Las Vegas turned into the global epicenter of healthcare technology from March 9th to 12th, as HIMSS26 Global Conference & Exhibition took over the Venetian Convention & Expo Center.
Over 30,000+ attendees from 80+ countries, clinicians, policymakers, founders, and tech leaders, came together under one roof. Alongside them were 1,000+ exhibitors and 600+ sessions, making it one of the largest healthcare technology events globally.
Beyond the scale, this year felt different. Across HIMSS26 sessions and conversations, we saw healthtech evolve from what’s possible to what’s actually working.
A kickoff that set the tone
The week started with energy.
The F1-themed opening reception set the pace with fast, high-energy, and full of conversations that carried into the days ahead.
Then came one of the most talked-about sessions.
Jon McNeill (CEO, DVx Ventures; former President of Tesla and COO at Lyft) shared his five-step “algorithm for success.” The same framework shaped by scaling companies like Tesla and SpaceX.
He electrified the audience with his core message:
Breakthrough growth isn’t accidental. It’s engineered.
At the Global Leaders Exchange, Hal Wolf and Anne Snowdon presented global data on AI adoption. He stressed that responsible scaling starts with an honest look at where health systems stand today.
One quote from Wolf resonated throughout the conference:
“Without the patient, no scope of practice, change of work, or adoption of additional models will take place. They have to be at the centre point, especially now.”
The big theme: AI grows up, but responsibility follows
AI dominated HIMSS26, but with a noticeable shift from experimentation to deployment.
Google Cloud highlighted its Gemini-powered agents in production with CVS Health’s Health100 platform, Humana, Highmark, and Quest Diagnostics to autonomously manage patient engagement, revenue cycle tasks, and clinical workflows.
Epic introduced its no-code Agent Factory, enabling health systems to build AI agents directly within electronic health records (EHRs).
Microsoft advanced Dragon Copilot, bringing in specialised agents for prior authorisations and clinical decision support.
Alongside this progress came a reality check.
ECRI, a global patient safety organisation, named AI-driven diagnostics as the #1 patient safety concern for 2026.
Prof. Ran Balicer captured the mood of the week, underscoring that AI is only as good as the intentions and data behind it.
“Algorithms are just opinions embedded in code.”
Our takeaway: AI is here. But getting it right matters more than getting it fast.
Interoperability: From concept to execution
Interoperability has been a long-standing challenge in healthcare. At HIMSS26, it felt like progress was tangible.
At the Interoperability & HIE (Health Information Exchange) Forum, Tara Gensemer broke it down in simple terms:
TEFCA (Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement) is the rising tide. It creates strong, consistent nationwide foundation for secure data exchange.
The CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) Aligned-Network, by contrast, is the speedboat. It moves quickly, tests new ideas, is built for rapid experimentation and hits specific goals through flexible collaboration.
Both are critical.
Gensemer also highlighted a shift in how pharmacy and dental data are now being integrated into interoperability conversations, expanding the clinical picture beyond traditional silos.
“When a clinician can see the full picture, we move from treating episodes to truly caring for people,” she observed.
Wearables, voice AI, and the patient experience layer
If AI is the engine, patient experience is where it comes alive.
Apple’s Dr Sumbul Ahmad Desai highlighted how the Apple Watch, now used by 100+ million users globally, has evolved into a meaningful health monitoring device. It is empowering patients with actionable insights.
Her core message hit home:
“You should never leverage technology for technology’s sake. It has to solve a problem.”
At the same time, voice AI is quietly becoming healthcare’s front door.
Adrianna Hosford from Artera.io sat down with Vladimir Kozynchenko from Signify Research Ltd for a fireside chat about Voice AI agents for patient access.
Kozynchenko highlighted a more grounded view of adoption:
- AI adoption is layered infrastructure, not a plug-and-play solution
- Leaders must balance quick wins with scalable foundations
- Voice AI for scheduling is just the beginning of the patient experience journey.
Policy, governance, and the system-wide shift
Beyond technology, HIMSS26 focused heavily on system-level change.
Mehmet Oz joined leaders from CMS to outline priorities around interoperability, patient data access, pricing transparency, and reducing administrative burden. All supporting the Administration’s Make America Healthy Again initiative.
Meanwhile, conversations around AI governance emphasised gap analysis first, governance beyond IT, and clinical partnership as essential for enabling innovation safely.
Nurses take the lead
The NurseHack4Health Tech-A-Thon, hosted by Johnson & Johnson, SONSIEL and Microsoft, proved what is possible when nurses, technologists, researchers, and industry partners co-create fast.
It brought together over 100 professionals, including nurses, doctors, executives, and technologists, to solve healthcare challenges by breaking down traditional silos.
The main goal was for cross-functional teams to work together using design thinking to create digital prototypes, which are early working models of new tech solutions.
Along with building these prototypes, participants received a digital playbook to help them bring their innovations back to their organisations and apply for grant funding.
Making sense of innovation: The INSIGHT framework
While AI adoption is on the rise, the bigger question is how to adopt it correctly. Because, right now, innovation is outpacing evaluation.
Health systems are quickly realising this isn’t plug-and-play. It requires strong data foundations, clear governance, and alignment with clinical workflows.
Kathleen McGrow from Microsoft introduced INSIGHT (Innovation Scoring and Impact Guide for Healthcare Technologies). A framework to help healthcare organisations evaluate new technologies more objectively.
Instead of relying on instinct, INSIGHT’s evidence-based framework looks at cost, clinical impact, feasibility, and organisational fit. It includes a standardised criterion, an innovation heatmap, and a scoring calculator for healthcare leaders to make data-driven technology decisions.
Because innovation isn’t just about building. It’s also about choosing wisely.
The exhibition floor: Where ideas met implementation
If the sessions were about ideas, the exhibition floor was about execution.
With 1,000+ exhibitors, this was where innovation moved from slides to real-world solutions.
This year, HIMSS introduced a new format: “The Park.” It was an interactive zone designed for immersive showcases and informal networking.
The event also reimagined the Emerge platform that brought startups, investors, and health leaders into closer, more practical conversations through live pitches.
Startups to watch: Real problems, real solutions
The Emerge Pitch Contest showcased startups building for real-world healthcare challenges.
Best in Show:
- Ejenta: Uses AI and digital assistants to enable continuous remote patient monitoring and personalised care outside hospital settings.
- HealthAtlas: Builds data platforms that unify clinical, operational, and population health data for better decision-making.
- Limpiar: Focuses on healthcare automation and operational efficiency, streamlining workflows for care teams.
Category winners:
- Jivika: Works on improving access to care through digital health platforms, particularly in underserved populations.
- Praia Health: Develops consumer-centric digital health experiences that simplify how patients navigate care.
- PubNub: Provides real-time data infrastructure powering connected health apps, devices, and patient engagement tools.
Winner’s Circle:
- Avedian: Builds digital tools to improve care coordination and clinical decision-making.
- CareAtlas: Focuses on mapping and optimising care pathways using data-driven insights.
- CardioTwin: Creates AI-powered digital twins of the heart to simulate and personalise cardiovascular care.
- Lirio: Uses behavioural science and AI to drive patient engagement and adherence.
- Sword Intelligence: Applies AI to musculoskeletal care and recovery pathways.
- Adonis: Automates revenue cycle management for healthcare providers.
- Kura Care: Works on improving patient experience and care delivery workflows.
- Evidexa: Uses AI to generate real-world evidence and insights from clinical data.
- Ellipsis Health: Uses voice-based AI to detect mental health conditions and patient distress.
- Pasena LLC: Develops AI-driven solutions for cardiovascular diagnostics and risk prediction.
Across categories, we observed that innovation is no longer just ambitious; it’s increasingly deployable.
Product launches and partnerships that stood out
Major announcements throughout the week reinforced where the industry is heading:
- Stryker launched its SmartHospital platform, connecting devices, workflows, and care teams.
- Verily partnered with Samsung Electronics to combine the Galaxy Watch ecosystem with Verily’s precision health platform for real-world evidence generation.
- Heidi Health, an ambient AI scribe evolved into an AI care partner, announced a partnership with R1 RCM, a leader in healthcare revenue management, to integrate AI-driven documentation directly with billing processes.
HIMSS blood drive: A human reminder in the middle of it all
In between all the technology, HIMSS26 blood drive was where attendees participated in something profoundly human.
In the U.S., someone needs blood every 2 seconds, and hospitals require ~29,000 units of red blood cells daily.
The HIMSS blood drive mobilised the community to help, as each donation is capable of saving up to three lives.
It was a reminder that technology ultimately serves patients.
The final day: Resilience, reflection, and reality
The closing sessions brought things back to ground level.
Oscar-nominated actor Jeremy Renner shared his recovery journey after the 2023 snowplough accident that crushed his body and broke 38 bones, highlighting gaps in care coordination.
While expressing gratitude for the healthcare workers who “put me back together,” he shared frustrations with fragmented care during recovery. Being woken repeatedly for repetitive tests, and a “complicated handoff” between hospitals.
“I wish there was a way that data could get passed around,” he said. “Let’s help our helpers, so they can help us.”
The takeaway
With a global community of 130,000+ members, 80+ chapters, and 800+ volunteers, HIMSS continues to bring the healthcare ecosystem together.
But this year felt like a turning point. There was less theory, more execution. Less hype, more accountability.
-By Alkama Sohail and the AHT Team
