01Touched down in Vegas
Landed this afternoon on a flight from DFW to Las Vegas to join the biggest healthcare technology event of the year. HIMSS 2026 runs March 9–12 at the Venetian Convention & Expo Center, and this year the entire conference is consolidated under one roof. Over 25,000 health leaders registered and 600+ education sessions lined up across AI, cybersecurity, interoperability, and digital health innovation.
This is my second time attending HIMSS. But this year? It hits different. After working in healthcare for two years, I finally feel like I speak the language. I know the pain points, the workflows, the nuances. I'm not just an observer anymore. I'm part of this world.
The HIMSS 2026 Welcome hall at The Venetian, Las Vegas
02Executive summit: AI ROI takes center stage
The day kicked off with the Executive Summit, where HIMSS CEO Hal Wolf and AdventHealth CEO David Banks challenged the industry head-on. The core message was clear: healthcare has the technology and the investment dollars flowing in, but the ROI isn't always showing up. The conversation has shifted from “should we adopt AI?” to “where's the measurable value?”
AdventHealth's $60 million investment in AI-assisted virtual care across 13,000+ inpatient and ED beds was one of the standout examples discussed. Wolf also highlighted massive workforce shortages in allied health professions and how digital health solutions are becoming essential to bridge that gap.
Executive Summit at HIMSS 2026—AI ROI was the dominant theme
The industry is moving past the AI hype cycle. Every conversation now leads back to one question: What's the ROI? If you can't measure it, you can't scale it.
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03Hottest themes on the floor
Walking through the halls and sitting in sessions, a few dominant themes kept surfacing everywhere. This year's HIMSS is clearly the “Agentic AI” conference. The market has shifted toward autonomous systems that can independently execute clinical workflows, filter alarms, and govern themselves within enterprise architecture. Ambient clinical AI is also huge, with systems that record, summarize, and auto-code patient visits with minimal human intervention.
Cybersecurity remains a massive focal point too. With the Change Healthcare breach still fresh in everyone's mind, there were multiple sessions on ransomware defense, supply-chain security, and AI-driven threat detection.
Walking through the HIMSS 2026 expo halls
04Expo floor & specialty pavilions
The expo floor is absolutely massive. This year HIMSS introduced “The Park,” a brand-new themed area in Venetian Expo Hall G. It brings together new exhibitors, live demos, and unique networking zones all in one centralized space. The Emerge Experience is also back, connecting investors with healthcare startups through live pitch sessions.
05First-timers event (yes, again!)
Here's the thing. Even though this is my second HIMSS, I went ahead and attended the First-Timers event. Why? Because it's genuinely fun. Great giveaways, good vibes, and I almost won a prize. Missed it by just ONE number. So close!
More importantly, the connections there were gold. I ended up networking with CEOs, founders, and AI engineers. That's the beauty of these events: you never know who you'll end up in a conversation with.
Pro tip: Don't skip the “beginner” events even if you're a returning attendee. The networking alone makes it worth your time.
06Preconference forums
Monday is all about the preconference forums, which are deep-dive, full-day sessions focused on specific topics. The Interoperability and HIE Forum stood out, exploring the latest on TEFCA (Trusted Exchange Framework & Common Agreement), data governance, and the ONC's priorities for health information exchange. Other forums covered AI governance, clinical decision support, and practical strategies for digital transformation at scale.
One of the packed preconference forum sessions at HIMSS 2026
The Interoperability Forum was especially relevant. With TEFCA progressing rapidly, this is the year healthcare organizations need to get serious about connected care infrastructure.
07Book pickup: LLMs for healthcare
Most of you know I'm a huge fan of books, especially when they sit at the intersection of AI and healthcare. Today I picked up “Large Language Models (LLMs) for Healthcare: A Practical Guide to Their Process and Evaluation” by Jeremy Harper, published by Productivity Press / Routledge. I'm already hooked by the first few pages.
Large Language Models (LLMs) for Healthcare
By Jeremy Harper · Productivity Press / Routledge
A practical guide to their process and evaluation. Challenge accepted: finishing this in 2 weeks and sharing a full review. Stay tuned for the breakdown.
08The networking was next level
Then came the main event. The biggest healthcare networking session kicked off, and I was in full mode. This time around, I know the right vocabulary, the right questions to ask, and the right problems to discuss. Two years of being in the trenches gave me a conversational edge I didn't have last year.
I had deep, meaningful conversations around AI in clinical workflows, interoperability challenges, ambient documentation, and the future of health tech. It didn't feel like small talk. It felt like collaboration waiting to happen.
Even though it's only Day 1, the intensity and quality of conversations made it feel like the final day of the conference. That's how you know it's going to be a great week.
09Opening reception
The day wrapped up with the official HIMSS26 Opening Reception from 5 PM to 7 PM. It was the perfect way to unwind after an information-packed day while making even more connections. The energy in the room was electric. Everyone's here because they believe technology can truly transform healthcare outcomes, and that shared conviction makes every handshake feel meaningful.
HIMSS 2026 Day 1 vibes from Las Vegas
10My Day 1 timeline
- AfternoonLanded at Las Vegas from DFWTouched down and headed straight to the Venetian for badge pickup.
- Morning sessionsExecutive summitHal Wolf + David Banks on AI ROI, workforce shortages, and digital health strategy.
- MiddayPreconference forums & expo floorInteroperability Forum, AI Pavilion walk-through, "The Park" debut.
- AfternoonFirst-timers event & networkingGiveaways, missed by 1 number, connected with CEOs and AI engineers.
- 5:00 PM - 7:00 PMOpening receptionOfficial kickoff celebration. More connections. More energy.
11The Vegas marathon (on foot)
If you've been to HIMSS in Vegas, you know the drill. The walk between venues is no joke. My step count is already through the roof after navigating between:
The Venetian → The LINQ → Caesars Forum
Comfortable shoes are non-negotiable at HIMSS. Consider this your official PSA.
12What I'm looking forward to on Day 2
Day 2 is when the main education sessions and keynotes officially begin. I'm especially looking forward to Dr. Geeta Nayyar's opening keynote on balancing the human approach with AI innovation. Plus, more expo floor time, deeper conversations, and hopefully some hands-on demos of the agentic AI platforms everyone's buzzing about.
Keynotes, deeper sessions, more booth visits, and more connections. The best is yet to come!
