Cost Effectiveness & Efficiency

Patients who rely on California’s public health care systems need continued access to high-quality, equitable care and services. SNI’s member systems have long worked to sustain that access as core providers in the state’s safety net, aligning limited resources with patient priorities.

Today, that work is more challenging and urgent as systems navigate Medicaid funding reductions and rising operating costs, including supplies, medications, labor, technology, and infrastructure. At the same time, systems are caring for more patients with more complex health and social needs.

As these pressures intensify, cost effectiveness becomes even more important. It is not simply about reducing expenses; it means making careful decisions about where funding and capacity are focused. For public health care systems, that includes strengthening operations and directing resources toward efforts that sustain access, improve care, and deliver the greatest benefit for patients.

How SNI helps member systems improve cost effectiveness and efficiency

SNI helps member systems identify and implement strategies to improve cost-effectiveness and increase efficiency to support access, quality, and equity. As cost pressures grow, systems use these strategies to streamline workflows so operating funds and staff time go further.

We deliver this support through expert-led in-person convenings and virtual workshops with senior system leaders. These sessions give them a focused space to explore shared challenges, learn from one another and outside experts, and identify next steps they can adapt locally.

Our work focuses on:

  • Operational and strategic levers
  • Public hospital system context

Operational and strategic levers

SNI brings in outside subject matter experts with technical knowledge to help member systems examine specific operational areas where targeted changes can have a meaningful impact. Some of these areas of support include:

  • Optimizing revenue cycle performance 
  • Strengthening supply chain management 
  • Improving pharmacy governance 
  • Identifying clinic efficiency opportunities 
  • Improving hospital throughput
  • Advancing AI governance
  • Analyzing opportunities to enhance performance across departments and functions

Public health care system context

SNI pairs this outside subject matter expertise with our understanding of the financing, policy, and operational realities that member systems face. This helps ensure strategies to improve cost effectiveness and efficiency are relevant to their safety-net roles, patient populations, and resource constraints.