• California/New Jersey: Samsung has announced a new partnership with virtual care provider HealthTap. Through the partnership, the companies will add HealthTap's virtual urgent and primary care services to the Samsung Health app, allowing users to book, conduct, and follow up on virtual care consultations through the app. HealthTap clinicians will also be able to access data from patients' wearables. Previously, HealthTap partnered with Amazon as part of the company's virtual third-party telemedicine storefront, but that partnership has since ended. The current partnership with Samsung is HealthTap's first in-app experience with a third-party consumer platform. According to Modern Healthcare, the partnership with HealthTap expands Samsung's efforts to combine its wearables data with clinical data. In June, Samsung announced plans to develop a hub where users could share their health data directly with doctors between visits, and in October, the company acquired health data company Xealth for roughly $115 million. (Perna, Modern Healthcare, 10/28)
• New York: Steven Corwin, president and CEO of NewYork-Presbyterian, will step down from his role, effective Jan. 22. Corwin has led the organization since 2011, and under his leadership, the health system doubled in size to 10 hospitals and almost 200 primary and specialty care clinics.  "Serving as President and CEO of NewYork-Presbyterian has been the privilege of my lifetime," Corwin said. "From my earliest days as a medical resident at Columbia to leading this extraordinary institution, I have been inspired by our mission to provide the very best care to every patient." Brian Donley, the health system's current EVP and COO, will succeed Corwin. "It's an honor and privilege to have the opportunity to lead this extraordinary institution, which is recognized around the world for its exceptional clinical care, pioneering research, and commitment to educating the next generation of healthcare leaders," Donley said. "I understand the long history of NewYork-Presbyterian's impact on our city and our country, and I am committed to enhancing that impact and building on Steve's remarkable legacy of delivering world-class care and improving the health of our communities." (DeSilva, Modern Healthcare, 10/24; Southwick, Chief Healthcare Executive, 10/27)
• Texas: Kimberly-Clark, a consumer products giant that owns Kleenex and Huggies, has agreed to acquire Tylenol maker Kenvue in a deal worth roughly $40 billion. Kenvue was originally part of Johnson & Johnson before being spun off into a standalone company in 2023. Recently, Kenvue has gained increased attention due to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. linking Tylenol use during pregnancy with autism — a claim the company has pushed back on. Under the deal, Kimberly-Clark has agreed to pay a total of $21.01 per share, including cash and stock. The deal is worth roughly $40.3 billion, with a total "enterprise value" of $48.7 billion. According to Kimberly-Clark CEO Mike Hsu, the company's board had "multiple sessions" with "the world's foremost scientific, medical, regulatory, and legal experts" before agreeing to the acquisition and "the work affirmed that this is a generational value creation opportunity for both companies." The deal between the two companies is expected to close in the second half of 2026 following approvals from both shareholders and regulators. (Hirsch/Robbins, New York Times, 11/3; Berkowitz, Axios, 11/3)

Vertical integration and consolidation are significantly altering the healthcare landscape. From health plans to retailers to incumbent health systems, consolidation is reshaping conventional norms in the industry.

In this episode, host Rachel (Rae) Woods speaks with Advisory Board experts Paul Trigonoplos and Eliza Dailey about the reasons for and reactions to the recent explosion in consolidation across the industry. Throughout the discussion, they explore how different stakeholders are responding, and where the future is heading for diversification and integration.