The Ambulatory Surge Is Here. Access Leaders Can’t Afford to Play Catch-Up.
By Molly Siegel, MPH
Healthcare is changing faster than ever. What once lived inside hospital walls is moving out - into outpatient practices, surgery centers, retail clinics, and community health centers. The ambulatory enterprise is booming, and with it, the responsibility on access is growing heavier by the day. This isn’t just an operational shift. It’s a public-health one. And the health systems that thrive will be those that treat access not as a function - but as a force for population health, equity, and resilience.
The Data Doesn’t Whisper - It Shouts
Outpatient volumes are projected to rise 10.6% in the next five years (JLL Healthcare Outlook). Hospital outpatient visits have climbed 31% since 2000 (Kaiser Family Foundation). Eighteen percent outpatient growth is forecasted for the next decade, compared to just 5% inpatient (BusinessWire, Vizient Sg2 Forecast). That’s not incremental change—it’s a structural realignment. The question isn’t if your ambulatory access strategy needs to adapt. It’s how fast.
Access as Public Health
As care moves closer to home, access becomes the linchpin of population health. When patients can get timely, convenient, and coordinated care in ambulatory settings, we prevent complications, reduce emergency visits, and keep communities healthier. But when access falters—when scheduling lags, when no-shows climb, when referral loops break down—the ripple effects hit entire populations. The result isn’t just patient frustration. It’s delayed diagnoses, widening disparities, and unnecessary suffering. That’s why access isn’t just a matter of efficiency. It’s a matter of equity.
Meeting the Moment—Together
The ambulatory boom is exciting, but it’s also demanding. New care settings, new staffing models, new technology - each adds complexity. And while individual health systems are innovating fast, none of us can do this alone. That’s where the Patient Access Collaborative comes in. The Patient Access Collaborative was built for moments like this - when the ground shifts, and access leaders need each other more than ever. Through shared learning, benchmarking, and peer exchange, we can see what’s working across the country, adapt faster, and design models that meet the rising demand and exceed patient expectations. Together, we can turn the ambulatory surge into a national public-health success story.
From Catch-Up to Trailblazing
This is the moment to stop reacting and start leading. Access teams are no longer just the entry point - they’re the engine of transformation. By optimizing capacity, bridging gaps, and centering the patient in every process, we don’t just keep up with the ambulatory wave - we shape it. Access is prevention. Access is equity. Access is public health. And through the Patient Access Collaborative, we’re not navigating this shift alone. We’re learning from each other, sharing what works, and proving that access isn’t just about getting patients in the door - it’s about opening that door wider than ever before. Because our patients don’t just deserve timely care. They deserve a system ready for what’s next.
Empowering Leaders. Elevating Access. Together.