Steve Valdiserri, a Michigan-based healthcare operator, shares a practical framework for turning stalled systems into measurable progress.
TRAVERSE CITY, MI / ACCESS Newswire / January 13, 2026 / On a Monday morning, a healthcare operations lead stared at a dashboard full of red alerts. Reports contradicted each other. Teams were frustrated. Revenue was flat. Leadership wanted answers by Friday.
Instead of adding another tool or hiring another consultant, the team paused. They mapped one workflow. Clarified ownership. Fixed the data feeding the dashboard. Within 60 days, performance stabilized. Costs dropped. Meetings got shorter.
"That kind of turnaround doesn't come from magic," says Steve Valdiserri. "It comes from fixing the basics before chasing the next solution."
The story is common across healthcare and health tech organizations today. Complexity grows faster than clarity. Systems multiply, but outcomes lag.
A Widespread Issue Across Healthcare Operations
Industry data shows this problem is not isolated:
70% of digital health initiatives fail to scale due to operational and workflow breakdowns.
Up to 30% of healthcare data is inaccurate or incomplete, impacting decision-making.
Over 50% of value-based care programs underperform their financial targets in early years.
Clinicians spend nearly 2 hours on administrative work for every 1 hour of patient care.
"I've said it before and I'll continue to say it - healthcare doesn't have a vision problem. There are plenty of good ideas and innovative thinking out there," Valdiserri says. "It has an execution problem."
With more than a decade of experience across value-based care, analytics, and healthcare technology, Valdiserri has seen the same patterns repeat.
"Healthcare is hard. Models are complex. Data is not standard, sporadic, and incomplete. And the ones we are fixing this for are humans that have human tendencies," he says. "A lot is out of our control. But what is in our control is execution. Taking action."
Why More Technology Isn't the Answer
Many organizations respond to pressure by layering on new tools. AI. Dashboards. Consultants.
But that approach often backfires.
"AI won't fix a broken system," Valdiserri says. "New shiny red objects and tech are coming out every day but are going to take time to prove out. We have to focus on what we can control right now and help shape and influence the better path forward."
Going back to the core principles of healthcare is often forgotten. Healthcare is meant to keep people in good health.
"If we aren't careful with tech evolutions, healthcare can turn very transactional. We can't forget that healthcare is relational. We are dealing with humans, not widgets".
Copy This Framework: Five Phases to Reset Operations
Valdiserri recommends a simple, repeatable framework individuals and teams can apply immediately.
Phase 1: Define the Monday Morning Reality
Ask one question: How does this actually work today?
Not how it should work. Not how it looks in slides.
Phase 2: Assign Clear Ownership
Every process needs a single owner.
"If everyone owns it, no one owns it," Valdiserri says.
Phase 3: Fix the Data Source First
Before building dashboards, validate inputs.
Bad data creates false urgency and bad decisions.
Phase 4: Simplify the Workflow
Remove steps that don't change outcomes.
"Healthcare has historically loved to make things more complicated. Look to remove before adding" Valdiserri says.
Phase 5: Measure One Outcome That Matters
Track a small number of metrics tied to results, not activity.
Quick Wins You Can Do This Week
Map one workflow on a single page
Cut one report no one reads
Clarify decision rights in one meeting
Validate one critical data field
Reduce one recurring meeting by 15 minutes
"Do the simple things really good," Valdiserri says. "You can win by doing the basics every day."
Red Flags to Watch For
Adding tools without fixing workflows
Too many dashboards (trust erosion)
Meetings without decisions
Metrics without owners
Strategy disconnected from daily work
"Lack of accountability and moving too fast can be expensive," Valdiserri says. "Move with clarity, move together, stay organized. That type of execution compounds."
A Call to Action
This week, pick one system you touch every day. Apply the five phases. Write it down. Fix one thing.
"Healthcare rewards people who stay long enough to understand the mess," Valdiserri says. "Then do the work to clean it up."
Small resets create real momentum.
To read the full interview, visit the website here.
About Steve Valdiserri
Steve Valdiserri is a Michigan-based healthcare and technology executive with over a decade of experience in value-based care, healthcare analytics, and operations. He has held senior leadership roles supporting provider organizations and healthcare technology platforms, including helping scale value-based care models from early-stage growth through national operations. Steve partners with healthcare and technology organizations in executive, advisory, and operational leadership capacities, with a focus on clarity, discipline, and execution.
Contact
SOURCE: Steve Valdiserri
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire
