At the Reuters Total Health Conference, much of the talk was understandably about value-based care and the evolving financial backdrop of healthcare. But beneath those themes ran something simpler: communication.
It’s a part of care that rarely makes headlines, yet it shapes every outcome.
Next year, hospitals will be judged partly on how they communicate with patients, families, and staff. The Joint Commission’s new standards make language access a measurable part of safety and equity. It’s a bureaucratic change that signals something larger: the act of understanding is being treated as clinical work.
I was at Reuters to join Ryan Beauchamp of GTCR and Jason Peoples of Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital for a fireside chat. It was a great discussion on how language access and emerging technologies are shaping the future of patient care, and what health systems can do today to prepare for the next wave of change.
During our conversation, we explored how hospitals are rethinking patient communication, which is all the more relevant in light of the 2026 Joint Commission National Performance Goals, which place a new emphasis on health equity (Goal 4) and language access (Goal 7).
We’re seeing a cultural shift in healthcare – hospitals are now being asked not only to deliver care, but to demonstrate understanding in how they communicate, document, and serve every patient.
Communication has always been at the heart of quality care, but now it’s recognized as essential to accreditation, safety, and equity. When patients can truly understand their care, outcomes improve. When providers can communicate clearly, trust grows.
We’re in a moment of reframing. I’m grateful for the opportunity to be part of that conversation and to learn alongside others who are equally committed to advancing understanding in healthcare.
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