Merriam-Webster dictionary defines “Sunday scaries” as “a feeling of anxiety or sadness one may feel when the weekend is almost over, either because the work/school week is about to begin, there is no more time for fun or relaxing weekend activities, or both.”
But there’s something worse than the Sunday scaries: the end-of-year (EOY) scaries.
Especially in the healthcare provider space, where new regulations, code set changes, and the push to adopt artificial intelligence (AI) tools seem to hit all at once. And health tech and life sciences teams aren’t immune either; they’re racing to generate evidence faster and bring solutions to market before their competitors.
As the year winds down, we want to help you wind down too. To that end, we at IMO Health have created a list of resources to arm you with information to combat any Health IT-related EOY scaries. While we can’t absolve all your pending 2026 stressors, we hope we can make you feel better prepared for the year ahead. Throughout the blog, you’ll also see a few fun insights from our subject matter experts about how they handle their Sunday scaries.
USCDI V3 compliance is mandatory next year
V2 was optional, V3 is… not. This rundown of USCDI V3 gives you the what, why, and how – minus the anxiety – so you can roll into the new year ready, not rattled. And if you’re still unsure why this compliance matters so much, this insight brief outlines three risks of ignoring interoperability in 2026.
I take a few minutes to breathe deeply, review my calendar, and jot down notes on upcoming deadlines. Then, I let myself relax.
RADV audit acceleration and HCCs
If you’ve been hearing more about Risk Adjustment Data Validation (RADV) audits lately, it’s not just noise; the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) is ramping up its efforts. And with Hierarchical Condition Category (HCC) accuracy tied directly to financial outcomes, it’s worth making sure you’re not caught off guard. This blog breaks down what’s changing, what CMS is prioritizing, and the practical steps organizations can take now to avoid scrambling once 2026 hits. If you’d rather watch or listen to learn, check out our on-demand webinar on the subject.
When I have anxiety about something upcoming, like a new week or year, I try to focus on what I can control and prepare for that as much as I can. I also find it really helpful to practice Yoga Nidra the night before a big day/week/year or whatever is coming up.
High pressure on health tech and life sciences
Whether you’re developing new solutions, commercializing life-science innovations, or building the next generation of health tech, you know the pace isn’t slowing down. And 2026 comes with its own set of expectations: faster evidence generation, smarter data infrastructure, more scalable tools, and so forth.
- This blog on redefining evidence generation breaks down how life-science teams can streamline and scale evidence strategies — before the workload overwhelms you.
- And if your architecture is still stuck on legacy systems, our piece on terminology servers shows how standardized, high-quality clinical vocabulary can unlock smarter, faster insights across health tech and life sciences.
Something that helps with the Sunday scaries is cuddling with my cat and watching The Great British Bake Off.
OR documentation and scheduling
If you’re in the world of surgical scheduling or OR operations, you know how quickly things can get complicated when terminology isn’t aligned. A messy surgical dictionary can lead to duplicate procedures, miscommunication, and extra back-and-forth, especially heading into a new year. This overview explains why modernizing your surgical dictionary can streamline workflows, reduce confusion, and help your OR run more smoothly in 2026.
Hopefully, at this point in the article, you’re feeling a little lighter. If not, reach out to an IMO Health expert, and we’ll work with you to optimize your workflows and revenue for 2026 and beyond.
Now, this author is off to do her favorite anti-Sunday scaries tactic: Play Powerwash Simulator 2. (Yes, seriously.)
