Most healthcare organizations know which leadership positions would be difficult to replace, but knowing that and actually being prepared for a departure are two different things. A February 2026 MGMA poll found that only 33% of medical groups had succession plans for leadership positions, while 60% did not. What makes that finding more concerning is that there has been almost no improvement since 2024, when 36% reported having a succession plan.

Waiting until an executive resigns creates pressure that could have been avoided. There is suddenly an interim leadership issue to solve while the organization is also trying to decide what it needs in a replacement, evaluate internal candidates and begin looking outside the organization. If the search takes longer than expected, which executive searches often do, the pressure to make a decision only increases.

Succession planning doesn't have to mean naming the next CEO years in advance. For most organizations, it can begin with understanding which leadership positions create the most risk and whether there are people internally who could realistically step into them. Someone who isn't ready today may be a very good successor two years from now if the organization knows what experience that person still needs and gives them an opportunity to develop it.

There is also a good reason not to assume the next executive should look like the current one. Healthcare leadership jobs are changing along with the industry. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of medical and health services managers to grow 24% from 2025 through 2035, with about 62,300 openings each year. BLS points to technology, changing regulations and evolving models of care among the factors increasing the need for healthcare leadership.

That changing environment should be considered before an organization starts writing the search profile. A healthcare company preparing for rapid expansion may need something very different from one trying to stabilize operations. The executive who can integrate acquisitions may not be the executive who should build a new operation from the ground up. The same title can represent very different jobs depending on what the organization needs to accomplish during the next several years.

This is also why an executive search can be useful even when there is a strong internal candidate. Looking at the external market gives the board or leadership team a better basis for comparison. If the internal candidate remains the strongest choice after that process, the organization can make the decision with considerably more confidence.

The external market presents its own challenge because many of the executives worth considering aren't actively looking for another position. They may be successfully leading another healthcare organization and have little reason to respond to a job advertisement. Reaching those executives requires research, direct engagement and enough time to determine whether there is a reason for them to consider leaving.

Technology has made that research much more effective. AlediumHR uses Talentlytical® to broaden the executive talent market we can identify, including candidates who may not appear through a conventional search. It still takes experienced recruiting judgment to understand whether someone's accomplishments, leadership style and operating experience make sense for the organization doing the hiring.

This is where having time becomes particularly valuable. An impressive résumé can tell you where someone has worked and what positions they've held. It takes a much deeper evaluation to understand what they actually changed, the conditions under which they succeeded and whether that experience translates to a different organization.

Healthcare organizations can't know when every leadership transition will occur, but they can know where they're least prepared for one. Identifying those vulnerabilities while the current leadership team is still in place gives the organization time to develop internal talent, understand the external market and think carefully about what it will need from its next leader.

By the time a resignation arrives, much of that work should already have been done.

Sources & Further Reading