Healthcare Service Management: We Can Do Better

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Positive Change is on the Horizon

Something really stood out for me in 2025: in general, service operations are undergoing a shift—in many industries. In Healthcare and HealthTech, it’s long overdue.

Admittedly, this observation is due to my employer’s historical focus and success in this industry. I.e., I talk to a lot of Atlassian customers in healthcare.

Teams are being asked to do more, deliver faster, and demonstrate impact more clearly than ever.

But in many cases, they’re still relying on tools and workflows built for a different era.

I’m seeing:

• A move away from monolithic service management platforms toward modular, cloud-native systems

• Rising expectations around the service experience—both for internal stakeholders and patients

• Pressure to improve visibility and accountability across functions

• Greater scrutiny around governance, compliance, and audit readiness

I recently read an article in HealthTech Magazine that framed ITSM as foundational to care continuity—not just infrastructure uptime. That stuck with me. It’s a reminder that operational excellence is directly tied to clinical outcomes.

These forces are colliding in ways that make the old ways of working unsustainable.

I think this is why I’m seeing more organizations embrace a CSX—Customer Service eXperience—approach. The CSX mindset emphasizes breaking down silos between ITSM, ESM, and CSM; and it shifts the focus from internal service management metrics to the actual experience of service recipients, measured by outcomes like CSAT and NPS.

It echoes what I’ve seen in broader healthcare trends too. Deloitte’s 2024 outlook on healthcare tech transformation emphasized that digital operations—not just digital care—are critical to improving outcomes and reducing burnout.

If you’re managing support in a regulated healthcare environment, you’ve likely felt this firsthand. Disconnected tools. Tribal knowledge. Ticket queues that grow faster than your team can resolve them.

That gap—between what’s possible and what’s real—is why we need to rethink how we deliver service.

From Theory to Action

From my perspective, the Atlassian Service Collection is a major step in the right direction. It unifies the core service apps on Atlassian Cloud—including Jira Service Management, the new Customer Service Management app, Assets, and AI-powered Rovo agents—so teams can deliver more connected, responsive, and measurable service experiences across both internal and external stakeholders.

I’m also seeing that success isn’t about the tools—it’s about using the platform as a platform, paired with smart patterns and proven approaches.

Scott Checkoway’s story is a great example. He's the CIO at DentalXChange and he shared how moving to Atlassian Cloud helped him escape rigid legacy systems. He had the vision to modernize service delivery across multiple teams—and made it happen.

But here’s what I keep thinking: current approaches to making those changes take too long.

Healthcare teams don’t have six months to roll out new tools. They need outcomes in weeks. TopDesk recently published a piece on ITSM in healthcare, calling out the operational drag created by rigid processes and siloed tooling. It’s a familiar story—and it’s exactly why speed and adaptability matter so much.

And that means we need service management approaches that are:

• Composable (not one-size-fits-all)

• Cloud-native and easy to govern

• Grounded in healthcare workflows and compliance realities

The building blocks are available. What we need (in my opinion) is better delivery, extensibility, and smarter integration.

You’re Not Alone

I’ve been encouraged by the growing number of discussions about healthcare in the Atlassian Community. For example, this recent SLA-focused post explored how clinical teams frame SLAs—not just as metrics, but as obligations tied to patient care.

And public sector orgs like the California Department of Health Care Services are showing what’s possible: faster delivery, lower costs, and improved transparency—all on Atlassian Cloud.

I’ve also seen coverage in industry forums about healthcare providers struggling to unify EHR, IT support, and admin functions under one service model. Integration is still a major hurdle—even when the tools are in place.

We’re not just talking theory anymore. This is what modern healthcare service delivery looks like.

Let’s Talk Shop

If you’re a Healthcare or HealthTech service management leader using (or considering) Atlassian Cloud, I’d love to hear from you:

• What service management challenges are you facing?

• Have you found ways to accelerate time-to-value without sacrificing quality?

• Are you experimenting with Marketplace apps or automation to close gaps?

• What’s the most important outcome your service team is accountable for?

Drop your thoughts in the comments, or tag someone who’s thinking about this too.

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By the way, I am the the founder of the virtual Atlassian Community Events chapter, CSX Masters (formerly ITSM/ESM Masters). Maybe you'd like to "Join," and be part of our 2026 online meetups.