HealthIMPACT26 Feb NYC
Building Healthcare Everywhere
February 3rd - 4th, 2026
Content from HealthIMPACT
A tour of the Los Angeles Chargers' training facility produced the wrong lesson about hospitals, and then the right one. Where this year's Fall Forum theme came from, and the three verbs behind it.
Epic's UGM 2026 announcements put four decisions on the health system agenda before 2027. What the down-market move reaches, and what it misses.
The training did not stop the click. What it changed was the ten seconds after. Notes from the HPN West Coast cybersecurity panel with Chase Franzen, Rachael Hill, Anthony Locascio and Mike Mosquito, on the identity governance gap nobody is naming.
Nir Barzilai on organ-specific aging clocks. Geoff Cook on why half of GLP-1 patients quit within a year. Stephen Klasko on why most longevity companies sell to people who were going to be fine. The panel where longevity stopped being a wellness category and started being clinical infrastructure nobody has built yet.
Two keynotes at the Digital Health Innovation Summit showed what the panels were pointing at. Cityblock Health serves Medicaid and dual eligibles. Devoted Health is a Medicare Advantage payvider. Different populations, same structural answer: aligned incentives plus integrated workflows.
The Digital Health Innovation Summit highlighted the gap between healthcare's scientific and technological advancements and the economic and operational frameworks required to support the transition to preventive and personalized care. Investors are becoming more selective about what works, and the focus is on the integration layer that connects emerging science, digital infrastructure, patient behavior, and financial incentives into something sustainable. The opportunity is not another standalone app, AI feature, or monitoring tool but rather the economic and operational frameworks required to support the transition to preventive and personalized care at scale.
Meenal Lele (M&T’05), Founder and CEO of Hanimune Therapeutics, brings a deeply personal and systems-driven perspective to the challenge of food allergy prevention—one shaped by both scientific rigor and lived experience. Trained at the intersection of engineering, medicine, and commercialization, she is building solutions to one of the fastest-growing public health problems affecting children today. Her work is grounded in a clear mission: to create a future in which food allergies are no longer an inevitable part of childhood.
Dr. Andy Davis is a Professor and Associate Vice-Chair for Quality in the Department of Medicine. He is board certified in both internal medicine and in public health, and is a practicing clinician educator with research interests in quality improvement, prevention, and chronic disease. He is a clinician-educator with precepting and direct patient care responsibilities in the Primary Care Group and the University of Chicago Student Health Clinic. He was volunteer Attending of the Year in 2014 for Community Health, and is faculty advisor for the Maria Shelter Free Clinic.
Janae Sharp, FHIMSS, brings a rare blend of health IT expertise, convening power, and human-centered leadership to one of healthcare’s most urgent challenges: clinician burnout and physician suicide. As Founder of the Sharp Index, she operates at the intersection of data, storytelling, and systems change—working to heal the healthcare workforce from the inside out. Her work reflects a deep belief that sustainable healthcare transformation begins with those who deliver care.
Dr. Elizabeth Klodas, MD, brings a rare and deeply credible perspective to modern healthcare—one shaped by decades inside the system she now seeks to improve. Trained at Mayo Clinic and Johns Hopkins, she spent more than 20 years as a preventive cardiologist working on the front lines of cardiovascular care. Her clinical expertise spans thousands of patients, countless prescriptions, and a firsthand understanding of how the traditional model excels at managing disease—but often falls short of restoring health.
At HealthIMPACT Forum NYC, Dr. Rasu Shrestha of Advocate Health shared how the nation’s largest hospital-at-home program is rewriting the future of healthcare — moving care beyond hospital walls into homes and communities. From pandemic-born innovation to a person-centered, digitally connected care model, this borderless approach is delivering better outcomes at lower costs while reimagining what modern healthcare can be.
Dr. Sejal Hathi, Director of the Oregon Health Authority, shares her journey from battling chronic illness to shaping groundbreaking healthcare policies. From revolutionizing Medicaid to integrating social determinants like housing and nutrition, Oregon’s approach is setting the bar for health equity. Dr. Hathi’s insights on the intersection of technology and healthcare delivery highlight how the state is making healthcare more accessible, affordable, and effective for all.
In this article, we explore how generative AI is unlocking solutions for rare diseases. By accelerating drug discovery and enabling personalized treatment, AI is transforming healthcare for underserved patient populations. Advanced data analytics play a crucial role in addressing the complexities of diagnosing and treating rare conditions, providing new pathways for effective solutions and improving patient outcomes.
In this enlightening discussion, we explore the transformative concept of aging in place through a holistic healthcare lens. The conversation delves into the benefits of allowing seniors to live independently in their homes while receiving comprehensive support tailored to their unique needs. We uncover the vital role of technology, community engagement, and interdisciplinary care teams in creating an empowering environment for older adults. This dialogue highlights innovative strategies that promote emotional well-being, enhance quality of life, and ensure that aging in place is a realistic and fulfilling option for everyone.
Discover how telemedicine revolutionizes addiction treatment with patient-centered design. Learn about improved accessibility, continuity of care, and patient empowerment in this innovative approach to overcoming substance use disorders. Explore the future of digital health solutions in addiction care.
In the generative AI era, a new Harris Poll survey reveals that two-thirds of U.S. hospitals entrust CIOs to acquiring data analytics platforms. This highlights a significant shift in strategic leadership roles within healthcare organizations. However, the survey also underscores the challenges and opportunities of this transition.
In an interview at HealthImpact Live, Janae Sharp and Dr. Chris Gibbons discussed the evolving digital health industry, the dangers of bias and blind faith in generative AI tools, and the steps needed to rebuild patients' trust in digital health systems. Dr. Gibbons emphasized the importance of data transparency and the need to address bias in AI training models. He also highlighted the need for doctors to assist in the design of AI algorithms directly. Dr. Gibbons expressed optimism about the future of digital health and emphasized the need for collaboration to improve patient experiences and outcomes.
As we head to HIMSS this week, we are reflecting on the highlights from the ViVE conference. The HealthIMPACT team was able to attend the ViVE conference in Los Angeles. We were looking for the good news in healthcare, and we were not disappointed. Here are five of our highlights.
Discover the benefits of multi-cloud adoption in healthcare and the importance of disaster recovery solutions. Learn more at HealthIMPACT Live.
Dr. Jitendra Barmecha, CIO of SBH, discussed the challenges of being a CIO in the healthcare industry in a recent interview with Janae Sharp. Dr. Barmecha addressed the issues of interoperability and staffing, emphasizing the need for cross-training, resilience, and business continuity planning during the COVID-19 pandemic. He also highlighted the impact of the pandemic on the industry, which accelerated the digital capabilities of healthcare organizations. Despite the constantly evolving landscape, Barmecha believes that healthcare CIOs can drive positive change and improve outcomes for patients and communities by focusing on digital capabilities and meaningful information at the point of care.
The Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement (TEFCA) is a nationwide network that enables authorized parties to exchange medical records. In a recent interview, Dr. Micky Tripathi, Director of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) at the US Department of Health and Human Services, discussed the potential impact of TEFCA on healthcare in the US, highlighting the need for a common set of terms and conditions and the importance of digital workflows in healthcare transactions. The interview covers the timeframe for organizations to apply for the exchange framework and the scope of information that will be exchanged, including the US Core Data for Interoperability (USCDI), which includes basic medical record information supported by all electronic health record vendors and providers in the country. TEFCA aims to streamline health information exchange, enable secure and efficient data exchange, and help break down data silos. However, some health system leaders have expressed concerns about the potential costs and technical challenges of implementing TEFCA, as well as the potential impact on patient privacy and data security. While TEFCA is a significant step towards achieving interoperability, a comprehensive approach involving technology, policies, and incentives is needed.
The 10th Annual HealthIMPACT Forum was held in New York on January 25th. The keynote speaker, Gail Zahtz, shared her personal story of surviving late-stage cancer and how it led her to become the CEO of WiseCare Heal. Her talk emphasized the need for healthcare leaders to make decisions that serve patients, providers, and the business of healthcare.
Gail called for a shift in the culture of healthcare organizations from selling a "service of sickness" to sharing responsibility for the health of entire populations. She stressed that to succeed in the shift from fee-for-service to value-based care, a change in culture is needed and healthcare organizations should partner with companies who sell and service solutions for providers.
Gail's story and call to action highlight the importance of making healthcare more patient-centered and the need for ongoing reform in the industry.
Workplace safety in healthcare settings, particularly in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and now, involves careful coordination. Todd Larson, an expert in workplace and public safety at HonorHealth, highlights the need for a culture of safety, effective training, and the use of technology to improve communication and prevent workplace violence. Using a digital command center to monitor safety performance in real-time and predict potential hazards is critical for success and increases safety. Creating a safer work environment and preventing incidents of violence against healthcare workers starts with culture.
An unprecedented number of innovative technologies were deployed in response to the sudden need and rapid expansion of virtual health during the pandemic. Two years in and we have a strained healthcare system and a tired workforce. The need for ingenuity and effective change remains. Explore with us the cultural, practical, and paradigm shifts necessary to ensuring your organization not only recovers but thrives in this era of medical management modernization as we all emerge anew.
The shift to virtual care during the pandemic has necessitated unprecedented approaches to patient experience and engagement challenges. Managing the health of vulnerable patients with chronic illnesses like diabetes virtually is of particular concern. Emily Dumas, Manager of Care Transitions at the University of Alabama Birmingham Medical Center, discusses the need for engaging accessible tools, and what works and what doesn't work when it comes to supporting, engaging, activating, coaching, and ultimately partnering with patients.
Global Healthcare Leader Yan Chow, MBA, and Tyler Stowell, Senior Director of Healthcare Revenue Cycle Management, both of Automation Anywhere, discuss the formidable challenges and potential automation solutions to comply with the No Surprises Act.
With the initiation of the No Surprises Act, the burden shifts to the payer and providers to negotiate payments before the patient is sent a bill. With staffing shortages, this can be a huge challenge for back offices. Dr. Chow and Tyler illustrate how leading health systems are using RPA and intelligent automation to address these new regulatory challenges and realize dramatic benefits, including administrative efficiencies, greater workload capacity, error reduction, and significant cost savings.
Data is generated at every point in the patient’s healthcare journey. How this data is protected, shared, governed, and used is paramount both to patient and business outcomes.
No matter how robust your organization's security stack is, vulnerabilities to intrusions still exist. Unmanaged cyberthreats can compromise your organization’s ability to perform its mission by putting critical assets, data, and services at risk. As more and more organizations move toward the cloud, keeping track of where sensitive data resides becomes increasingly difficult putting increasing pressure on data security teams. Melissa Lawlor, Director of Security GRC, of Hackensack Meridian Health, Dr. Mauricio Angee, Chief Security Officer, of the University of Miami, and Michael Ebert, Partner at Guidehouse Cyber Security Leader, discuss how healthcare organizations can competently manage critical privacy and security issues.
There’s no question that we’re facing a paradigm shift in healthcare, only where changes will stick and how we will shape the future of healthcare. How patients, providers, and healthcare leaders approach healthcare as a whole has changed. Our expectations of what we want and expect from contact with the health system, what a “safe” distance, procedure, or interaction looks like, and how satisfied each participant is with an increasingly digital experience of healthcare are wildly different than they were a year ago. True transformation is always a result not just of the availability of new technologies, but also of the willingness of patients, providers, and health systems to adopt it, and insurers to pay for it. This sea change of expectations has the potential to be the most transformative aspect of our new world.
Emanuel, Wachter and the AMA spent the summer arguing about whether AI-only care becomes medicine's economy class, and every one of them reached for an airplane to make the point. Here is the part of that metaphor nobody followed through. Aviation sold cheap seats without selling a lower safety standard, because a regulator owned the floor and it was not negotiable. Healthcare has not drawn that line for AI-delivered care, and on October 1 CMS starts moving fifty billion dollars into AI-enabled rural access.