From OR to Bedside: Building a Digital Care Continuum

HIMSS Global 2026 Las Vegas - HIMSS Virtual Care Community Session

The HIMSS Virtual Care Community session “From OR to Bedside: Building a Digital Care Continuum” brought together healthcare leaders to explore how digital capabilities are being operationalized across the full spectrum of care—from the operating room to inpatient recovery and virtual care environments.

Moderated by Peter Kim, the session highlighted practical lessons from organizations deploying virtual nursing, connected surgical environments, and digitally enabled care models.

  • Connecting the Digital Care Continuum

    Across the keynote and panel discussions, a consistent message emerged: true digital transformation requires aligning technology, people, and processes.

    Connecting surgical care, inpatient recovery and virtual care environments is essential for delivering scalable, patient-centered healthcare.

  • Healthcare already has many of the technologies required for digital care. The real challenge is interoperability and building a culture that adopts them.

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  • Keynote: Policy, Culture, and the Future of Virtual Care

    The keynote highlighted that while technology is widely available, the main barrier to scaling virtual care remains interoperability and organizational culture.

    • Speaker Highlight: Kyle Zebley, CEO, American Telemedicine Association
    • Focus: Policy leadership, telehealth advocacy, and accelerating national virtual care adoption.

  • Smart OR Panel: Connecting Surgical Intelligence

    The Smart OR panel explored how connected technologies and AI are transforming surgical environments and enabling data-driven decision making in operating rooms.

    Panel Speakers

    • Moderator: Juli Hysenbelli – Global Lead Connected Care, AWS
    • Vikram Mohan – Global Head Product Management, Polyphonic | Johnson & Johnson MedTech
    • Dr. Rowland Illing – Global Chief Medical Officer | AWS
    • Dr. Hosam Mattar – Co-Founder & Chief Health Officer | Kera Health

  • Virtual Nursing Panel: Redesigning Care Delivery

    The panel emphasized that virtual nursing programs must focus on care model redesign, bedside culture, and workforce transformation rather than technology alone.

    Panel Speakers

    • Moderator: Jennifer Bowers – Principal Consultant, Get Real Consultants
    • Chantal Howard – Chief Nursing & Patient Care Services Officer | Duke University Hospital
    • Cindy Koppen – Sr Principal Clinical Specialist | Care.ai / Stryker
    • Katie Ferraro – Clinical Informatics Program Manager | Advocate Health
  • Audience Engagement and Key Themes

    The session generated strong audience participation and discussion around the future of digitally enabled care delivery.

    Key discussion themes included:

    • Scaling virtual nursing programs across health systems
    • Achieving interoperability between clinical platforms
    • Integrating AI into surgical workflows
    • Aligning digital strategy with workforce transformation
    Session Key Takeaways
    • Technology is no longer the primary barrier to digital care.
    • Interoperability remains the largest challenge for scaling connected care.
    • Culture and clinician engagement drive digital transformation.
    • Care model redesign is essential for virtual nursing and Smart OR success.