By Beth Friedman, FACHDM, Sr. Partner, FINN Partners
LinkedIn: Beth Friedman
LinkedIn: FINN Partners
Host of FINN Voices
If ViVE 2026 had a plot twist, it was this: data is king, and every vendor is now a data company. The subplot of our health IT reality show is that AI innovation is no longer the headline, successful implementation is.
Across three days of conversation, few shiny new tools emerged. Instead, sessions and meetings focused on how existing tech can solve real, bottom-line issues. These discussions also explored something harder to build than software: trust.
In today’s rapid-fire era, vendors must lead with trust. Whether the topic was data exchange, ambient documentation, or rural health, one truth resurfaced: healthcare moves at the speed of trust.
Reconnection, Momentum, Transparency
Day One felt like a reconnection. The industry is navigating federal shifts, financial pressure, and an AI wave that mirrors the 1998 internet energy, immense potential dampened by a tsunami of regulatory change.
A highlight was hearing from CMS leaders (who were notably absent from the circuit last year). They detailed the new ACCESS (Advancing Chronic Care with Effective, Scalable Solutions) Model, a 10-year voluntary program launching July 2026.
The model aims to improve care for Medicare beneficiaries with chronic conditions and reflects a clear push towards value-based care. While technology is foundational to its success, for this four-decade healthcare veteran, it sounded like a familiar refrain. Only time will tell.
Day Two was about momentum. The tone shifted from speculative to operational. Exhibit hall visitors moved from asking “what’s possible?” to asking “what’s working?”
One health system CIO I met heartily endorsed ambient clinical documentation and AI for the help desk and revenue cycle. However, he remains cautious regarding AI in clinical workflows.
Day Three sharpened around transparency: data, price, and AI. Attendees are becoming smarter shoppers. I believe this is a healthy evolution for our highly competitive industry.
Rural Health: Innovation Without Recklessness
Rural health has become a proving ground for practical technology advancement. While many community hospitals still struggle with antiquated IT infrastructures, niche areas of innovation were shared including telehealth to fill clinical specialty gaps and regional partnerships to stabilize service lines.
Speakers were optimistic that the $50B Rural Health Transformation (RHT) Program would fuel innovation in these critical communities. However, the RHT is only half the story.
Rural providers are already feeling downward revenue pressure. Gulshan Mehta, CIO and Chief Digital Officer at Blanchard Valley Health System, noted a “noticeable increase in self-insured patients and a reduction in visit volume” in January 2026. While regulation drives change, rural providers need more predictability, as self-pay often results in no-pay for rural facilities.
Other experts shared similar caution for rural healthcare during educational session and media meetups.
- Phil Sobol (CereCore): Small hospitals often move faster on IT decisions but cannot afford mistakes. Trial and error isn’t a strategy when margins are thin.
- Chris Spearman (ScaleHealth): Innovation is necessary, but these communities cannot tolerate reckless disruption. Stability matters.
- Halima Ahmadi-Montecalvo (Unite Us): Access is just the entry point. Community infrastructure, including transportation, workforce, and trust, are the real determinants if care happens for these patient populations.
Health Data and the Accountability Gap
Data dominated the tradeshow floor with specific focus on data quality, governance, and interoperability. John McDaniel, CIO of Trinity Health, emphasized that while we have enough data in healthcare, we still lack “good, accurate information.”
Brad Hawkins (MRO) unpacked the complexity of data sharing in “payvider” settings, where transparency is structural, not optional. Meanwhile, Dilpreet Sahota (Trek Health) reframed Transparency in Coverage (TiC) data as a tool for contract intelligence. Transparency isn’t just a rule; it’s leverage for providers to gain a competitive advantage.
The echoing concern? Data and AI governance are the essential foundation for successful deployment and expansion. Without guardrails, hasty executive decisions risk eroding the trust that new technology is meant to enhance.
Leadership Required
Several sessions offered masterclasses in disciplined execution. Ben Hilmes and John McDaniel detailed how Trinity Health implemented Workday and Epic simultaneously by aligning clinical and IT teams. Their secret? Leadership isn’t just about technology. It’s also about the people.
Healthcare remains human-led. AI may accelerate workflows, but people transform care. As we look toward ViVE 2027, the industry is moving away from trendy disruption and asking harder questions:
- Are clinicians ready?
- Is the solution scalable?
- Does it close a real gap?
- Will patients trust it?
See you in Nashville!