Laying the Foundation for Innovation
\ CASE STUDY
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
“The program has been very valuable—we’ll build on peer relationships and apply the learnings as we shape our own path forward.”
— Deborah Gleeson, Vice President, Information Technology, Community Health Plan
Background
Health Plan Alliance is a coalition of regional health plan providers that share values, market challenges, and a commitment to learning from one another. Through collaboration, HPA members leverage their collective size and insight to ensure business stability while driving better health outcomes for the plan members.
Today’s healthcare marketplace is evolving at an unprecedented pace. Shifting regulations, economic pressures, provider shortages, and the growing complexity of the U.S. healthcare system all create headwinds. At the same time, new technologies, especially in artificial intelligence, are emerging rapidly and reshaping industries. HPA recognized that for its members to remain competitive, they would need to understand both their own industry dynamics and the fast-moving world of AI.
This insight led to the creation of a 12-month AI Learning Accelerator, designed to equip members with tools to understand the different levers of AI, build strategies, and implement impactful change— even while under significant pressure, and with limited resources.
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The Challenge
HPA members faced classic challenges in the face of rapid innovation:
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Competing pressures / limited resources: Regulatory demands, financial constraints, and workforce shortages left little capacity to take on something new.
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Rapidly changing market: The AI landscape evolves so quickly that an idea risks becoming outdated within months.
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Risk aversion: Operating in a highly regulated environment with direct implications for patient health, members were cautious to move too quickly.
The core challenge was clear: members needed to understand how AI could benefit them, but the speed of market change and the weight of immediate pressures made it difficult to plan for the future.
Our Approach
CR partnered with Health Plan Alliance to design a program that provided structure while remaining adaptable. The accelerator was built around three progressive phases:
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Foundational knowledge – Establishing the basics of strategy, governance, and data to give members a shared starting point.
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Use-case prioritization and planning – Helping participants identify high-value opportunities by weighing risk, reward, and resources.
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Vendor landscape exploration – Introducing members to external partners and technologies to support their AI journey.
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We leveraged CR’s intake and evaluation process, executive program development skills, facilitated learning sessions, INSI assessments, and our deep network of expert voices. Peer discussion and case studies were central, enabling members to learn directly from one another’s experiences and challenges.
Crucially, the program was designed to evolve. Continuous surveys allowed us to adapt content in real time to address changing member needs and the shifting AI marketplace.
Learning & Outcomes
Over the course of the accelerator, members began to see how they could both meet near-term challenges and prepare for longer-term transformation. Key outcomes included:
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Strategic clarity: Understanding and ability to move AI forward in their organizations.
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Confidence and capability: Greater confidence in assessing readiness, prioritizing use cases, and planning responsibly.
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Peer learning: Shared lessons, idea testing, and accelerated progress through collective insight.
The Results
Although the accelerator is ongoing, early results demonstrate meaningful impact:
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Increased participant confidence in setting AI strategies, tracked through session-by-session polling.
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High satisfaction scores reflecting the value of adaptable, relevant content.
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Improved readiness among plans to balance immediate operational pressures with the long-range opportunities of AI
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By blending structure with adaptability, the accelerator has created momentum where hesitation once existed. HPA members are now better equipped to explore AI responsibly, implement impactful change, and remain open to both market shifts and participant needs.