HIMSS26 Recap: What You Need to Know
In this HIMSS26 recap episode, host Tony Schueth is joined by Point-of-Care Partner's leaders, Brian Bamberger, Vanessa Candelora, and Brian Dwyer, to unpack what they heard, saw, and debated after a week on the ground in Las Vegas. Rather than focusing on announcements or product launches, the conversation centers on the signals emerging across sessions, client meetings, and hallway conversations, and what those signals suggest about where health IT is headed.
The discussion opens with reflections on a keynote from former Tesla president Jon McNeill, which challenged attendees to rethink entrenched healthcare processes. While initial skepticism about an outsider perspective was high, the panel agrees the message resonated. Meaningful progress may require stripping workflows down to their fundamentals and rebuilding them with simplicity in mind. That theme carries throughout the episode, particularly as the group connects it to persistent challenges like prior authorization and administrative burden.
From there, the conversation shifts to the dominant presence of AI at HIMSS26. Unlike prior years, where AI often felt theoretical, the panel notes a clear shift toward practical applications embedded directly into workflows. Examples like prior authorization automation and clinical summarization highlight real efficiency gains, but the group is quick to point out that AI is only as good as the data behind it. Concerns around data quality, bias, and trust are no longer side conversations. They are central to whether AI can scale in meaningful ways. As one theme emerges repeatedly, it is that the industry may have rushed ahead with AI excitement before fully solving for foundational data challenges.
That leads into a deeper discussion on interoperability. The panel describes a noticeable transition from “interoperability as a vision” to “interoperability as infrastructure.” Organizations are no longer asking what connected data exchange could look like. They are now actively building the components required to support it. This includes identity frameworks, consent models, trust networks, and governance structures. While progress is real, the work is also proving to be more complex than anticipated, with many stakeholders still grappling with how these pieces fit together at scale.
The conversation also explores how these shifts are playing out across different stakeholders. From a payer and vendor perspective, Dwyer highlights that many organizations have moved firmly into execution mode, particularly with regulatory deadlines like CMS-0057 on the horizon. However, there is still uncertainty about what comes next, especially when it comes to scaling beyond compliance into true business transformation. For life sciences, Bamberger notes that strategy is largely set, but execution remains uneven. Efforts are increasingly focused on improving data capture within EHRs, enabling more efficient prior authorization, and addressing complex use cases like rare disease diagnosis, where fragmented data can significantly delay care.
Several moments in the discussion bring the conversation back to foundational issues that continue to slow progress. Patient identity, data quality, and structured versus unstructured data all emerge as persistent barriers. The group emphasizes that without resolving these challenges, even the most advanced AI tools will fall short. Initiatives like FHIR accelerators and broader industry collaborations are seen as critical to closing these gaps, but there is still work to be done to move from standards development to consistent, real-world implementation.
The panel also spends time on emerging areas of focus, including price transparency and rural health transformation. Candelora shares observations from her HIMSS presentation, noting growing engagement and more nuanced questions from stakeholders, signaling that the industry is beginning to take these efforts more seriously. Meanwhile, rural health funding is creating both opportunity and urgency, with stakeholders recognizing that interoperability and data sharing will be essential to making those investments impactful within tight timelines.
One of the more unexpected themes to surface is the human side of all this change. Despite the heavy focus on technology, many of the most meaningful conversations at HIMSS centered on workforce impact, trust, and the role of humans in an AI-enabled future. The panel reflects on the need for thoughtful change management, noting that adoption is not just about deploying new tools but building confidence in how they are used. There is a shared recognition that while AI will shift certain types of work, it will also require new roles, new skills, and a more intentional approach to integrating technology into care delivery.
As the episode wraps, each participant highlights a key signal to watch over the next 12 to 18 months. Prior authorization is widely seen as approaching an inflection point, with tangible progress finally within reach, though not fully complete. At the same time, the convergence of interoperability, AI, and policy is identified as a broader, more transformative trend. This trend will shape how data flows, how workflows are designed, and ultimately how care is delivered.
The takeaway is not that the industry has solved its biggest challenges, but that it is entering a new phase. The foundational pieces are being built, expectations are rising, and the focus is shifting from possibility to execution. The next chapter will depend less on vision and more on whether stakeholders can align, operationalize, and follow through on the work already in motion.
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The episode closes, as always, with the reminder that Health IT is a dish best served hot.
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