Stop Buying Access: What We Discussed at BHT 2026

Access matters. But a referral, a directory listing, or even a scheduled appointment doesn't tell the whole story.

At BHT 2026, Tava Health Co-founder and CTO Spence Gardner joined Cara McNulty, Dr. Stuart Lustig, and Kathleen Mahieu for a conversation about what comes next: how health plans, EAPs, and care-navigation teams can make the journey from referral to care more visible, actionable, and human.

The panel’s central idea was simple: access isn't the definition of success.

A few takeaways:

• Measure the journey, not just the front door. Look beyond network size and appointment availability to milestones like intake, attendance, continuity, member experience, and clinically appropriate outcomes.
• Turn data into action. Useful visibility should answer three questions: Where is the member now? What is blocking progress? Who owns the next step?
• Design for follow-through. The right technology can reduce friction for members, providers, and care teams while fitting existing workflows and preserving the partner’s trusted relationship.
• Use AI where it helps and keep people accountable. Practical use cases may support documentation, quality review, or workflow intelligence. Clinical interpretation, care decisions, and follow-up remain human responsibilities.

The goal is to help two teams stay focused on one member with fewer gaps along the way.

Watch the full panel to hear the conversation

Read more on going beyond access.