Healthcare Delivery

United States – October 21, 2026 -- Urgent care operators must prove quality, outcomes and cost to keep growing, according to UCA Chief Executive Officer Steve Sellars, who says roughly half a million patients use the sector every day.

Partners will demand evidence on quality, utilization and cost

Sellars says access alone will no longer satisfy health systems, employers and payers. He expects them to ask for evidence of quality, outcomes, appropriate utilization, patient experience and cost.

He argues that the organizations that thrive will not be those that see the most patients or run the most centers. They will be those that understand how urgent care fits into the wider healthcare ecosystem.

Nashville – October 01, 2026 -- Sound Physicians has appointed Sergio Zanotti, MD, FCCM, as Chief Executive Officer of its Critical Care specialty, placing him in charge of programs that treat more than 170,000 critically ill patients annually.

Zanotti takes over strategy for a specialty treating 170,000 ICU patients per year

In the role, Dr. Zanotti will oversee operations for Sound Critical Care, working with regional and specialty leadership as well as hospital and health system partners nationwide to implement evidence-based clinical programs. He will also continue supporting physician leadership development across Sound's other clinical specialties.

Seattle – September 30, 2026 -- Washington Permanente Medical Group (WPMG) has named Taejoon Ahn, MD, MPH, as its new CEO and executive medical director, placing him at the head of an organization that oversees more than 1,200 clinicians serving over 550,000 Kaiser Permanente members across Washington state.

Ahn succeeds interim leader Dorian Reid, who held the role since September 2025

Dr. Ahn takes over an independent, physician-owned medical group that works exclusively with Kaiser Permanente to deliver care in the region. The leadership transition closes a one-year interim period under Dorian Reid, MD.