Gunster & Arrow Group 2025 Healthcare Forum: Key Takeaways

On May 15, 2025, Gunster and Arrow Group hosted the 2025 Healthcare Forum, bringing together leading healthcare professionals, policymakers, and industry experts as they explored a variety of timely topics and emerging trends within the healthcare industry.

Three themes resonated throughout the afternoon: Innovation, Collaboration and Partnership.

I. Takeaways from Special Keynote Address & Fireside Chat

Moderated by Arrow Group Senior Advisor Simone Marstiller, featuring Secretary Shevaun Harris (Agency for Health Care Administration)

1. AHCA’s Current Priorities
   • Strengthening Florida’s healthcare workforce.
   • Expanding access to care across the state.
   • Safeguarding the long-term sustainability of Medicare and Medicaid programs.
2.  "Slots for Docs” Initiative
   • Designed to mitigate the physician shortage by funding additional residency positions and, in turn, broadening patient access and improve health outcomes for Medicaid recipients.
3.  Key Challenges Likely to Persist in the Coming Years
   • Ongoing workforce shortages across clinical disciplines.
   • Florida’s status as a preferred destination to “age in place,” driving demand for geriatric and long-term services.
   • The need for robust health information exchange infrastructure.
4. AHCA’s Continued Commitment to Partnership
   • Together we’re stronger.” AHCA invites collaboration on Medicaid quality improvement, behavioral health, and children’s health initiatives as it works to move the needle in these critical areas.

II. Takeaways from Panel Discussion: Tips & Trends in Healthcare M&A

Moderated by Gunster Shareholder Samantha Prokop, featuring Frank Manes (Gastro Health), Kathryn McDonough (J.P. Morgan), Lauren Ruane (J.P. Morgan), and Casey Waters (Medical Specialists of the Palm Beaches)

1. State of the Physician Growth and Expansion Market. It was highly competitive in the early 2020s, but 2025 has become a “pause and performance” year and expansions have cooled down. Persistent uncertainty remains; however, a recession is no longer anticipated, and prospective interest rate cuts could re-energize deal activity. Across the board this year, health systems are taking a more nuanced approach and exploring tactics to retain physician talent and create efficiencies in care delivery.
2. Volume to Value. High-performing, independent practices seeking better contracts with more economic value should recognize that it takes time. Boots on the ground, training and education tools, patience and repetitive consistency are instrumental to the transition.
3. Post-Acquisition Success. Success hinges on patience, clear target-level expectations, and the presence of strong, independent board members aligned with the organization’s culture. It is imperative to build in adequate lead time and resources.
4. Diversifying the Committee. In the case of a segmented group of decision makers, include dissenters with cheerleaders. Don’t have a project staffed only by project leaders, but also include doctors and other internal stakeholders.
5. Importance of Effective Diligence. “Getting the house in order” is paramount to any transaction as the level of diligence expectation continues to rise. This requires getting ahead of third-party validation work and having a defensible valuation on the sell-side and strict compliance with billing and coding standards, while remaining flexible and ready to pivot at a moment’s notice.

Be patient and set realistic expectations; uncover and speak to motivations beyond money; stay flexible and line up financing that can adapt to shifting market conditions; and resist the urge to max out leverage.

III. Takeaways from CEO Roundtable

Moderated by Gunster Shareholder Bill Dillon, featuring Ashley Vertuno (HCA Health JFK North Hospital), Connor Delaney (Cleveland Clinic), and Shane Strum (Broward Health), who discussed navigating change in healthcare, emergency preparedness, financial and ethical challenges, workforce issues, legislative impacts, and the future of healthcare systems.

1. Leadership Presence and Visibility Remain Critical. In times of crisis—whether a global pandemic, a hurricane, or a cybersecurity incident—staff and communities look first to leadership for confidence and clarity. CEOs who are physically present on the units, who round with caregivers, and who communicate frequently and transparently foster organizational calm, maintain alignment with mission, and help teams keep sight of strategic goals even amid uncertainty.
2. System-wide Collaboration Enhances Emergency Preparedness. Florida’s hospital networks have refined mutual-aid agreements, real-time information sharing, and coordinated surge plans that leverage lessons learned from hurricanes and COVID-19. Close partnerships with state and local emergency-management officials, coupled with regular multihospital drills and well-documented contingency protocols, provide redundancies in staffing, supplies, and bed capacity that strengthen resilience for the next inevitable emergency.
3. Data-Driven Standardization Balances Quality and Financial Sustainability. Each system is investing heavily in electronic medical record optimization, advanced analytics, and cybersecurity. By deploying common clinical pathways and key performance indicators across facilities, hospitals can reduce unwarranted variation, contain costs, and preserve quality outcomes. Nevertheless, the capital outlay for technology, coupled with the need to train physicians and staff who adopt at different paces, requires deliberate change-management strategies and staged rollouts.
4. Legislative Volatility Demands Agile Financial Planning. Proposed adjustments to the Medicaid provider assessment, uncertainty around premium tax credits, evolving drug-pricing directives, and tariff-related supply-chain pressures all stand to alter reimbursement, increase uncompensated care, and elevate construction costs. Hospital leaders are therefore modeling multiple financial scenarios, engaging policymakers early, and advocating for regulatory clarity that preserves access to essential services.
5. Innovative Workforce Development Tackles Persistent Shortages. Nursing, respiratory therapy, and select physician specialties remain in short supply statewide. Explore partnerships with academic institutions to build new nursing schools, creation of paid fellowships and residencies, and deployment of “grow-your-own” apprenticeship pathways. Competitive compensation, flexible scheduling, and culture-building initiatives that make hospitals “fun places to work” are essential to attracting and retaining the next generation of caregivers.

Leverage adaptive leadership, strategic planning, investment in technology, workforce development, and proactive engagement with legislative changes to ensure resilient and high-quality healthcare delivery.

IV. Takeaways from Panel Discussion: The Impact of AI on the Business of Healthcare

Moderated by Gunster of counsel Amy Sellars, featuring Chip Fletcher, Esq., Executive Vice President, General Counsel at Moffitt Cancer Center; Scott Arnold, Executive Vice President and Chief Digital and Innovation Officer, Tampa General Hospital; and Cricket Wood, Information Governance Analyst at Gunster

1. AI as an Augmentation Tool, Not a Replacement. Artificial intelligence is being used to augment human intelligence rather than replace it. In clinical settings, AI assists with tasks such as data modeling, patient triage, and drafting responses to patient concerns, but a human is always involved in the decision-making process. This approach ensures that the "art of medicine" remains central, with AI serving as a decision aid rather than a decision maker.
2. Robust Governance and Oversight Are Essential. Healthcare organizations are implementing comprehensive governance structures to oversee AI adoption. This includes multidisciplinary committees involving physicians, legal, compliance, cybersecurity, audit, and risk professionals. These groups review every AI tool introduced, conduct ongoing validation, and ensure that AI systems continue to function as intended. Existing frameworks like ISO and NIST are being leveraged for risk assessment and transparency.
3. Patient Engagement and Transparency Drive Trust. Building patient trust in AI requires clear communication and consent. It is important to explain AI’s role in patient care, such as when using ambient technology to record and summarize clinical visits. Ensuring patients understand and consent to these tools is critical, as is involving them in the auditing process to gauge engagement and address concerns.
4. Addressing Bias and Ensuring Quality. AI models can amplify existing biases if not carefully managed. Ongoing validation, quality assurance, and diverse data sets are all necessary to ensure equitable outcomes. Multidisciplinary teams and human oversight act as safeguards, and organizations are investing in data science groups dedicated to monitoring and improving AI performance.
5. Change Management and Workforce Adaptation. The integration of AI in healthcare brings both excitement and apprehension among staff. While clinicians generally welcome AI that reduces administrative burdens, there is resistance from some team members who fear job displacement, particularly in areas like revenue cycle management. Early and transparent communication, along with reassurances about the continued need for human expertise, are key strategies for successful change management and workforce adaptation.

By embedding AI within transparent, well-managed workflows and proactive change-management strategies, healthcare institutions can elevate care quality, reduce administrative burdens, and preserve the “art of medicine” while maintaining workforce and patient trust.

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This publication is for general information only. It is not legal advice, and legal counsel should be contacted before any action is taken that might be influenced by this publication.

About Gunster

Gunster, Florida’s law firm for business, provides full-service legal counsel to leading organizations and individuals from its 13 offices statewide. Established in 1925, the firm has expanded, diversified and evolved, but always with a singular focus: Florida and its clients’ stake in it. A magnet for business-savvy attorneys who embrace collaboration for the greatest advantage of clients, Gunster’s growth has not been at the expense of personalized service but because of it. The firm serves clients from its offices in Boca Raton, Coral Gables, Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville, Miami, Naples, Orlando, Palm Beach, Stuart, Tallahassee, Tampa, Vero Beach, and its headquarters in West Palm Beach. With more than 320 attorneys and consultants, and 300 committed support staff, Gunster is ranked among the top 200 largest law firms by the National Law Journal and has been recognized as one of the Top 100 Diverse Law Firms by Law360. More information about its practices, industries, offices and news is available at www.gunster.com.