A few weeks ago, another successful ViVE conference came to a close in Nashville, Tennessee. The event saw technology leaders from healthcare, venture capitalists, and companies from around the world come together to discuss where healthcare technology is going and how innovators like those attending would help to make it happen.
?I came away from the conference thinking about the following key themes:
- AI is more than a buzzword. Many of the presenters, panelists, and vendors projected a technology world where it's not a matter of when AI will become a part of how patients are cared for, but more so how exactly it will be implemented in the short term and in what ways will it evolve over time. I attended several panels and spoke with leaders who were at the conference to assess potential partners for AI. One thing that was clear: all the attempts to harness AI in healthcare are still in the experimental phase; no one has it fully figured out quite yet.
- Cybersecurity is still front of mind for every healthcare organization. There was particular focus in some sessions on data identity and access management (IAM) as well as vulnerability management. This shows organizations are particularly cognizant of not just who has access to their data (IAM), but how those threats are being managed on the back end through vulnerability management systems. In fact, there was a whole cybersecurity pavilion specific to discussing these topics and more on the main exhibit floor.
- Interoperability is an increasing focus of healthcare investment. Many conversations I had with experts at the show focused on health system CIOs looking for vendor partners that can more easily plug into their ecosystem – with the goal of creating a more seamless experience for providers, patients, and the technology and operations teams that support them. With increasing healthcare investment, the opportunities have never been greater, but there has also never been a more intense focus on making sure those partnerships are the right fit.
I had the opportunity to host a panel discussion on workforce resilience with three exceptional health IT leaders: Zafar Chaudry of Seattle Children's, Tracey Touma of Cleveland Clinic Health System, and Emily Warr of Medical University of South Carolina. I was honored to be on stage with these visionaries. Some of the takeaways include:
- Having a modern, resilient workforce means having a plan on how to maintain that workforce in perpetuity. Sometimes that means working with outside education institutions to create a pipeline, sometimes that means working to create the pipeline in-house through formal and informal training.
- The importance of culture cannot be understated. Especially at lower levels, skills can often be taught. However, when it comes to someone's style, what drives them, and how they relate to the mission of one's organization, these things cannot be faked. Organizations that hire for culture fit will be the ones with less attrition and higher levels of employee satisfaction.
- In today's multigenerational workforce, leaders must be agile. Connecting with Gen Z employees is very different than Millennials or Gen X or Baby Boomers. An ability to code switch between those groups is key to having an overall organization that is running on all cylinders.
ViVE has carved out a distinct niche in the healthcare IT world as being a place where substantive conversation happens around where the healthcare industry is going, in the presence of innovators who can help to take it there. I look forward to Los Angeles in 2026 to see how the event evolves as IT leaders shape the future of healthcare.
