Technology is disrupting nearly every industry, but its impact on healthcare is even more profound. With my experience in tech and payments, I’ve seen firsthand how far behind healthcare is in terms of data and automation, but also how transformative technology can be.

The pace of change is accelerating, with innovations and disruptions reshaping industries faster than ever. Leaders must not only anticipate these changes but also develop strategies to thrive in this evolving landscape. How are forward-thinking leaders preparing for the technologies and challenges of tomorrow? What strategies are they putting in place today to ensure success in the future? As part of this series, we are interviewing Heath Sampson.

Heath Sampson is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Modivcare, a technology enabled healthcare services company that provides a platform of integrated supportive care solutions focused on improving health outcomes. With over 30 years of leadership experience, Heath has a proven track record of driving transformation and growth. He joined Modivcare in February 2021 as Chief Financial Officer and played a pivotal role in the company’s focus on innovative healthcare solutions through supportive care services.

Prior to Modivcare, Heath served as the CEO of Advanced Emissions Solutions, Inc., where he led a significant turnaround. He has also held key leadership roles at Square Two Financial and First Data Corporation.

Can you share with us the backstory about what brought you to your specific career path?

Igrew up in Western Canada in a typical farming, blue-collar family. To escape the challenges around me, I committed myself to athletics — specifically hockey, which isn’t surprising in Canada. Hockey opened doors, allowing me to play at a higher level and surround myself with friends whose families were professionally driven. I was inspired by their ambition, which fueled my own desire to excel both as a student and an athlete.

I earned a scholarship to the University of Denver, initially aiming to become a surgeon. However, pre-med classes conflicted with my practice schedule, so I shifted to the top business program — accounting, earning both undergraduate and master’s degrees. This solid foundation propelled my career. I started out at a top accounting firm, then moved into business consulting, and later joined a large payments technology company in Denver, all driven by the goal of becoming a CFO — and eventually a CEO.

Although I hadn’t planned on healthcare, I had time to reflect after leaving my third CEO role in the industrial environmental space during COVID-19, and I realized I wanted not just to lead a company but to make a real impact. U.S. healthcare is an industry full of unmet needs, and my skills aligned with solving problems between payors and providers — specifically in healthcare services and technology.

That led me to Modivcare where I joined as CFO, then was fortunate to step into the CEO role a few years later. I couldn’t be prouder to lead a company focused on solving healthcare’s toughest challenges for the most vulnerable populations. It’s meaningful work, and I’m grateful to be part of it.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?

One of the most fascinating — and least understood — dynamics is the intense, high-stakes nature of public company boards. Most people assume that major corporate decisions are made through deep, ongoing collaboration between management and the board, but the reality is far from that.

In a public company, the board meets formally just once a quarter, often for only a day or two. These meetings are a sprint — dense with information, strategy debates, and crucial decisions that can reshape a company’s future. The pressure is immense, not just because of the stakes, but because of the people involved who are often high-performing, Type-A personalities with strong convictions and limited time to engage. In this environment, every word, every hesitation, and even body language can shift the course of a discussion and ultimately impact billions in shareholder value.

What makes it even more extraordinary is that these decisions on strategy, leadership, acquisitions, or existential risks are often made with surprisingly little direct interaction. The margin for misinterpretation is razor thin, and as an executive, you have a small window to shape perception, navigate personalities, and drive alignment while ensuring the company stays on course. It’s a level of intensity that few outside the boardroom ever truly appreciate.

What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?

Great companies excel in three critical areas: a strong strategy, a scalable operating model to execute that strategy, and a culture that aligns with both. At Modivcare, what sets us apart is how we integrate all three while staying deeply committed to our mission: helping people access the healthcare they need.

We provide essential services including getting people to medical appointments, monitoring them at home, and assisting with daily living needs. While not clinical, these services are critical to maintaining health and well-being. Our mission is clear and deeply meaningful, but as a public company, we also have to perform. That’s where strategy and execution come into play.

My motto is: there is no mission without margin, and no margin without mission. Our approach balances purpose with performance. We’ve built the largest and most scalable platforms in our space, but size alone isn’t enough. We pair our advanced technology with a high-performing team, a culture of accountability, and a data-driven operating model to ensure we consistently deliver results.

What differentiates Modivcare is our position in the healthcare ecosystem. We sit between payors and providers, in addition to having frequent and meaningful touchpoints with patients. This allows us to be proactive by driving better engagement, improved access, and ultimately lower costs and higher quality care. In an industry where efficiency, cost control, and patient satisfaction are paramount, our ability to influence all three makes us an essential partner in solving healthcare’s toughest challenges.

You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?

Most people talk about three key traits of great leaders, but I believe there are four fundamental categories that differentiate the truly exceptional from the moderately successful. Most people master one or two. Few master all four. These are:

1. Intrinsic Motivation & Driving Curiosity

Hard work alone isn’t enough. True success comes from relentless curiosity; the drive not just to execute but to improve, fix, and rethink how things are done. Many people hit a ceiling because they lack the drive to ask, “What if we did this better?” Since my first job, I’ve always gone beyond what was expected, constantly questioning, refining, and pushing for better outcomes. That intrinsic motivation is what separates those who just “do the job” from those who transform industries.

2. Exceptional Interpersonal Abilities (EQ)

EQ has become a buzzword in business over the last 20 years, but its impact is undeniable. Great leaders understand how to listen, empathize, and communicate with people in a way that drives alignment. Change, especially at scale, is 90% about people. Joining Modivcare, I walked into an organization with a strong mission but fractured operations. I first focused on cultural alignment to build trust, create clarity, and ensure people understood why changes were happening before touch structure or technology. Strategy is important, but if you can’t bring people along, you’ll fail.

3. Critical & Systems Thinking (IQ)

Most challenges in business aren’t isolated — they’re part of a system with cause-and-effect relationships. Seeing around corners, anticipating unintended consequences, and aligning moving parts are skills that set the best leaders apart. At Modivcare, improving operations wasn’t just about fixing one department. This project required optimizing an entire value chain to align technology, people, and processes that work together to drive efficiency. Without a systems-thinking approach, we would have tackled problems in silos and never seen the full impact.

4. Exceptional Competency in Your Craft

No matter your role, you need to operate at a high level of mastery. Accountants should be the best at both the academic and the practical application. CEOs should have deep expertise must be in strategy, team building, and execution. My ability to build teams has been a direct result of understanding what the business needs at each stage and ensuring we have the right people with the right skill sets. Execution at a high level requires both depth and breadth of knowledge, which is something too many people underestimate.

The most successful people aren’t just great at one thing — they’ve developed strengths across all four categories. Talent will only take you so far, hard work without curiosity plateaus, intelligence without EQ alienates, and leadership without deep competence crumbles. Mastering all four isn’t easy, but those who do end up shaping industries, not just working in them.

Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. What emerging technologies do you believe will have the most significant impact on your industry in the next five years, and how are you preparing for them?

Technology is disrupting nearly every industry, but its impact on healthcare is even more profound. With my experience in tech and payments, I’ve seen firsthand how far behind healthcare is in terms of data and automation, but also how transformative technology can be.

We’re at an inflection point with artificial intelligence (AI). Over the next five years, we’ll see major technological shifts around it that will reshape how care is delivered. This technology will support seamless integration across healthcare operations and power care delivery through real-time monitoring.

Intelligent Automation & AI-Driven Integration

AI allows us to remove the burden of extensive manual coding and disconnected workflows, creating seamless integration across healthcare operations. A prime example can be seen in revenue cycle management (RCM), where AI-powered automation not only helps streamline claims processing but can also leverage it to inform the broader patient care lifecycle.

This type of automation is critical for improving care coordination, particularly for high-cost, high-need populations like dual-eligible members in Medicare and Medicaid. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ (CMS) regulations now require better management of these populations, yet the biggest challenge is the lack of system connectivity. AI-driven automation can break down these silos to create an enhanced experience that improves member satisfaction and health outcomes, all while reducing costs. At Modivcare, we’re positioned to drive this transformation by digitizing processes, integrating data, and improving access across the healthcare ecosystem.

AI-Powered Care Delivery & Remote Monitoring

The second major shift is how AI and technology enhance care delivery, particularly in Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM). Optimal healthcare should be delivered in the right place, at the right time, and with the right level of intervention. At Modivcare, we are utilizing this technology in combination with real-time monitoring and national clinical oversight to create a hybrid digital-clinical model. By leveraging in-home and community-based devices with digital connections to clinical networks, we can monitor patients at varying levels of need ranging from low-risk individuals to high-acuity cases. AI enables predictive analytics that can signal intervention before costly health events can occur, reducing unnecessary ER visits.

This shift is about precision healthcare, leveraging data, automation, and virtual care to deliver better outcomes at lower costs. At Modivcare, we’re not just adopting these technologies — we’re building the infrastructure to make them a reality.

How do you balance the need for rapid innovation with the risk of potential disruptions in your organization?

The best way to navigate rapid shifts balancing innovation and its risk of disruption is through radical transparency. When employees understand where the organization is headed, they can prepare, adapt, and put their best foot forward to contribute to progress. No one is perfect at this, but what makes a meaningful difference is how people are treated during times of disruption. Ensuring that team members feel respected and have full visibility into the future of their role is important, and it’s essential to provide clear pathways for those who want to grow with the company. The key is identifying high performers with adaptable skill sets. These are the individuals who turn disruption into momentum.

Ultimately, disruption isn’t the enemy — stagnation is. The key is to build a culture where people see opportunity in change.

Can you share an example of a strategy you’ve implemented to future-proof your business against upcoming technological changes?

Future-proofing a business against technological change starts with a clear vision of where the industry is headed and what our customers will need. The key is recognizing that anything manual, fragmented, or not technologically integrated will be disrupted — it’s not a matter of if, but when.

Modivcare’s strategy is built around automating everything behind the high-touch interactions we have with members. While our personal, in-home care, and transportation services require human engagement, the processes that support those interactions should be fully automated and seamlessly integrated across systems. That’s why we’ve invested in building a data-driven, AI-oriented workforce that can embed technology into every aspect of our operations.

A prime example of this strategy is our evolution within Medicare Advantage (MA). Supplemental benefits are undergoing a transformation, and while changes will ebb and flow, it’s certain that benefits must be connected to real clinical outcomes to drive long-term value. In our remote monitoring division, we are leveraging technology, automation, and clinical oversight to bridge the gap between supplemental benefits and direct impact on clinical outcomes. This not only enhances patient care but also positions us within the Medical Loss Ratio (MLR) framework, unlocking an entirely new revenue stream.

By embedding technology at the core of our operations and strategically aligning with industry shifts, we are not just adapting to change — we are driving it.

What skills or mindsets do you believe are essential for leaders to thrive in an era of rapid technological advancement?

The biggest mistake I see, even among highly successful professionals, is allowing legacy experience to turn into bias. Too many people assume that because they’ve mastered a function, whether it’s sales, finance, or operations, they’re immune to technology’s impact on their role. That mindset is a liability. Leaders today need discipline and foresight to continuously reassess how technology can impact their own function and skill set, as well as the industry overall. Technological innovation touches every part of a business and will redefine how work gets done. The leaders who embrace this reality and proactively integrate technology into their strategy will stay ahead. The ones who resist will fall behind.

The key is not just adopting new technology but understanding how to harness it to drive outcomes. Being functionally excellent isn’t enough anymore, so the most successful leaders are the ones who stay curious, challenge assumptions, and rethink how their industries operate in a tech-driven world.

What are your “Five Things You Need to Prepare For The Disruptive Future”? If you can, please share a story or an example for each.

1. Recognizing AI as a Co-Pilot: AI will move beyond automation to become an active partner in decision-making and execution. In order to prepare for this, organizations must build AI into their core workflows and train employees on how to collaborate with AI, not just use it as a productivity tool.

In healthcare services, AI will predict patient needs, optimize scheduling, and automate compliance processes, significantly reducing administrative burden. Case managers, for example, will shift from manually coordinating care to overseeing AI-driven care plans that dynamically adjust based on real-time patient data.

2. Harnessing the Power of Autonomous Workflows: With the adoption of advanced technology, we’ll be able to orchestrate entire workflows across multiple departments, eliminating manual handoffs, redundant approvals, and slow decision-making. Healthcare organizations must embrace advanced care delivery models and shift resources toward supporting virtual and in-home services rather than just scaling traditional service delivery.

In non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT), many of the trips Modivcare provides today may not be necessary in the future. As healthcare shifts to virtual and in-home care models, remote monitoring and digital therapeutics will reduce the need for in-person facility visits. Today, we transport patients to facilities to receive medication-assisted treatment for substance abuse, but with advanced technology driving remote care, they’ll be able to receive treatment at home in a safe, compliant manner.

3. Adopting AI-Driven Personalization: Organizations need to invest in AI-driven workforce management tools that help employees spend less time on repetitive work and more time on complex problem solving and relationship-driven tasks. We’ll see an increase in organizations leveraging AI-driven platforms to prioritize emails, schedule meetings, and even create customized daily work plans based on performance data, ensuring employees focus on high-value activities instead of administrative noise.

4. Combining AI-Generated Knowledge with Traditional Expertise: As AI models advance and become more specialized in certain areas of expertise, we’ll see more reliance on this technology to synthesize and deliver knowledge in real time, reducing reliance on human experience and static expertise. Instead of learning best practices from experience, employees will rely on AI to provide instant insights, benchmarks, and recommendations. With this adoption, leaders must upgrade the approach to hiring and training, examining qualifications to ensure skills in critical thinking and adaptability are prioritized.

AI-driven decision engines will flag risk factors in patient populations, suggest optimal intervention strategies, and proactively recommend healthcare service adjustments — all in real time, without requiring years of human experience.

5. Human Creativity & Complex Decision-Making Will Become the Differentiator

As organizations integrate AI to increasingly manage analytical work, human value will shift toward creativity, strategic thinking, and ethical decision-making. The most valuable employees will be those who can apply AI insights in innovative ways rather than just following predefined processes. To prepare for this, companies must develop a culture of innovation and adaptability, ensuring teams are trained not just on how to use the technology, but also on how to apply its insights to drive better outcomes.

In healthcare, AI will automate diagnostics, treatment recommendations, and administrative workflows, but the role of doctors, care coordinators, and healthcare leaders will be to interpret AI-driven insights, navigate patient complexities, and ensure ethical care decisions.

Advancements in AI are redefining business operations, service deliveries, and the work that employees do. For companies like Modivcare, the shift surpasses automation to embrace new models of care to reduce unnecessary friction in healthcare services and enable better access to lower costs.

How do you foster a culture within your team that is both adaptable and resilient in the face of fast-paced innovation?

Fostering a culture of adaptability and resilience starts with radical transparency and a clear vision for the future. Here’s how you build it:

1. Transparency & Clarity — People need to know where we are today, where we’re going, and what it means for them. The more frequent and actionable the communication, the less room there is for fear or resistance.
2. Bringing People Along the Journey — It’s not enough to communicate change. When employees see how their work contributes to progress, they become invested in the transformation.
3. Ensuring the Right People Are on the Team — Not everyone is wired for rapid change, and that’s okay. But in a high-growth, AI-driven environment, we need people who are willing to adapt, embrace uncertainty, and push forward.

At Modivcare, our work requires a culture where change is embraced. The companies that thrive in disruption aren’t the ones that avoid change, but the ones that embrace it with clarity, confidence, and purpose.

How do you ensure that ethical considerations and social impact remain a priority as you navigate rapid advancements in technology?

The narrative around emerging technologies often assumes that it’s inherently harmful, but that oversimplification ignores the real issue: it’s not technology itself, but how we apply it that determines its impact.

To approach technology advancement ethically, it’s crucial to balance efficiency with effectiveness. AI and automation should enhance outcomes, not just cut costs. For example, using AI in healthcare to streamline processes must also improve patient care, not just reduce administrative work. It’s also necessary to apply systems thinking to anticipate impact. Every technological shift has ripple effects. Leaders need to go beyond surface-level benefits and consider all consequences, including who is impacted, what changes downstream, and how to mitigate potential harm.

Ethical AI isn’t about avoiding disruption; it’s about being complete in understanding its impact and proactively addressing risks. Additionally, there’s a need to manage near-term disruptions while preparing for the future. AI will inevitably eliminate certain jobs, but resisting change does a disservice to both individuals and society. Instead, we must help displaced workers transition while ensuring that the workforce is developing the skills needed for where we’re going, not where we’ve been. Lastly, companies shouldn’t wait for regulators or backlash to dictate ethical practices. We must proactively define clear, thoughtful frameworks for how AI and automation are deployed, ensuring they serve both business objectives and societal well-being.

The ethical path isn’t to resist technological progress, but instead to implement it responsibly, transparently, and with foresight. At Modivcare, we don’t just ask, “Can we do this?” We ask, “Should we — and if so, how do we do it in a way that benefits people, not just the bottom line?” That’s the mindset every organization needs as we navigate this next wave of disruption.

You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)

My movement would focus on leveraging emerging technologies including AI to close the opportunity and wealth gap, not by replacing workers, but by empowering them. The U.S. and other Western economies are experiencing a growing divide in opportunity. Technology is now often viewed as a threat to entry-level jobs, but I believe it can be the great equalizer that brings people access to knowledge, tools, and efficiencies. When embraced it allows them to do more, create more value, and, in turn, earn more.

Take our Personal Care business as an example. Today, mission-driven caregivers provide essential daily living support — helping people bathe, prepare meals, and manage basic needs. These jobs are critical but historically undervalued. However, with the right technology, these same caregivers could also capture health data, conduct basic assessments, and extend clinical reach with AI-driven support from nurses and doctors.

This shift doesn’t just improve care and outcomes — it elevates these workers from being viewed as entry-level labor to being essential healthcare contributors. It increases their skills, their earning potential, and their economic mobility. Technology can bridge the health gap, rather than widen it. The movement I’d start is about using AI to democratize expertise, giving people at all levels the tools to become more valuable, more skilled, and more empowered. That’s the kind of transformation that benefits both individuals and society as a whole.

Thank you for the time you spent sharing these fantastic insights. We wish you only continued success in your great work!