Primary care clinics, specialty care clinics, urgent care centers and ambulatory surgical centers are executives’ top choices.
By Susan Morse , Executive Editor – October 7, 2025
Health systems are turning to ambulatory strategies in response to patient expectations for convenience, workforce shortages and financial pressures, according to a new report from the Center for Connected Medicine (CCM) at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and KLAS Research.
From outpatient centers such as ambulatory surgery centers to virtual platforms, care strategies are shifting.
The research, “Moving Outside the Hospital: Ambulatory Care Strategies at Leading Health Systems,” focuses on how large systems are providing more care in communities, outside of traditional inpatient settings.
The top types of ambulatory clinics, in order, are primary care clinics, specialty care clinics, urgent care centers, ambulatory surgical centers, diagnostic imaging centers, pharmacy retail clinics and employer-based clinics.
Respondents consistently reported the following service lines as top ambulatory investment priorities: primary care, cardiology, oncology, orthopaedics and gastrointestinal care.
Health systems have previously focused solely on increasing their geographic footprint. Now, health systems are driven by markets and service lines that have the most strategic importance or the strongest demand among patients, the report said.
