Thursday, September 18, 2025
8:45 AM - 9:15 AM
America Ballroom

In our 2024 Executive Leadership research, healthcare organizations identified being patient-centered as their number one priority over the next 12 months. This year’s research tracks how successful healthcare leaders were in achieving that goal and what obstacles hindered their efforts. 

It also looks at what healthcare organizations are budgeting for as the industry continues its digital transformation journey. Cybersecurity continues to remain a high priority, especially as new technologies entering the market create new avenues of vulnerability. Understanding where executive leaders are focusing their attention can help peers develop stronger cyber resilience programs.

With newer forms of AI being leveraged in healthcare settings, how healthcare organizations are ensuring data quality can serve as a blueprint for those investigating the latest AI technologies. This year’s research builds on the 2024 results to highlight myriad ways — including change management and process improvement — in which healthcare leaders are working to accomplish current and new goals.

Speaker:

Nicole Ramage
Senior Market Insights Manager
HIMSS

Learning Points:

• Achieving their patient-centered initiatives
• Improving their organization’s cybersecurity awareness
• Ensuring data is being measured, appropriately leveraged, and successfully deployed
• Enabling a collaborative, empowering learning environment across the enterprise and with vendors/partners

Thursday, September 18, 2025
9:15 AM - 9:45 AM
America Ballroom

Many organizations have joined the AI bandwagon, but the work does not stop after the investment has been made. Join this session to learn about the key ingredients needed for AI to thrive in your organization and the competencies required for your workforce to effectively use and manage these new tools. Learn to upskill your workforce with the necessary skills, knowledge, and processes to ensure ethical and effective implementation. Hear thought leaders in clinical practice and informatics explore the data cleansing and stress tests used to ensure that the foundation of your investment is secure and the management of your data will provide accurate results to advance patient care and daily operations. Attendees will gain practical insights into aligning workforce development with evolving AI capabilities, regulatory standards, and patient-centered care models. 

Speakers:

Susan Fenton
Vice Dean for Education for the Department of Clinical and Health Informatics
University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

Jason Smith
MATTER

Everett Weiss
Medical Director, Health Informatics
Rochester Regional Health

Anne Snowdon
Chief Research Officer
HIMSS

Josh Wymer
Chief Health Information & Data Strategy Officer
Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services

Key Takeaways:

• Identify the essential competencies healthcare teams need to successfully implement and manage AI solutions.
• Discover strategies to build a sustainable, AI-literate workforce.
• Understand how to prepare data systems through rigorous validation and testing practices.
• Learn how to align AI adoption with ethical standards, regulatory compliance, and organizational goals.
• Gain insights from clinical and informatics leaders on overcoming real-world implementation challenges.

Thursday, September 18, 2025
2:30 PM - 3:00 PM

In this dynamic fireside chat, leading voices in healthcare strategy and innovation come together to explore the future of AI in healthcare. Through the lens of research, data, and digital operations, this conversation will unpack the key focus areas health systems must prioritize to scale AI responsibly and effectively. From driving health equity and patient-centered innovation to addressing data governance and workforce readiness, this session offers practical insights for leaders shaping tomorrow’s AI-enabled care delivery.

Speakers:

Rachini Moosavi
Chief Analytics Officer
UNC Health

Patrick Thomas
Medical Director of Innovation, Trauma Medical Director, & Director of Digital Innovation in Pediatric Surgery
Children’s Nebraska and The University of Nebraska Medical Center

Anne Snowdon
Chief Research Officer
HIMSS

Key Takeaways:

• Understand the top strategic priorities for health systems implementing AI in clinical and operational settings.
• Learn how digital, analytics, and research leaders are aligning AI with broader organizational goals.
• Gain insight into responsible scaling practices, including governance, transparency, and data stewardship.
• Explore how AI can be used to promote health equity and patient-centered innovation.
• Identify the cultural and workforce shifts required to support AI adoption at scale.