The healthcare industry is at an inflection point. Technology is now inseparable from patient care, but for many organizations, the systems that were designed to improve efficiency and outcomes have become a growing source of frustration, cost, and risk. With looming federal legislation changes, shrinking budgets, workforce pressures, and increasing cybersecurity threats, healthcare leaders need to adapt and creatively turn the constraints, challenges and roadblocks into successes.
That’s where managed services comes in. As we head into 2026, forward-thinking healthcare organizations are already building managed services into their strategic roadmaps. Here’s why.
1. Your EHR Should Drive Value, Not Drain Resources
Electronic Health Records (EHRs) remain one of the largest IT investments for hospitals and health systems. Yet, according to Black Book research, 77% of EHR users still report ongoing usability issues. When systems underperform, they slow down clinicians, frustrate patients, and eat into operating budgets.
Managed services unleashes the true potential of EHRs by improving workflows, strengthening interoperability, and providing continuous optimization. Instead of spending 75% of your budget just maintaining legacy systems, as Gartner notes many organizations do, managed services helps you redirect resources toward innovation and patient care.
2. Relieve Workforce Pressure and Burnout
Staffing challenges continue across healthcare’s workforce in areas such as nursing, physician, and highly skilled IT staff, increasing workloads, burnout, and organized labor at the forefront. The dynamic is impactful across health systems, and leaders are seeking opportunities to help with employee happiness and the retention of talent. Too often, highly skilled IT staff are tied up with repetitive break/fix tasks instead of strategic initiatives such as integrating AI, enhancing digital front doors, or scaling virtual care.
Managed services provides relief by taking on day-to-day support and system maintenance. This allows in-house teams to focus on high-impact projects that boost staff engagement and retention, while ensuring clinicians spend more time with patients and less time troubleshooting.
3. Stabilize Costs in Uncertain Times
Between reimbursement cuts and the rising complexity of tech, cost predictability is more critical than ever, and limited dollars need to go further. Healthcare financial reform continues and adds even more financial strain on healthcare organizations. Today’s healthcare providers are entering several fiscal years of challenging seasons and resulting hard choices. Confident actions are not pain-free. Bold choices will require precision planning, thorough communications, and a commitment to change. A managed services model with fixed fees and KPI-driven delivery offers financial control, cost efficiency, and transparency. This not only reduces risk but also unlocks resources to reinvest in strategic priorities, rather than draining budgets on reactive IT firefighting.
4. Strengthen Cybersecurity Before It’s Too Late
Healthcare remains the number one target for cyberattacks, with the average breach costing U.S. organizations $7.42 million. Even small lapses can lead to catastrophic disruptions.
Managed services delivers vigilant, 24x7 monitoring, rapid response, and robust access controls to minimize exposure. With cyber risk growing daily, proactive managed security isn’t optional—it’s foundational to protecting patient trust and organizational stability.
5. Scalable Support for Changing Needs
Healthcare organizations are constantly navigating fluctuating patient volumes, competing priorities, and shifting financial pressures. An optimal managed services solution is designed with flexibility at its core—enabling health systems to easily scale support up or down as business needs evolve. Fixed-fee models deliver predictable costs, and quarterly performance reviews can ensure services align with organizational goals. This scalable approach not only reduces attrition and overhead, but also provides ongoing access to the right skills, technology, and processes.
A Strategy for Sustainable Growth
Healthcare leaders are being forced to do more with less, while balancing cost, compliance, and care quality. Managed services enables long-term sustainability, resilience, and innovation. Adapting, and creatively turning the constraints, challenges, and roadblocks into successes is the 2026 path for leadership.
As you look ahead to 2026, the question isn’t whether you can afford managed services. The real question is: can you afford to go without them?
Getting Started Is Easier Than You Think
CTG has decades of experience helping healthcare organizations stabilize IT costs, strengthen EHR performance, and free clinicians to focus on care. If you’d like to identify where your IT operations may be draining resources, request a Healthcare IT Managed Services Insight Session with our experts today.
/1.%20Visuals/Website/Icons/x-twitter.svg){kind=icon}