Provider

Brian Smith, chief pharmacy officer at Shields Health Services, says that, while automation and AI can speed up the prior authorization process, patients may face other barriers to care that require human intervention.

Lawrence Voyten, chair of the HIMSS Chapter Advocacy Task Force, urges healthcare professionals to join their local HIMSS chapters to advocate on critical industry issues.

The contract with MIT Lincoln Laboratory will integrate WHOOP's wearable tech into the U.S. Navy's CREW program to monitor fatigue and readiness among naval forces.

Rad AI CIO Demetri Giannikopoulos warns that AI regulations must be aligned across the United States to avoid cross-border differences in care and ensure consistent standards for patients and providers.

Policy Influencer Changemaker awardee Brett Meeks of Jeffrey J. Kimbell & Associates recommends that healthcare IT newcomers be open to change as AI and other technologies continue to develop.

Ambient AI relieves clinicians' cognitive burden by capturing visits and drafting patient notes so they can be fully present in the encounter and patients feel seen and heard, says Matt Troup, clinical strategy principal at Abridge.

HIMSS26 Policy Influencer Changemaker Award recipient Gayle Harrell, Florida state senator, emphasizes that regulations on AI and other digital technology need to ensure that decision-making power remains with clinicians.

Dr. Christopher R. Cogle, director of the Florida Health Policy Leadership Academy, says designing systems for the most complex and vulnerable populations has created advances for healthcare information technology.

Sarah Hatchett, Cleveland Clinic CIO, explains that her team is evolving to not only offer technical support, but to help address adoption challenges and secure staff buy-in for new tools.

Health information exchange networks need stronger governance as they scale, with some calling for a federally overseen credentialing model to improve oversight and trust.