The 2025 Digital Health Agenda: Overcoming Workforce Shortages and Scaling Access to Care

Digital health companies in 2025 face significant challenges, including regulatory compliance, workforce expansion, and insurance coverage for virtual care. To thrive, they must integrate AI with human-centered design, ensure clinical rigor, form strategic partnerships, and deliver measurable outcomes. Balancing innovation with patient trust and operational efficiency is crucial.

To help better understand these challenges -- and the necessary ingredients for success -- for companies in the digital health/health innovation space, I took the opportunity to ask eight CEOs for their thoughts. And to make this exercise even richer, I also asked digital health expert and pioneer, Zac Jiwa , to provide opening thoughts, and close friends/digital health leads at Real Chemistry, Daniel Carter and Jennifer Signorini , to provide their macro view of the industry.

Zac Jiwa, Healthcare Innovation & Transformation Leader

With over 25 years driving healthcare innovation—from founding MI7, a transformative API platform for clinical data exchange, to shaping Healthcare.gov at HHS and leading AI initiatives at Olive AI—I’ve consistently bridged technology and healthcare. Though not currently a principal at one company, my career reflects a relentless pursuit of solutions that empower the industry. At MI7, we streamlined data for digital health, health systems, and payers, a mission born from my stints at startups, government, and Microsoft.

Looking to 2025, I foresee a seismic challenge: technology’s rapid evolution—think AI personalization and precision therapies—will dizzy an industry lagging 10–20 years behind. Agile disruptors will outpace legacy players, especially as Trump-era policies redirect focus. Innovators at this crossroads, wielding tech agility and policy acumen, will seize opportunities amidst the chaos.

To not just survive but thrive, digital health companies must master AI-driven personalization, like OpenAI-powered assistants or Tempus’s drug therapies, alongside seamless data integration. Real-time analytics, payer-provider alliances, and patient-centric trust via transparency and security are non-negotiable. As costs rise and regulations shift, those who blend these elements will lead healthcare’s future.

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Lisa Rometty, CEO, Zerigo Health

Company Overview

Zerigo Health is a value-based, virtual-first platform that provides access to home phototherapy to heal chronic skin conditions at a fraction of the cost of other treatments.?

Biggest Challenge

Ensuring our team remains focused on the priorities that matter most.? It’s easy for innovators to create lots of ideas.? It’s not so easy to turn ideas into tangible value with limited resources. For a rapidly growing company like ours, we keep our mission at the forefront to guide our priorities and embrace a growth culture that knows how to test and learn quickly so we create durable value.

What’s needed in 2025 to thrive?

Balancing bold pursuit of mission with profitable scale.? We all know the days of “growing at any cost” are in the past.? Today’s CEO’s must forge a path that not only courageously challenges the current antiquated health care status quo, but also scrutinizes ?“how” ?best to scale their innovation. ?For me, that means ruthlessly prioritizing technology, talent and empowering our team to say “no” or “not now” often to maintain focus to thrive in 2025

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Ellen DaSilva, Founder & CEO, Summer Health

Company Overview

Summer Health offers virtual on-demand pediatric care? 24/7 in 15 minutes or less for kids ages 0-18 for urgent or developmental needs.

Biggest Challenge

Getting health insurance plan coverage for virtual-only care is tough. This fact, coupled with budget cuts in Medicaid and uncertainty around government spending, will make it even harder to drive growth in 2025.

What’s needed in 2025 to thrive?

To offer a genuinely differentiated product with demonstrable and measurable outcomes is critical to success in 2025. In addition, companies have to focus on a user experience that people really seek rather than a confusing, clunky journey to get care.

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David Benshoof Klein, CEO, Click Therapeutics

Company Overview

Click Therapeutics develops, validates, and commercializes software as prescription medical treatments as both prescription digital therapeutics and software-enhanced drugTM therapies for people with unmet medical needs.

Biggest Challenge

Gaps in clinical rigor are still prevalent in the industry. We must prioritize developing digital therapeutics with the level of quality and rigor expected of new medicines. By designing and developing solutions that drive clinically meaningful outcomes, we can accelerate buy-in from the broader healthcare industry and increase access to care.?

What’s needed in 2025 to thrive?

Strong results and an emphasis on personalization of treatments will be key in 2025. Stakeholders need to embrace opportunities for collaboration that enable more patient-centric solutions. Software-enhanced drug therapies, which combine software with pharmacotherapy, can improve patient outcomes while providing a level of personalization that has not been achieved before. If we are to thrive, we need to explore new treatment

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Stephen Smith, Co-founder & CEO, NOCD

Company Overview

NOCD provides online specialty therapy for people who suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and related conditions. More than 155 million Americans can access NOCD Therapy as a covered benefit today.

Biggest Challenge

The biggest challenge my team and I expect to face in 2025 is scaling additional services for the OCD community, to augment NOCD Therapy for higher-acuity members. Today, we refer people out for medication management and intensive therapy, although some of these members could be treated at NOCD in a virtual setting. We are in the process of launching virtual med management and intensive therapy services for that reason.

What’s needed in 2025 to thrive?

There’s a high amount of minimum fixed costs needed to successfully manage a digital health company at scale, especially in specialty behavioral healthcare. Therefore, the best companies in 2025 must be able to generate enough scale to earn the margin needed to cover all of their operational costs, while holding them flat and driving strong clinical quality. At NOCD, we’ve been able to successfully scale given our unique community enrollment model and long-time R&D investments. I predict digital health companies that have done the same will be able to obtain the resources needed to help significantly more people in their target market over the next decade.

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Zachary Fleitman, CEO, WorkUp

Company Overview

WorkUp is an AI tool that captures and maintains relationships with clinical talent in order to fill high-need roles and reduce spend on agencies and travelers.

Biggest Challenge

The persistence required to partner with healthcare operational leaders. Leaders have shrinking budgets and a long list of critical challenges. Priorities shift frequently so maintaining momentum while your problem is deprioritized will make or break long sales & implementation cycles. Pain points, like talent shortages, affect dozens of departments and those impacted most acutely (clinicians) may not be your buyers (HR). Coordinating champions, buyers, IT, etc through purchasing and implementation is a trial by fire.

What’s needed in 2025 to thrive?

Operational budgets will continue to tighten. Your solution must allow partners to do more with less (budget & time). It is necessary to maintain a deep understanding of your champions’ AND buyers’ priorities. You must actively be addressing a top three priority, or, be a KEY reason your problem area is not a priority. You must deliver a quantifiable impact that empowers your stakeholders to look like heroes for partnering with you.

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Manal Habib, CEO & Founder, MightyFly

Company Overview

MightyFly is a logistics service provider focused on expedited logistics via its autonomous hybrid eVTOL aircraft for cargo deliveries. MightyFly provides deliveries for businesses?and governments for both mid-mile and last-mile logistics?up to 600 in ranges and 500 pounds in cargo.

Biggest Challenge

In 2025, we have the ambitious?plan to launch two deployments, one in California and one in Michigan, and to kick start the development of scaled manufacturing. 2025 is projected to be a very busy year for MightyFly.?

What’s needed in 2025 to thrive?

In order to thrive in 2025, a health innovation company will need to pioneer the creation and usage of technologies beyond the limits of healthcare and into crucial services for its existence, such as logistics and transportation. MightyFly can support those efforts via its expedited point-to-point delivery services. MightyFly's autonomous hybrid eVTOL cargo aircraft can provide faster, affordable and efficient logistics to support critical healthcare operations.

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Max Mamoyco, Founder & CEO, Nozomi

Company Overview

Nozomi is a Digital Health Product Studio that helps healthcare companies to design and develop engaging digital products driving patient outcomes.

Biggest Challenge

The biggest challenge will be balancing AI-driven innovation with regulatory compliance and patient trust. As AI becomes more integrated into healthcare, ensuring transparency, data security, and ethical use will be critical. Companies will need to navigate evolving regulations like HIPAA and GDPR while maintaining seamless, engaging user experiences. Additionally, the rise of healthcare consumerism will demand more personalized, accessible, and emotionally supportive digital health solutions.

What’s needed in 2025 to thrive?

To thrive, digital health companies must combine AI-driven efficiency with human-centered design. Success will require a strong focus on interoperability, compliance, and patient engagement. Companies that create intuitive, emotionally resonant experiences while proving measurable outcomes will stand out. Additionally, forming strategic partnerships—across providers, payers, and tech innovators—will be key to scaling solutions and staying ahead of regulatory shifts. Those who prioritize trust, transparency, and usability will lead the future of digital health.

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Milan Thakor, Co-founder & CEO, Colla Health?

Company Overview

Colla Health partners with oncology providers to fill critical gaps in dealing with the mental and physical health impact of cancer.

Biggest Challenge

Our biggest challenge in 2025 will be growing our nationwide clinical workforce and equipping them with the technology needed to scale access to care. Amid staffing shortages, we must continue expanding clinical teams to uphold the gold standard of evidence-based care. At the same time, leveraging technology will allow us to serve significantly more patients and enable our clinicians to work at the top of their license.

What’s needed in 2025 to thrive?

A clear perspective on reimbursement evolution will be crucial as payors assess the outcomes of new clinical-technology hybrid services. While Alternative Payment Models (APMs) have been slow to gain traction in oncology, the rapid adoption of technology and AI is changing the landscape. Demonstrating the value these innovations provide to providers and patients—while reducing costs—will be key for payors looking to make a meaningful impact on their oncology spend and critically improved patient care and access.

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Dan Carter, Practice Leader + Jen Signorini, Managing Director, Real Chemistry

Company Overview

Real Chemistry is an AI-powered, idea-driven, and impact-obsessed integrated communications agency dedicated exclusively to healthcare. We specialize in partnering with companies across the digital health, health technology, med-tech, and health services sectors. By leveraging cutting-edge AI and innovative strategies, we help our clients navigate the complex healthcare landscape, amplify their impact, and drive meaningful change in the industry.?

Biggest Challenge

The healthcare sector is currently experiencing a wave of uncertainty, driven by changes within key regulatory organizations like the HHS, FDA, and NIH. For those reliant on the FDA for approvals and clearances of medical devices and digital therapeutics, this can mean prolonged wait times and evolving requirements. Staffing changes and regulatory adjustments further compound these challenges, creating an unpredictable environment for approval processes.?

What’s needed in 2025 to thrive?

Despite the dynamic landscape, there is opportunity for digital health companies to not only survive but thrive in 2025, driven by emerging trends and shifting national priorities. ??

• Prevention as a Priority: The national conversation is increasingly focused on prevention, aligning with the current administration's commitment to enhancing public health. With chronic diseases like obesity affecting half of Americans and a mental health crisis on the rise, there's a growing recognition that innovative solutions are needed to reverse these trends. This environment is ideal for the rise of digital health platforms that support weight loss and mental health, as well as the integration of food as a crucial component of health.
• Opportunities Beyond Regulation: Digital Health companies need to focus on gaps in care and how they can fill those needs given the likely lack of resources and funding at the federal level. Also, businesses that operate with less regulatory dependency are well-positioned to make significant impacts by directly reaching patients. Although traditional telehealth saw a decline post-COVID, a new wave of virtual care offerings and non-regulated products is emerging. Women's health, including menopause, has gained mainstream attention and the femtech space is rapidly evolving.??
• AI's Transformative Potential:With all of the proposed cuts coming at the federal level, the opportunity around AI and healthcare is more uncertain as there could be a lack of investment in innovation. For companies in the AI healthcare space, there will be more pressure to address real-world problems and clearly demonstrate measurable outcomes. We anticipate a reduction in the number of startups, alongside potential acquisitions of robust AI-driven digital health firms and technology leaders leveraging AI as a core component to solve complex healthcare challenges.?

A big "thank you" to friends Lee Shapiro, Greg Rudin and Jesse Draper for helping me ID some of the right execs. I'd also be remiss if I didn't recognize Max Mamoyco who was the impetus for me doing this "state of the state" article.