The deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare offers transformative potential for addressing global disparities, yet emerging startups confront substantial economic, regulatory, and operational hurdles. This analysis synthesizes evidence from peer-reviewed literature and policy reports, emphasizing issues such as eroding competitive moats, data fragmentation, regulatory complexities, clinician disengagement, value demonstration gaps, reimbursement uncertainties, and liability perceptions. With health tech investments reaching $29.1 billion in 2021, understanding these barriers is vital for fostering innovation (Chakraborty et al., 2023). Recommendations focus on strategic imperatives for startups to achieve sustainable integration. To capitalize on AI's potential, startups should prioritize interdisciplinary teams that blend technical expertise with domain knowledge in healthcare, enabling proactive barrier navigation and fostering resilient innovation ecosystems. 

As the U.S. healthcare system continues to shift toward value-based care, hospitals are increasingly called upon to address social determinants of health (SDOH) through strategic community partnerships. This paper explores how healthcare administrators can lead sustainable collaborations with public health agencies, nonprofits, and local organizations to reduce disparities, improve outcomes, and manage population health more effectively. Drawing from real-world examples in food insecurity, housing support, and preventive care, and framed by implementation challenges and policy implications, this paper offers a strategic roadmap for integrating community engagement into hospital operations.  

The findings highlight the tangible benefits of these partnerships, including reduced hospital readmissions, improved chronic disease outcomes, and enhanced trust in care delivery systems. This paper underscores the evolving role of hospital leadership in advancing health equity, expanding access to essential services, and aligning care delivery with long-term population health goals.