Following a week of critical health IT conversations at HIMSS, it’s clear we've reached a fundamental inflection point. The future of healthcare is no longer a distant vision; it's being realized through the strategic convergence of artificial intelligence and seamless interoperability. Crucially, this shift is finally placing the patient at the center of the narrative. True patient empowerment — providing individuals with the digital tools and transparent data they need to navigate their own care journeys — has become one of the industry's most vital imperatives.
To achieve this, the Expanse EHR has evolved into a dynamic platform that enables innovation. It serves as the essential, intelligent foundation upon which organizations can build transformative solutions — and it was inspiring to see this vision showcased so clearly by MEDITECH, our customers, and our partners throughout the week. With the right orchestration of actionable data, I'm seeing healthcare organizations of all sizes innovating without boundaries, connecting providers with the full patient story, empowering patients, and achieving better outcomes. This vision for how a truly interconnected approach is fundamentally improving healthcare and the patient experience was powerfully demonstrated by Dr. Ekanjali Dhillon of HCA Healthcare UK.
Dr. Dhillon discussed how MEDITECH Expanse shifts care from being documented to being dynamic. By prioritizing patient empowerment and enhancing the provider experience, often with AI-driven tools that reduce administrative tasks, organizations deliver more predictive and coordinated care.
With MEDITECH, the same technological innovations are available to all organizations, connecting care even across vast, remote areas of the world. This focus on equitable access is why we devoted a panel to the theme of rural health resilience. With Holly Davis, MBA, BSN, FACHDM and CNO at Bingham Healthcare and Jocelyn Keegan, Vice President of Aetna Interoperability, Aetna (a CVS Health Company), we covered the importance of building trust, and leveraging standards-aligned EHR technology to reduce administrative burden relative to payer data exchange. 
We discussed practical guidance for rural health systems on engaging in automated data exchange to stabilize revenue cycles and manage limited administrative resources.
A strong advocate for rural healthcare, Holly also presented on the HIMSS main stage. She shared how Bingham Healthcare overcame many of the unique challenges facing rural healthcare organizations using patient-centered and data-driven strategies to improve outcomes, expand preventive care, and strengthen financial performance, stating: “Some people think rural health is disadvantaged, but we are just differently advantaged.”
Our commitment to resilience in rural healthcare extends globally. Throughout East Africa, locally sourced, context-rich, real-time data is driving equitable and transformative care. Michael Oppenheim and changemaker Farhana Alarakhiya from The Aga Khan University Centre shared how they are leveraging advanced AI solutions to enhance clinical practice and improve patient outcomes.
Michael Oppenheim and changemaker Farhana Alarakhiya from The Aga Khan University Centre shared how they are leveraging advanced AI solutions to enhance clinical practice and improve patient outcomes.
Kim Landers and Kathleen Rombach from Morris Hospital & Healthcare Centers presented on a panel about nurse recruiting and retention. They described the robust wellness program they developed to address the mental health crisis among its nurses, which significantly reduced turnover and supports recruitment and retention efforts.
Leaders from St. Mary's Healthcare Amsterdam shared how data-driven decision support helped them optimize medication alerts, boost CPOE performance, and improve their Leapfrog Safety Grade, all while reducing alert fatigue and enhancing clinician satisfaction.
Pictured left to right: Michael LeBlanc, PharmD, Clinical Pharmacy Manager, BCPS, Julie Demaree, PA, MHA, CPHIMS, Executive Director of Clinical Innovation, and Josh Baker, PharmD, Director of Pharmacy.
MEDITECH debuted new AI solutions that integrate seamlessly with our existing intelligent tools, positioning the Expanse EHR as an orchestrator of care. Key innovations include native ambient intelligence for physicians and nurses, the Ask Expanse chatbot for clinicians, and the MyHealth Assistant for enhanced patient engagement. To support health system sustainability, MEDITECH is also introducing a claim denial agent to streamline the denial management and appeals processes.
My colleague Mike Cordeiro delved deeper into this discussion at the Interoperability + Smart Pavilion, joining a panel with Kenn Harper of Microsoft, Jackie Rice from Frederick Health, and Brian Anderson, MD, from CHAI. From Mike's point of view, ambient AI is valuable for reducing documentation time, but its most critical function is transforming unstructured data into clean, structured data. This fundamental shift is what ultimately strengthens revenue integrity, clinical quality, and the core intelligence layer of the EHR.
Pictured left to right: Mike Cordeiro, Senior Director of Interoperability, MEDITECH, Kenn Harper, General Manager, Microsoft, Jackie Rice VP & CIO, Frederick Health, and Brian Anderson, MD, President & CIO, CHAI
We concluded HIMSS26 by highlighting interoperability as vital for all organizations, particularly rural and community health systems. Liz Lewis of b.well Connected Health emphasized that patient access to data via open standards is the key to true interoperability; Brendan Keeler of HTD Health reinforced how interoperable data exchange is a lifeline for rural organizations; and Tito Perez of Emanate Health discussed the real-world impact of interoperability, observing that over 95% of the data on their Traverse Exchange network originates from other EHRs.
When attending an event as massive as HIMSS, it’s important to carve out some time for fun. This was an easy task, with many great moments to share. I particularly enjoyed celebrating the Best in KLAS 2026 awards with my colleagues.
Photo Source From left to right: Jason Patnode, Marketing Manager, Christopher Policano, VP, Cathy Turner, RN, Chief Marketing and Nursing Executive, and me.
I was thrilled to see Ontario Shores Centre for Health Sciences awarded their second Davies Award of Excellence. Ontario Shores is the first mental health hospital to achieve this distinction twice and only the second Canadian organization to do so since the award's inception.
Photo Source From left to right: Dr. Philip Klassen, VP of Medical Affairs and Research, John Chen, President and CEO, and Surinder Razdan, Vice Chair.
Of course, some of the best times at HIMSS always come from our annual MEDITECH Night Out with customers and partners. We are grateful for our customers and sponsor partners, and for the good food and fantastic company!
This year's MEDITECH Night Out festivities took place in beautiful St. Mark's Square at the Venetian.
Reflecting on these special moments — from the lively night out and impressive presentations, to the meaningful connections forged — I'm already looking forward to next year! It was wonderful to engage with so many customers, partners, and industry leaders, and I'm excited to continue our important conversations throughout the year.
Looking ahead, we have events coming up in Foxborough, Massachusetts that you won’t want to miss. On May 5-6, the Advancing Clinician Efficiency Summit will provide Expanse customers with strategies and insights for maximizing their EHR value and improving clinician efficiency.
Following the summit, you'll also want to save the date for MEDITECH LIVE26, on September 29th - October 1st, where you can join healthcare leaders to share insights on leveraging your EHR to orchestrate care.
You will learn more about MEDITECH's commitment to delivering smart technology that drives transformational change, enhances the care experience, and achieves measurable improvements in patient outcomes. I hope to see you here!
