Home

WellSky® 2025 Evolution of Care Report Highlights Critical Provider Challenges

via Business Wire

Findings reveal growing patient complexity, workforce challenges, and regulatory shifts as organizations look to artificial intelligence and predictive analytics to strengthen care coordination.

WellSky, a leading global health and community care technology and services company, today released its fourth annual Evolution of Care report. The 2025 report draws on industry trends and data from the WellSky national network of more than 2,500 hospitals, accountable care organizations (ACOs), and physician practices, as well as 130,000 post-acute, home, and community care providers. Findings from the report identify critical challenges impacting healthcare organizations, including rising patient acuity, persistent staffing shortages, and accelerating regulatory change, and illustrate how artificial intelligence (AI) and predictive analytics can help providers deliver smarter, more coordinated care.

WellSky analysis found that:

Referral volume and patient acuity are rising in tandem. Data from WellSky reveals rising patient acuity, with a key measure of comorbidity burden, has risen by 34% since 2019. As patient complexity increases, healthcare providers often need to send multiple referrals per individual to secure appropriate post-acute care.

Staffing challenges in post-acute and community care endure. Persistent staffing shortages, high turnover, and escalating burnout are intensifying pressures across the care continuum, prompting demand for technology that drives greater efficiency.

A recent WellSky study found a strong appetite for technology-driven solutions: 90% of nurses and healthcare professionals surveyed identified care coordination technology as valuable to the quality and efficiency of their work. Many also pointed to electronic health records and AI as valuable tools, signaling a growing expectation for intelligent systems that streamline workflows and enhance care delivery.

AI and predictive analytics are reshaping care delivery. By identifying patient risks earlier, streamlining manual tasks, and enabling smarter, data-driven decisions, AI allows care teams to anticipate needs, act faster, and deliver better outcomes for patients, especially those at greatest risk. With more than half of healthcare professionals reporting that AI can reduce burnout, the technology is becoming a critical lever for improving care quality, enhancing clinician satisfaction, and boosting systemwide efficiency.

“Healthcare is at a turning point — one that calls for bold innovation,” said WellSky chairman and CEO Bill Miller. “We’re building solutions where technology feels effortless, data flows intelligently, and clinicians can devote their energy to healing rather than paperwork. With AI and predictive analytics at the center, we’re driving a future of care that’s faster, smarter, and deeply personalized.”

Regulatory pressures are accelerating the move to value-based care. New Centers for Medicaid & Medicare Services (CMS) programs are raising the bar for seamless transitions, real-time data sharing, and accountability. As payment increasingly ties to performance, providers face greater challenges and opportunities to strengthen transitions, improve patient experiences, and drive measurable results.

With referral volume and patient acuity rising, staffing pressures intensifying, and value-based models taking hold, the need for intelligent, scalable, and forward-looking solutions has never been greater.

“As the WellSky network continues to grow, so does our ability to deliver timely, data-driven insights that help providers lead through an increasingly complex care landscape,” said Miller. “WellSky offers the trusted expertise and technology that organizations need to navigate what’s next.”

For more details on these findings, their impact on the healthcare industry, and how WellSky is helping organizations thrive in the next chapter of healthcare, download the complete 2025 Evolution of Care report.

About WellSky®

WellSky is one of America’s largest and most innovative healthcare technology companies leading the movement for intelligent, coordinated care. Our proven software, analytics, and services power better outcomes and lower costs for stakeholders across the health and community care continuum. In today’s value-based care environment, WellSky helps providers, payers, health systems, and community organizations scale processes, improve collaboration for growth, harness the power of data analytics, and achieve better outcomes by further connecting clinical and social care. WellSky serves more than 20,000 client sites — including the largest hospital systems, blood banks, cell therapy labs, home health and hospice franchises, post-acute providers, government agencies, and human services organizations. Informed by more than 40 years of providing software and expertise, WellSky anticipates clients’ needs and innovates relentlessly to build healthy, thriving communities. For more information, visit wellsky.com.

“Healthcare is at a turning point — one that calls for bold innovation. We’re building solutions where technology feels effortless, data flows intelligently, and clinicians can devote their energy to healing rather than paperwork."

Contacts