HIMSS 2026 Recap
March 9-12, 2026 | Las Vegas, NV
Venetian Convention & Expo Center
The year Agentic AI went from buzzword to boardroom. 24,000+ healthcare leaders, 75 countries, and the clearest signal yet that healthcare IT is entering its autonomous era.
The Big Picture
HIMSS26 confirmed what many of us have been sensing: healthcare AI has moved from promises to production. The expo floor was dominated by agentic AI - systems that can independently execute workflows, from revenue cycle to clinical documentation. Every major EHR vendor and tech giant showed up with AI agent capabilities.
But the real story wasn't just the technology - it was the governance conversation. Health system CIOs are no longer asking "what can AI do?" They're asking "how do we govern it safely?" As one CIO put it at the conference, governance has become "sexy."
The conference brought nearly a third of attendees from the C-suite, with three out of four described as decision-makers. This wasn't a tire-kicking crowd - these were buyers ready to commit to long-term AI partnerships, not quick fixes.
6 Themes That Dominated HIMSS26
Agentic AI Dominance
The definitive shift from generative AI to autonomous agentic AI systems. As Mayo Clinic's John Halamka noted: "First it was predictive AI, then generative AI, now it's agentic AI." Mostly on the administrative side - revenue cycle, call centers, coding - with humans still in the loop on clinical decisions.
AI Moves from Pilot to Production
AI is no longer experimental. It's being embedded into EHR platforms, revenue cycles, patient engagement, and infrastructure strategy. 77% of healthcare organizations are already investing in agentic AI, with two-thirds adopting or piloting within 12 months.
Governance Becomes "Sexy"
Health system CIOs are building oversight frameworks to vet AI tools and ensure trust. The focus shifted from "what can AI do?" to "how do we govern it safely?" - with AI governance and validation becoming top priorities.
Cybersecurity & Zero Trust
The Change Healthcare breach aftermath dominated security conversations. 94% of healthcare organizations have paid ransoms, yet only 49% are confident in their security strategies. Zero Trust architecture is now table stakes.
Hospital-at-Home Expansion
The CMS waiver extension through 2030 unlocked massive growth. Mass General Brigham treated its 10,000th home hospital patient, doubling in two years. University of Utah Health is using AI to identify patients for home care programs.
Interoperability & TEFCA
TEFCA adoption accelerated with 85% of healthcare leaders prioritizing data interoperability. HHS officials provided updates on information blocking enforcement and interoperability mandates.
Major Announcements from the Floor
The biggest product launches and partnerships announced at HIMSS26 - from every major EHR vendor to the tech giants making their healthcare play.
Epic
Previewed no-code Agent Factory - a visual builder for health systems to create custom AI agents within their EHR.
Google Cloud
Announced Gemini-powered AI agent partnerships with CVS Health, Humana, and Highmark Health for scaling agentic AI.
Microsoft
Expanded Dragon Copilot with role-based AI experiences for doctors, nurses, and radiologists plus new RCM and CDS partner apps.
Amazon
Debuted Amazon Health Connect - a purpose-built agentic AI solution for administrative workflows, plus Health AI agent for 200M+ Prime members.
Salesforce
Expanded Agentforce Health with 6 new AI agents for referrals, EHR writeback, claims, rural health, epidemiology, and hospital operations.
Oracle Health
Clinical AI Agent note generation now available for inpatient and emergency department settings.
Abridge
Deployed enterprise-grade AI platform for clinical conversations across WVU Medicine - the largest health system in West Virginia.
VSee
Unveiled the world's first fully autonomous telehealth AI robot - remote clinicians can navigate to bedside without onsite staff.
Innovaccer
Launched Flow Capture - autonomous coding solution handling 80% of encounters in seconds to address coder shortages.
athenahealth
Introduced athenaConnect and MCP Server as an intelligent interoperability layer connecting 170K+ providers.
Waystar
AltitudeAI platform has prevented $15B+ in denied claims for healthcare organizations.
MEDITECH
Released native AI scribe for physicians and nurses with Expanse AI + Ambient Intelligence.
My Day-by-Day Experience
Landed in Vegas & the Energy is Unreal
Executive Summit with Hal Wolf & David Banks on AI ROI AdventHealth's $60M AI investment reveal Expo floor pavilions: AI, Cybersecurity, The Park, Startup Emerge Preconference forums on interoperability and TEFCA Picked up "LLMs for Healthcare" by Jeremy Harper
The Honest Truth About What's Really Happening
Google Cloud: Gemini-Powered AI Agents with CVS/Humana MEDITECH: Expanse AI + Ambient Intelligence Waystar AltitudeAI: prevented $15B+ in denied claims VSee: World's first fully autonomous telehealth robot athenahealth MCP Server & eClinicalWorks AI API Workbench Epic previewed no-code Agent Factory visual builder
Network, Network, Network
10+ C-suite conversations on AI adoption challenges Healthcare marketing gap analysis - 4 major gaps identified Startup pavilion deep dive and founder meetings Cybersecurity discussions: Change Healthcare breach impact & Zero Trust LinkedIn brand recognition moments on the floor
The Healthcare Marketing Gap I Spotted
Walking the expo floor and talking to healthcare CEOs/CTOs, I identified 4 massive marketing gaps that most healthcare companies are completely missing:
No AI Overview Presence
Most healthcare companies are invisible on ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini AI search results.
Dead Content Strategy
Outdated blogs, stale websites, and no consistent content pipeline to drive organic traffic.
Zero Executive Thought Leadership
C-suite leaders not publishing insights or building personal brands on LinkedIn.
Social Media Invisibility
Companies spending millions on booths but posting nothing meaningful on social platforms.
The takeaway: Companies are spending millions on HIMSS booths but have zero digital presence where buyers actually research - AI search engines, LinkedIn, and organic content. The biggest ROI opportunity in healthcare marketing right now is building AI Overview presence and executive thought leadership.
Notable Keynotes & Speakers
Dr. Mehmet Oz
CMS Administrator
Keynote address on the future of Medicare and healthcare innovation policy.
Jon McNeill
Former President of Tesla, CEO of DVx Ventures
Innovation and disruption lessons from Tesla applied to healthcare transformation.
Daymond John
CEO & Founder of FUBU
Entrepreneurship, brand building, and innovation in healthcare technology.
Hal Wolf & David Banks
Executive Summit
AI ROI frameworks, with AdventHealth's $60M AI investment case study.
Venue Verdict
Single consolidated venue - no more walking between buildings "The Park" - great new networking area in Hall G Continuous refreshments throughout conference hours Startup Emerge pavilion showcased great innovation
Lower energy compared to HIMSS 2025 - some companies scaled back booths Caesars Forum had higher foot traffic than Venetian Hall G Some exhibitors questioned ROI of massive booth investments AI regulation fragmented - states vs. federal creating confusion
Moments from the Floor
Compare with HIMSS 2025
See how HIMSS26 stacked up against last year. Compare trends, venue experiences, and the evolution of healthcare AI from predictive to generative to agentic.
Read the Full Daily Recaps
Let's Continue the Conversation
HIMSS26 is done, but the work continues. If you're implementing AI in healthcare, building your go-to-market strategy, or need help with healthcare marketing - let's connect.
Schedule a Call
Let's discuss healthcare AI implementation, GTM strategy, or how to build your digital presence in AI search results.
Get in Touch
Have questions about anything from HIMSS26? Want to discuss AI trends or partnership opportunities? Reach out directly.
Couldn't make it to HIMSS 2026?
Get the full recap, key takeaways, and presentation slides delivered to your inbox. Everything you missed, condensed into one resource.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about HIMSS 2026 and key takeaways from the conference
HIMSS 2026 took place March 9-12, 2026 at the Venetian Convention & Expo Center in Las Vegas. It brought 24,000+ healthcare IT professionals from 75 countries. Agentic AI dominated the conference with major announcements from every major EHR vendor and tech giant. Key themes included AI governance, cybersecurity, hospital-at-home expansion, and interoperability.
Major announcements included Epic's no-code Agent Factory visual builder, Google Cloud's Gemini AI agent partnerships with CVS and Humana, Microsoft's expanded Dragon Copilot, Amazon Health Connect, Salesforce's 6 new Agentforce Health agents, VSee's autonomous telehealth robot, Innovaccer's Flow Capture autonomous coding, and Abridge's enterprise AI deployment across WVU Medicine.
The dominant theme was the shift from generative AI to Agentic AI - autonomous systems that independently execute healthcare workflows. As Mayo Clinic's John Halamka noted: 'First it was predictive AI, then generative AI, now it's agentic AI.' However, autonomous AI remained mostly on the administrative side (revenue cycle, call centers), with humans staying in the loop on clinical decisions.
HIMSS 2026 had approximately 24,000 attendees from 75 countries. Nearly one-third came from the C-suite, and three out of four attendees were described as decision-makers or influencers - making it a buyer-driven conference rather than a tire-kicking event.
The Change Healthcare breach aftermath dominated cybersecurity conversations. A Cohesity report revealed 94% of healthcare organizations have paid ransoms despite only 49% being confident in their security strategies. Zero Trust architecture became table stakes, and the gap between security spending and actual preparedness was a major discussion point.
HIMSS 2026 featured a consolidated single-venue format at the Venetian. New additions included 'The Park' themed networking area in Hall G, continuous refreshments, one-hour focused workshops, and the Brews & Bites Booth Crawl. However, some attendees noted lower energy compared to HIMSS 2025, with some companies scaling back booth investments.
Four major marketing gaps were identified: (1) No AI Overview presence in ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Gemini, (2) Dead content strategies with outdated blogs, (3) Zero executive thought leadership from C-suite on LinkedIn, and (4) Social media invisibility despite spending millions on conference booths.
You can schedule a call at gkotte.com/calendar to discuss healthcare AI implementation, GTM strategy, or AI search visibility. You can also connect on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/gkotte or follow on X @gkotte1 for ongoing healthcare AI insights.