From the Floor at HIMSS 2026: What Healthcare Leaders Need to Know — and How WWT Can Help

Last week, I was one of thousands of healthcare leaders, clinicians, technologists  and innovators on the floor at the 2026 HIMSS Global Health Conference & Exhibition in Las Vegas. With over 600 education sessions and an exhibit floor showcasing the next decades of care delivery, one message came across loud and clear: The time for digital experimentation in healthcare is done. We are now entering the age of execution, and the stakes have never been higher. 

Given this backdrop, here are the key takeaways that emerged for me from HIMSS 2026, and why I believe WWT is well-positioned to assist healthcare systems in advancing strategies with measurable impact.

AI is no longer just a pilot program

If HIMSS 2026 had a central thesis, it was this: AI needs to earn its spot in clinical and operational workflows, and healthcare systems are seeking evidence. Conversations across the conference floor moved decisively beyond the question of whether to govern, scale and measure AI responsibly, toward how to do so.

Some key use cases generating the most excitement included ambient clinical documentation, predictive readmission analytics, AI-enabled diagnostics, and revenue cycle automation. For clinicians tired of getting buried beneath the administrative burden, even ambient AI documentation alone is bar none the most meaningful quality-of-life improvement in a generation. ​Many clinicians who were considering early retirement are now reconsidering that decision, as these tools are helping them address their burnout.

Our AI & Data practice at WWT works with healthcare organizations to establish the infrastructure and governance frameworks needed to scale AI beyond controlled pilots throughout the enterprise. We work with health systems to assess vendors, architect AI-ready environments, and embed intelligent tools directly into clinical workflows. ​

Cybersecurity: From compliance to resilience

Cybersecurity was the overarching theme during HIMSS 2026, and for good reason. Healthcare has consistently been the most attacked sector for ransomware and data breaches, and its financial and operational impacts are existential for many systems. It was made clear at the conference that point-in-time compliance is no longer enough; healthcare systems need cyber resilience built into the architecture from the ground up.

The conversation has also matured. Leaders aren't just asking how to prevent attacks; they're wondering how to respond and recover when one inevitably occurs. The conference's cybersecurity track focused on zero-trust architecture, identity management and third-party risk governance.

WWT's Cybersecurity practice provides an integrated security plan founded in risk management that covers IT governance, compliance and patient privacy. We assist healthcare systems in setting up robust architectures that both safeguard sensitive patient data and deliver the operational flexibility that contemporary care requires.

Interoperability: From ambition to infrastructure

FHIR-native ecosystem and API-driven data exchange were additional themes of HIMSS 2026. The regulatory requirements around interoperability have created some momentum, but the real opportunity is what's possible when data can flow freely — real-time care coordination, population health insights and truly integrated patient journeys. ​

CIOs at healthcare systems are realizing that interoperability is not just a technical problem; it's a strategic one. Technical data liquidity requires a governance approach, aligned vendor contracts and clinical workflows. ​

WWT enables healthcare organizations to develop connected data environments that foster coordinated, value-based care. Whether we are working to design an EHR integration strategy or building cloud-based data platforms, we help organizations move away from compliance check boxes toward real data liquidity. ​

Digital patient experience + connected care

Remote patient monitoring, wearables and next-generation patient portals were a big focus area as healthcare systems look to move care outside the four walls of the hospital. Patients expect the same seamless digital experiences they receive from consumer tech, and healthcare organizations that provide them will see measurable benefits in engagement and outcomes. ​

WWT has direct experience here, too. Just recently, we assisted a large U.S. health system in implementing BLE-enabled location services and smart infrastructure that autonomously recognize arriving patients and attach them to their Epic records without the need for manual touch points. That kind of frictionless, patient-centric design is what the market now needs. 

Infrastructure modernization: The foundation every other thing needs

Perhaps one of the most impactful and frequently overlooked conversations at HIMSS 2026 was focused on infrastructure. All these promising developments in AI, interoperability and digital health need to rest on a modern foundation: hybrid cloud running at scale. Legacy IT systems and outdated networks are the invisible shackles to every digital transformation effort. 

Healthcare CIOs need to approach cloud and infrastructure modernization as a strategic imperative, not just an IT back-office project. High-performance and secure healthcare operations necessitate the use of mixed architectures that span edge computing, public cloud and on-premises environments. ​

WWT's deep expertise in all things infrastructure — networking, cloud and edge computing — gives us a unique vantage point to help health systems establish the technical underpinnings that enable every other innovation. We are doing so now as we serve more than 11,000 hospitals and treatment centers and help to reach one in every two patients across the United States. 

The bottom line

HIMSS 2026 reaffirmed what we at WWT have been telling our healthcare system partners: that transformation isn't just about technology, it's the right mix of strategy, execution and clinical expertise. WWT is here to help you move from ambition to impact, whether navigating AI governance, hardening your cybersecurity posture, unlocking your data or modernizing your infrastructure. ​

The future of healthcare is under construction — right now. Let's build it together.

Want to know how WWT can help your healthcare system in its digital transformation journey?