5 Things That Will Be As Common As Starbucks in 2028
Let’s start here…Once upon a time, healthcare was America’s most recession-proof industry.
Hospitals were economic anchors. Careers were stable. Growth was inevitable. That era is over.
Today, the future belongs to energy, not healthcare. As AI advances, inefficiencies are being exposed—and eliminated. Patients are choosing faster, smarter, tech-enabled alternatives. A once untouchable industry is now quietly unraveling.
So, what happened?
In China, over 1,700 Internet Hospitals offer diagnostics, prescriptions, and follow-up care without a single physical visit. They’ve already launched a fully AI-powered hospital delivering care to 10,000 patients per day—without human physicians leading the process.
Meanwhile, in the U.S., hospitals navigate 600–800 federal regulations—with more added each year. Up to 25 cents of every patient dollar goes to compliance, not care.
While U.S. healthcare leaders conference it up—posting feel-good culture quotes and swapping titles in the name of patient care—we’re stuck in a cycle of performance over progress.
We debate the patient experience, redesign leadership models, and chase new metrics that no insurer will fully cover and no patient can afford. It’s painting by numbers. Meanwhile, China is painting like Da Vinci —bold, inventive, and already delivering care with AI hospitals and digital-first systems. If we don’t stop talking and start building, we won’t just fall behind—we’ll become irrelevant.
We’re on horseback chasing a rocket and believe we can catch up.
“Faster, better, smarter” isn’t a slogan—it’s survival. The future isn’t waiting for your next committee meeting. It’s already moving. Globally.
After 20 years recruiting across urban, rural, and tech-enabled healthcare, I—and many others—am not looking for another roundtable, conference, keynote speaker, accolade, performative LinkedIn post, or committee.
We’re looking for bold, broad-stroke leadership. If we want to keep talent in healthcare, we need to be worthy of the ask beyond the nobility of the objective.
If we want to stay relevant—whether in healthcare, energy, or leadership—we have to accept this reality:
Understanding how far behind we are is the first step toward catching up.
Here are 15 things that will be as common as Starbucks by 2028
1. The Most Famous “People” Will Be AI—and Owned
Your favorite influencer or artist might not have a pulse. AI influencers, speakers, and executives will top brand deals, keynote stages, and media coverage—controlled by a holding company or private equity firm. Personalities will be built, monetized, and licensed like software.
2. Education Will Be Personal and AI-Tutored
Your child will learn from an AI that adapts in real time to their pace, mood, and curiosity. Schools that don’t integrate this shift will become obsolete—fast.
3. Half of All Meetings Will Include a Non-Human Attendee
Call it your “AI project manager,” “HR shadow,” or “Chief Memory Officer”—but a bot will be present, tracking action items, generating summaries, and analyzing tone. Ignore it at your own peril.
4. You’ll Work Alongside Agents—Not Just Employees
The biggest work shift won’t be remote—it’ll be relational. By 2028, top performers will use AI agents to field emails, book meetings, do deep research, and even negotiate deals. If you're not using one, you're behind.
5. Performance Reviews Will Be Replaced by Data Dashboards
Your productivity will be tracked in real time. Not by a manager, but by analytics software that measures output, patterns, and behavior. "Feedback" will come in graphs—often before you even know you’re underperforming. The annual evaluation process will be as antiquated as writing a check.
6. You'll Need an AI Resume
Just like LinkedIn changed hiring, your personal AI profile—skills, decision patterns, problem-solving models—will be what gets you hired. Paper resumes? Dead.
7. Burnout Will Be Treated Like a System Error
Wellness won’t be optional—it’ll be engineered. Companies will proactively "pause" high performers, reroute projects, or adjust you workload based on AI stress signals. HR won't ask how you're doing. Your wearables will tell them. (Which pivots into the future of HR).
8. Leaders Will Be Defined by Their Ability to Curate, Not Create
The most powerful executives will no longer write, code, or build from scratch—they’ll select and refine outputs from multiple AIs. Creativity shifts from maker to editor.
9. China Will Leapfrog the U.S. in Healthcare —Powered by AI
While America debates regulation, China will operate fully AI-integrated hospitals with diagnostics, pharmacy bots, surgical precision, and patient data unified into a single platform. Rural care? Covered. Preventive care? Modeled in real time.
10. AI-Powered Mobile Healthcare in Rural America
By 2028, robotic nurses, diagnostic drones, mobile surgical units, and AI-equipped healthcare vans will be as common in rural America as Starbucks is in the suburbs. Full-scale hospitals with a census of 10 or fewer will be phased out—not as a loss, but as a leap forward.
This isn’t about abandoning rural healthcare—it’s about reinventing it. The costly practice of building and subsidizing hospitals that serve a handful of patients per day will give way to agile, tech-enabled solutions that deliver faster, more accurate, and more accessible care.
Rural communities will gain access to the best healthcare this country has to offer. Thanks to AI, the future of care will be mobile, intelligent, and finally aligned with both fiscal logic and patient needs.
(EHang, a Chinese drone company, has received regulatory approval to operate autonomous flying ambulances—transporting patients using AI-driven aerial vehicles in partnership with regional hospitals, bringing patient care to the most rural parts of the interior of China.)
11. Concierge Elder Care Coordinators Will Be on Speed Dial
Just like families today have pediatricians and primary care doctors on call, by 2028, households will rely on concierge elder care coordinators to help navigate aging-in-place plans, medical care, housing transitions, and end-of-life decisions. Whether remote or in-home, this role will be as normalized—and as essential—as having a financial advisor. The demand for clarity, dignity, and strategy around elder care will only rise as boomers age and families juggle complex responsibilities.
12. Travel Will Be Smart, Seamless, and Personalized
Your travel agent will be AI. No more comparison shopping or gate changes—your preferences, time zones, and calendar will shape bookings automatically.
13. Micro-Communities Will Replace Traditional Neighborhood Models
By 2028, Americans will no longer be content with just sharing a zip code—they’ll want to belong. Expect to see intentional, values-aligned micro-communities formed around everything from wellness and remote work to sustainability and caregiving. These will be physical and virtual, blending shared resources, stronger safety nets, and co-living/co-working innovations. As loneliness and disconnect reach critical levels, community won't be optional—it’ll be engineered into how we live.
14. Daily Life Will Be Scripted by Your AI Agent
From scheduling workouts to meal planning, your personal agent will anticipate needs and eliminate mental fatigue. The cognitive load will shift—decisions will be recommended, not made from scratch.
15. Quiet People Will Win
In a world full of noise, the calmest, most disciplined thinkers—those who can delegate to AI, lead with clarity, and make sense of complexity—will become the rarest and most valuable leaders.
5 Ways to Pivot Today
Establish a Clear, Evolving AI Policy - Your team needs a crystal-clear, collaborative, and consistently updated AI policy—with established guardrails that support innovation and reduce risk.
Audit Your Tech Stack - Replace outdated, legacy systems with AI-powered tools that streamline operations and cut waste.
Leverage an AI Agent - Start using AI for admin tasks, scheduling, or inbox filtering—free up time and focus on strategy, not busywork.
Ditch Static Reviews - Replace traditional performance reviews with real-time metrics and dashboards that drive accountability and action.
Build Your Personal AI Profile - Document how you use AI in your work. Your next opportunity may hinge on it—especially in leadership, ops, and client-facing roles.
Closing Thought
This isn’t about tech—it’s about control. And we have agency (action, opportunity, execution) in how we adapt. I’m a wife, mother, and business owner in my 50s, and learning to leverage AI a little more each day isn’t optional—it’s essential.
Like learning a new language, committing to exercise, or staying hydrated—it’s now a discipline. A mindset. A best practice.
The next 36 months will define whether we’re using the tools—or being replaced by them. Your job isn’t to predict the future. It’s to prepare for it.
Take good care and have a strong week ahead.
Nicole Barbano
Founder | Hunter Ambrose International
Executive Coach | NicoleBarbano.com
800-410-4582 office Schedule a Meeting
