportunities to align care with evidence‑based best practices. By sharing guideline‑driven recommendations and supporting standardization to clinically effective products, informed decisions are made that improve patient outcomes and experience while reducing the risk of unnecessary or inappropriate treatment.
- At the system level, variation often represents the greatest opportunity for improvement. In one example, hospitals within the same health system were using a broad range of products to treat similar clinical conditions. By comparing outcomes and utilization patterns, HealthTrust enabled the sharing of best practices across multiple healthcare organizations and engaged front-line subject matter experts to inform decision‑making. These experts helped identify products that were both clinically effective and fiscally responsible, ensuring they met patient needs while supporting sustainable care delivery. Standardizing to these recommended options led to improved patient outcomes and reduced costs through greater clinical alignment and increased purchasing efficiency.
“These kinds of decisions are grounded in clinical evidence, safety outcomes and real-world performance,” says Alberto. “Over time, the approach becomes embedded in daily operations—shifting value analysis from one-time cost reductions to a model for continuous improvement,” she says.
Structuring for success
Sustainable transformation depends on both effective processes and the right structure to support lasting change.
The Performance Solutions team reinforces a proactive approach through governance models that connect strategy to execution, including cross-functional committees, standardized processes and an executive steering committee for oversight.
In its work with Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady (FMOL) Health, an intentional structure of collaboration has been critical to success. A senior leadership steering committee sets priorities, while clinical teams evaluate and implement initiatives.
“We like to say that we do things ‘with’ our clinicians, not ‘to’ our clinicians,” says Kevin Moraski, Vice President of Supply Chain Services for FMOL Health.
Accelerating speed to value
Data and expertise are central to an effective service line strategy. Through HealthTrust Performance Solutions, organizations gain access to insights and clinical subject matter expertise.
Amy Webb, Senior Director of Strategic Sourcing & Value Analysis at FMOL Health, shares that this support helped them stay focused and efficient. “HealthTrust brings information to the table that otherwise would take us much longer to gather on our own,” she says.
“I would summarize it as speed to value,” Moraski adds. Rather than spending months gathering data, we moved more quickly from insight to action, accelerating results.
Alberto and Strachota suggest that organizations relying on reactive, product-focused models risk missing significant opportunities. Those that adopt a strategic, clinically informed, data-driven approach to their service line strategy, on the other hand, can unlock greater value across their operations. To accelerate this shift, health systems should strengthen governance, engage clinicians and use data and clinical evidence to guide decisions.
The HealthTrust Performance Solutions team offers a proven framework, enabling faster implementation, stronger alignment and more sustainable results.
Put Performance Solutions to work for your organization and transform your service line strategy. Reach out to your HealthTrust Account Manager or email performancesolutions@healthtrustpg.com to start the conversation.
Share Email Care Redesign, Patient Outcomes, Performance Improvement, Q3 2026, Utilization
