This week in Las Vegas, HLTH 2025 brought together over 12,000 leaders, innovators, and investors shaping the future of healthcare. Across more than 400 sessions, the themes were clear: AI is reshaping care, digital health is going mainstream, and collaboration across sectors is redefining what healthcare looks like. A few prominent themes and insights I took away from HLTH, and why they matter for the year ahead:
1. Artificial Intelligence Is Now Core Infrastructure
AI wasn’t just a buzzword this year, it was a foundation. Across panels the message was unified that AI will be key to solving healthcare’s biggest challenges: access, affordability, and workforce shortages.
Examples like GE HealthCare’s new CareIntellect platform are paving the way, using real-time data to optimize hospital operations and improve patient flow. Similarly, companies such as Oura Labs are using AI-driven early detection tools to identify potential health risks before symptoms even appear, marking a shift toward truly preventive care.
But the conversation also underscored the need for collaboration, interoperability, and responsible deployment to ensure equity and transparency. Healthcare is becoming AI-native, where the winners will be those who operationalize it safely, ethically, and at scale.
2. Digital Therapeutics and Consumer Engagement Are Accelerating
This year marked a turning point for digital health. From digital therapeutics and AI-powered health platforms to advanced patient engagement tools, the sector is maturing into an integrated component of care delivery. Startups and established players alike showcased how continuous, data-informed care is empowering individuals to take a more active role in their health.
Real-time monitoring and personalized insights are now table stakes, while behavioral and mental health solutions are gaining unprecedented traction. Digital therapeutics stood out in particular, providing scalable ways to expand access to mental health services and optimize the time of clinicians.
Consumers are no longer passive recipients of care. Digital platforms are giving them insight and influence, helping them understand their health data, make informed decisions, and receive care that is proactive rather than reactive.
3. Workforce, Care Delivery, and Virtual Models Are Evolving
Perhaps the most urgent topic throughout the conference was the ongoing strain on healthcare workers and how technology can be used to support them, rather than replace them. Virtual nursing models are emerging as a powerful solution, extending clinical capacity and improving patient satisfaction while easing the burden on bedside teams.
Leaders across health systems discussed using AI and automation to streamline administrative workflows, from documentation to scheduling, so clinicians can focus more on patient care and less on bureaucracy. The narrative is shifting from “technology versus people” to “technology for people.”
Human-centered innovation is now the cornerstone of workforce resilience. The systems that thrive will be those that use digital tools to restore purpose, improve working conditions, and put compassion back at the heart of care delivery.
4. Pharmacy, Weight Management, and New Revenue Models Are Converging
The pharmacy sector is rapidly reinventing itself from a transactional retail model into an integrated hub for preventive and personalized care. HLTH highlighted new pharmacy services and business models designed to address patient needs more holistically, blending medication management with nutrition, behavioral health, and lifestyle support.
One of the most notable examples came from the partnership between Highmark and Noom, highlighting the intersection of pharmacy, digital therapeutics, and weight management. This collaboration reflects a broader shift toward an era in which health plans, pharmacies, and digital wellness platforms work together to tackle metabolic health and obesity at scale.
As health systems and payers seek new revenue streams beyond traditional care delivery, these integrated approaches combining preventive care, digital engagement, and chronic condition management are redefining how value is created in healthcare.
5. Innovation, Startups, and Investment Are Thriving
The energy around innovation this year was palpable. The startup pavilions buzzed with early-stage founders, growth-stage disruptors, and investors eager to identify the next wave of transformative ideas. Capital is still flowing, but with a sharper focus as investors prioritize companies that can demonstrate tangible impact in workforce optimization, operational efficiency, and patient experience.
Meanwhile, pharma and life sciences leaders are doubling down on AI for drug discovery and exploring new commercialization models to accelerate therapy delivery. The next wave of healthcare transformation will not come from one sector alone, but from cross-sector collaboration. Startups, payers, providers, and life sciences are recognizing that the most powerful innovations emerge when silos are broken down and shared data, goals, and incentives align.
Final Reflections
The conversations at HLTH were about the future of healthcare, but also offered a roadmap for how organizations and brands must evolve to stay relevant. For healthcare technology companies, the expectation is to demonstrate how solutions improve outcomes, strengthen the workforce, and enhance the human experience.
For communications professionals, this means telling more grounded, data-driven stories. The most effective campaigns in 2026 will connect the dots between innovation and impact, showing how AI, digital therapeutics, and new care models make care more accessible, affordable, and equitable. As healthcare becomes more digital, the differentiator won’t be data or devices; it will be how clearly and authentically we communicate their value.
Let’s continue the conversation. If you are looking to enhance your healthcare marketing and communications strategies, please reach out to [email protected] to explore how V2 can be a partner in those endeavors.