By Yenvy Truong, Founder, The LSM Group and Co-founder, Authentifly
2025 felt like a year shaped by the fear of missing out and inherent contradictions. Artificial intelligence dominated headlines, and leaders felt pressure to move fast, even when they were unsure what “using AI” really meant. The stock market reached new highs while many companies experienced major layoffs. The government pushed for more data sharing in healthcare, even as many questioned the true commitment of large players. Virtual care accessibility grew, yet reimbursement often moved in the opposite direction.
It was a year where progress and confusion moved side by side. As we enter 2026, the real question isn’t about speed but about building with intention. The lesson from 2025 is clear: moving fast without awareness leads to fragile systems and missed opportunities.
Key Lessons and Trends from 2025
1. When One Failure Shut Down an Entire System
The Change Healthcare breach in 2024, affecting UnitedHealth Group, starkly illustrated how dependent the healthcare system had become on a single point of failure. When that system went down, billions of dollars were lost across hospitals, practices, and vendors, with many still recovering well into 2025.
It highlighted the importance of resilience. Like having only one toll booth on a busy highway, when it closes, everything stops. True resilience requires multiple routes and backup options. Leaders need systems that can adjust when pressure hits and teams who know how to act when disruption occurs.
With AI touching every part of healthcare operations, now is the time to strengthen these foundations. Run practice drills, document backup steps, and build a culture of readiness. In a cyber-reliant world, disruptions are not rare; they are to be expected.
2. AI’s Growing Pains Became Impossible to Ignore
AI hype moved faster than real progress, and 2025 exposed that gap. Regulators such as the FDA and ONC advanced guidance around transparency and safe use. Simultaneously, a well-known MIT study reported that about 95% of enterprise generative AI pilots failed to create measurable financial impact. Many organizations chased AI without defining value or setting clear goals.
This forced important questions:
- What does success in AI look like?
- What outcomes matter?
- How do we measure real value?
A strong AI strategy focuses on ninety-day execution cycles. AI should show early results or expose gaps quickly. The teams that made real progress were the ones who measured impact and integrated AI into their core systems rather than treating it as a side project.
In 2026, success will be defined not by how fast you adopt AI but by how clearly you understand its purpose, limits, and measurable value.
3. GLP1s Stepped into the Longevity Conversation
2025 brought a clearer understanding to metabolic health. GLP1 medications, from daily versions like liraglutide to weekly options like semaglutide and tirzepatide, moved beyond quick weight loss fixes and became part of a broader cardiometabolic strategy. Companies are now exploring microdosed versions aimed at longevity, using smaller doses to support long-term metabolic stability with fewer side effects.
GLP1s are also being built into digital therapeutic programs that pair medication with nutrition, coaching, and continuous monitoring. At the same time, longevity is shifting from trend to thesis, backed by real research and investment. Microdosed GLP1 protocols fit directly into this movement, supporting healthier aging and reducing inflammation without the intensity of high-dose plans.
This shift shows that GLP1s are no longer just weight loss tools. They are part of a larger strategy focused on extending healthy years of life. Payers are beginning to reward outcomes, not volume.
4. Virtual Care Entered Its Accountability Phase
Telehealth access expanded, but reimbursement remained under pressure. UnitedHealthcare’s recent decision to limit reimbursement for certain remote monitoring services added more friction, signaling a shift toward demanding stronger evidence of impact.
This created another paradox: more access, fewer dollars to support the work.
Virtual care programs that survive will be the ones that clearly show they reduce total cost of care, close gaps, and improve outcomes. In 2026, digital health leaders must define value in terms of outcomes, equity, and trust.
What to Focus on in 2026
- Build resilience through decentralization. Create multiple routes instead of relying on a single point of failure.
- Define ROI for AI. Focus on measurable outcomes, not hype. Demonstrate and iterate in 90-day blocks.
- Longevity is not just a trend; it’s a thesis being tested and proven.
- Build integrated care systems centered on outcomes, not products.
2025 showed us how easily FOMO can pull us off course and how quickly confusion grows when change moves faster than understanding. 2026 will reward leaders who slow down, think clearly, and build with purpose.
If 2025 was about reacting to disruption, 2026 is about designing systems that last.
About the Author
Yenvy Truong is a serial entrepreneur, investor, and strategic advisor with more than two decades of experience building and scaling healthcare and wellness companies from concept to exit. She leads The LSM Group, a healthcare and AI transformation advisory firm, and is the co-founder of Authentifly, a consultancy that strengthens emotional intelligence so teams can adapt, connect, and innovate in an AI-driven world. Her work sits at the intersection of AI, healthcare, and human performance, helping leaders build systems that are resilient, innovative, and built for long-term impact.
