9,000+ attendees. 400+ speakers. Dozens of launches, partnerships, and policy announcements.
ViVE 2026 delivered one of the most important weeks for digital health this year. Produced by HLTH and CHIME, the landmark event showed healthtech moving from experimentation into execution.
For years, digital health conversations were dominated by big ideas and endless pilot programs. This year, the focus shifted toward solutions that actually work inside hospitals, clinics, and care teams.
From clinician-led design and AI that eliminates paperwork to new Medicare pathways for digital health companies, here are the biggest updates from ViVE 2026.
The big conversations at ViVE 2026
Nurses want a seat at the table
One theme surfaced repeatedly across panels and discussions: clinicians want to be involved earlier in the technology-building process.
Stop building for clinicians. Start building with them.
During the session “The Evolution of Nursing in a Tech-Enabled Future,” Bonnie Clipper, founder of the Virtual Nursing Academy, made her frustration clear.
“There are companies even today that reduce us to an AI nurse or a chatbot,” she said. “That’s not nursing.”
Her message to developers was simple: “Live in our shoes.” Understand the realities of clinical care before trying to solve problems you don’t fully grasp.
Tonychris Nnaka from UNT Health Fort Worth reinforced the point. Nurses, he argued, need to be involved from conceptualisation through implementation, not just when it’s time to train staff on a finished system.
At the same time, clinicians acknowledged they also need to evolve. Susan Grant of symplr noted that healthcare professionals must upskill themselves to collaborate effectively with IT teams and vendors.
Whitney Staub-Juergens of HCA Healthcare illustrated why this collaboration matters. Her team is working with Google Cloud on AI-powered nurse handoff tools, and she pushed back against the tech industry’s tendency to oversimplify clinical workflows.
A nurse handoff, she explained, isn’t just passing along data. It’s strategic thinking—a moment where one nurse “lays out the pieces of the chessboard” for the next 12 hours of care.
Adoption is the real challenge now
Another recurring theme across the conference was that the hardest part of digital transformation is no longer technology itself. It’s change management.
Tampa General Hospital shared lessons from its rollout of Dragon Copilot, an ambient listening tool designed for nurses. According to Amit Patel, the hospital’s Chief Nursing Informatics Officer:
“The technology is not the adoption barrier anymore. It’s really the change management.”
For many health systems, the challenge now is ensuring new tools integrate seamlessly into clinical workflows.
Interoperability still needs fixing
Data interoperability is still one of healthcare’s most stubborn problems. Dr Thomas Keane of the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) offered one of the most memorable analogies of the conference:
“If a food delivery app can find your house in minutes, your medical records shouldn’t require a scavenger hunt across five hospitals.”
To address the issue, policymakers are pushing initiatives such as:
- Mandatory FHIR adoption
- Expansion of the TEFCA national data-sharing framework
- A new HHS complaint portal targeting organisations that block patient data access
On artificial intelligence, Keane encouraged experimentation—but emphasized that the ultimate goal should be reducing administrative burden for clinicians.
Major policy and funding announcements
CMS changes the payment model playbook
Abe Sutton, head of the CMS Innovation Center, announced that all new payment models will include downside risk—meaning healthcare organizations that overspend could face financial penalties.
The shift signals a stronger push toward accountability and value-based care across the U.S. healthcare system.
Two initiatives in particular stood out.
MAHA ELEVATE
For the first time, Medicare will directly reimburse lifestyle medicine interventions, including:
- Nutrition counseling
- Sleep programs
- Exercise therapy
These are interventions physicians have long recommended but could not bill for under traditional reimbursement structures.
MAHA ELEVATE changes that, opening the door for preventive care approaches that address chronic conditions before they escalate.
ACCESS
Another major announcement was ACCESS, a formal pathway for digital health companies to secure Medicare reimbursement.
If they can demonstrate strong peer-reviewed clinical evidence supporting their solutions, they can apply for reimbursement eligibility.
For digital health startups, this creates a clearer route from innovation to nationwide reimbursement and adoption.
$50 Billion for Rural Health Transformation
Emily Chen from the CMS unveiled details of the Rural Health Transformation Program, a massive investment aimed at modernizing care in underserved areas.
The initiative will distribute $50 billion over five years, with $10 billion allocated annually. Half goes to every state that applies; the other half rewards proven impact.
Funding will support technologies such as:
- Telemedicine platforms
- Remote patient monitoring
- AI-powered diagnostics
- Systems connecting healthcare with housing and food services
The program highlights growing recognition that health outcomes are deeply tied to social determinants of health.
Key industry trends emerging from ViVE
AI that actually does the work
Ambient clinical documentation (AI scribes) emerged as one of the most talked-about technologies at the event.
These tools automatically generate clinical notes from conversations between doctors and patients, dramatically reducing administrative workloads.
Ambience Healthcare drew attention when Dr. Michael Han explained how his team switched from an incumbent system to Ambience in under two months, achieving over 90% sustained utilization.
The rise of Autonomous Healthcare
Innovaccer launched Agents of Care™, specialised AI agents that handle administrative and clinical coordination tasks.
Partnering with Snowflake and NVIDIA, the company aims to move health systems from fragmented data environments to production-ready workflows in months (not years).
“Specialty care doesn’t need more complexity—it needs a breakthrough.”
– Abhinav Shashank, CEO of Innovaccer.
Automation leader UiPath also unveiled agentic AI for revenue cycle management, targeting one of healthcare’s biggest administrative headaches: prior authorisations and claims denials.
With Mayo Clinic and Medlitix as early adopters, the focus is on autonomous systems that don’t just chat—they do.
Logistics, diagnostics, and the “last mile”
Uber Health introduced a self-booking option for patients.
“We’re moving from a model of ‘doing for’ the patient to ’empowering’ the patient.”
-Zachary Clark, Global Head of Uber Health.
By allowing patients to book their own rides, Uber Health is targeting the 25% of patients who miss appointments due to transportation barriers.
Diagnostics also claimed a larger slice of the spotlight.
Dr Shez Partovi of Philips noted that while 88% of health systems want integrated solutions, fragmentation and interoperability challenges continue to slow adoption.
The sentiment echoed across the Diagnostics Zone, which featured innovators like QuantalX, Sirona Medical, and hc1.
The looming tension and anxiety
Despite the energy on the show floor, there was also a palpable sense of tension.
AI is advancing at such speed that long-term planning is becoming increasingly difficult.
Saad Chaudhry of SSM Health offered a memorable analogy:
“Imagine if a new iPhone came out every week. That’s how fast AI is progressing.”
Financial pressures also hung over the discussions. Potential Medicaid cuts and the expiration of ACA tax credits raised concerns about how health systems will manage rising patient loads.
Dr Reshma Gupta of UC warned that these pressures could ultimately push more patients toward already-strained emergency rooms.
Yet the overall mood wasn’t pessimistic. John Couris of Tampa General Hospital gave hope:
“Every obstacle that presents itself, there’s a solution through that obstacle.”
ViVE 2026: Major product announcements
True to form, ViVE kept innovation foremost. It served as a launchpad for several new products and collaborations across digital health.
Patient engagement & navigation
athenahealth launched agentic patient communication tools that automate routine patient interactions. The system can answer questions, schedule appointments, and handle follow-ups to reduce call center workloads while giving patients 24/7 access to care coordination.
b.well Connected Health introduced bailey, a white-label AI health assistant that health plans and employers can embed into their apps. The tool helps users understand insurance benefits, track medications, and navigate healthcare services through conversational AI.
Luma Health highlighted the impact of its Operational AI platform, which automates scheduling, reminders, and patient intake processes. The company reported that the platform helped health systems save 2 million staff hours in 2025 by reducing manual administrative work.
CLEAR deployed CLEAR1 at Mount Sinai, creating a unified identity verification system for both patients and staff. The platform uses biometric authentication to streamline hospital check-ins, improve security, and reduce administrative friction.
Fabric launched Evo, a nationwide virtual care benefit that consolidates urgent care, mental health support, and weight-management programs into a single digital offering for employers and health plans.
Clinical workflow & operations
Artisight integrated Epic MyChart Bedside TV, transforming hospital room TVs into interactive patient engagement hubs connected to the EHR. Patients can access care information, communicate with care teams, and view personalised health content directly from their bedside.
Dock Health expanded deployment of its workflow orchestration platform at Mayo Clinic, helping care teams coordinate specialty referrals, track tasks, and manage e-consult workflows across departments.
Kontakt.io introduced Patient Flow Agent, an AI tool that combines real-time location data (RTLS) with EHR information to monitor patient movement through hospitals. The system helps administrators identify bottlenecks and reduce delays that extend hospital stays.
TigerConnect launched Operator Console, an AI-powered cloud switchboard designed to replace traditional hospital call centres. The platform intelligently routes calls, messages, and alerts to the appropriate clinical teams.
Heidi Health acquired AutoMedica and launched two new products: Heidi Evidence, which surfaces clinical evidence for doctors during consultations, and Heidi Comms, an AI coordination tool designed to streamline communication across care teams.
Infrastructure & data standards
Digital Medicine Society (DiMe) announced that apps entering the Medicare App Library will now require the DiMe Seal. A certification that evaluates digital health tools for privacy, security, usability, and clinical impact. The move could affect apps used by 86 million Medicare beneficiaries.
Wolters Kluwer opened access to its Medi-Span Expert AI medication dataset, allowing developers to integrate trusted drug information into AI-driven healthcare workflows and clinical decision tools.
RevSpring launched an MCP server that connects AI systems with real-time provider, billing, and cost data. The goal is to help AI assistants deliver more accurate financial and administrative information to patients.
Canvas Medical introduced Plugin Assistant, a tool that enables healthcare organisations to build custom EMR extensions and AI agents using low-code or no-code tools.
Remote monitoring & speciality care
Withings announced that its BPM Pro 2 blood pressure monitor and Body Pro smart scale will be integrated into concierge care services at MedStar Health, allowing clinicians to track patient health metrics remotely.
Innovaccer partnered with Allina Health to scale heart-failure management using the Story Health platform, which supports remote monitoring and proactive patient engagement.
Wheel expanded its platform with a Clinical Action Layer. A tool that aggregates data from wearables, lab results, and other health sources, then summarises it for clinicians to support faster decision-making.
Awards and recognition at ViVE 2026
ViVE 2026 also spotlighted the companies pushing healthcare innovation forward, recognizing organizations delivering real impact across clinical workflows, digital infrastructure, and health equity.
KLAS & CHIME Trailblazer Award
Ambience Healthcare received the KLAS & CHIME Trailblazer Award for its work in ambient clinical documentation.
Best in KLAS
Two companies secured Overall Best in KLAS honors for sustained excellence in healthcare technology:
- Epic Systems for its Health System Suite
- athenahealth for its Independent Practice Suite
The awards reflect consistently high customer satisfaction and strong performance across healthcare providers.
Most Improved
Two companies were recognized for significant improvements in customer experience and product performance:
- TeleVox for its HouseCalls Pro software
- Greenway Health for physician practice solutions
Techquity for Health Awards
The 2026 Techquity for Health Awards honored startups addressing care access and health equity:
- Attune Media Labs: AI-powered emotional support tools for healthcare workers in Cameroon
- Pear Suite: Infrastructure that helps healthcare organizations deploy and manage community health workers
- PicassoMD: A platform connecting primary care physicians with specialists in seconds, helping avoid unnecessary ER visits
ViVE Startup Pitch Competition
At the ViVE Startup Pitch Competition emerging digital health startups pitched their solutions live to investors and healthcare leaders.
Rovex Technologies Corporation won the 2026 competition, taking home $25,000 in cash and a $25,000 credit toward next year’s event.
Rovex is developing autonomous hospital logistics robots designed to transport supplies and equipment across healthcare facilities, helping reduce staff workload and improve operational efficiency inside hospitals.
The competition featured several other startups presenting new ideas across AI, remote monitoring, diagnostics, and healthcare infrastructure—highlighting the next generation of companies shaping digital health.
Wrapping up
ViVE 2026 stood out not just for its scale of announcements or flood of new AI tools. But for the shift in tone.
Healthcare leaders weren’t asking “What’s the next big innovation?” They were asking, “How do we make the ones we already have actually work?”
And that’s the biggest signal of all: digital health moving from experimentation to implementation.
-By Alkama Sohail and the AHT Team
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