Bigger Is Not Better; Better Is Better (Ask the Patients)

The footprint of AMCs in the US has expanded significantly over the past five years—not through the creation of new AMCs, but through acquisitions and partnerships with community and non-academic health systems. The opportunity is enormous, but still largely unrealized. Because the real work doesn’t happen at the deal table. It begins after, with integration. “Systemness” has become a popular buzzword, but it can’t be declared in a boardroom. It has to be experienced by the most important stakeholders: patients.

I had the privilege of exploring this topic with Kevin Mahoney, CEO of Penn Medicine, on our monthly podcast with Becker’s Healthcare. We unpacked what true integration looks like in practice: from governance and medical group alignment to culture, leadership, and the shared sense of purpose, humility, and trust required to make it real.