October 19-22, 2025, The Venetian Expo Center hosted over 12,000 healthcare leaders for HLTH, the industry’s largest innovation event. Providers, payers, pharma companies, employers, tech startups, and investors gathered to explore how technology might solve healthcare’s most persistent problems.
The eighth annual HLTH conference arrived at an unusual moment. The federal government was partially shut down over questions about extending Affordable Care Act tax credits. Healthcare costs continued climbing faster than inflation. AI promised transformation but delivered mostly uncertainty. The mood reflected these tensions.
A Quieter Conference This Year
Several healthcare leaders who attended previous HLTH events used the same word to describe 2025: “quieter.” The assessment came unprompted when asked open-ended questions about whether they were enjoying the conference or how it compared to other years.
To be clear, 12,000 people don’t gather quietly. The expo floor buzzed with activity. Networking lounges filled with conversations. Sessions drew substantial crowds. But the energy felt different from previous years when healthcare leaders radiated confidence about technology solving everything.
Reality has a way of tempering optimism. Healthcare costs keep rising despite technological advances. Electronic health records create as many problems as they solve. The promise of precision medicine remains mostly unfulfilled. Leaders arrived at HLTH with more caution than previous years.
AI Dominated Everything
Saying AI dominated HLTH feels obvious, like noting the Super Bowl is America’s biggest sporting event. But ignoring or downplaying AI’s presence would be ridiculous.
HLTH devoted significantly more space to AI on the show floor, including an expanded AI pavilion. One healthcare leader wondered if there even needed to be a separate AI pavilion since AI permeated virtually every company and conversation at the conference.
Healthcare organizations are clearly embracing AI tools to streamline business operations, particularly billing and coding. If there’s one area where AI is proving itself, it’s ambient documentation. These AI tools summarize physician conversations with patients and enter them in electronic records, saving doctors significant time on documentation.
The technology works. Doctors tested it and kept using it because it solves real problems. That’s different from many healthcare innovations that look good in demos but fail in practice.
Clinical AI Proceeds More Cautiously
Leaders at the conference highlighted increased AI use in patient care: tools assisting with radiology and highlighting results needing attention, systems detecting patients at risk of sepsis, and algorithms predicting patient deterioration.
But plenty of healthcare leaders are moving cautiously about incorporating AI in clinical uses. Tom Mihaljevic, president and CEO of the Cleveland Clinic, said he’s very enthusiastic about AI in healthcare during a conversation on HLTH’s main stage. But he also noted that healthcare isn’t the place for the mantra of “move fast and break things.”
The caution makes sense. Mistakes in documentation create billing problems. Mistakes in diagnosis kill people. The risk profiles are completely different.
The Cost Crisis Takes Center Stage
This year, healthcare leaders talked more about rising costs. Entrepreneur Mark Cuban, founder of Cost Plus Drugs, hammered that point home in a blunt conversation on the main stage during the conference’s first day.
He railed against forces that prevent too many Americans from affording prescription drugs and healthcare generally. Cuban urged healthcare leaders to act, saying, “We are complicit in all this.”
He wasn’t alone. At various panel discussions, healthcare leaders acknowledged that too many people aren’t pursuing care because of high prices. Many others drain savings or go deep into debt to get care.
Mihaljevic made the case that this is why AI matters, saying it’s a way to make care more affordable and accessible. The argument: if AI reduces labor costs and improves efficiency, healthcare can cost less while delivering better outcomes.
The logic only works if savings get passed to patients rather than captured by shareholders and executives. Healthcare has a poor track record of converting efficiency gains into lower prices.
The Conference Structure Creates Value
HLTH’s format distinguishes it from traditional healthcare conferences. Rather than focusing narrowly on clinical training or one sector, HLTH convenes providers, payers, pharma, employers, startups, investors, policymakers, and big tech in a single forum.
The mix creates opportunities for partnerships that wouldn’t happen at specialty conferences. A health system executive can meet directly with startup founders, venture investors, and technology vendors, all in the same day.
Curated one-on-one networking matches decision-makers with relevant partners. The system works better than wandering an expo floor hoping to find the right people. Facilitated introductions save time and increase connection quality.
The massive expo floor showcases breakthrough technologies and solutions. Over 900 sponsors and exhibitors demonstrated products, from established medical device companies to seed-stage startups building in stealth mode.
Four hundred-plus speakers delivered content ranging from inspirational keynotes to tactical implementation workshops. The programming balance matters. Some people want big-picture vision. Others need specific guidance solving immediate problems.
Special Focus Areas Create Communities
HLTH 2025 organized content into themed tracks that brought together specific constituencies:
The AI and Healthcare track explored real-world applications, investment trends, and regulatory landscape. Leaders from health systems, pharma, payers, tech companies, and AI startups discussed how AI transforms healthcare delivery, clinical decision-making, and patient engagement.
The Startup Showcase built what organizers called “the ultimate launchpad for innovative ideas and high-impact partnerships.” Seed-stage disruptors to growth-stage leaders connected with investors and potential customers. This is where funding flows and deals happen.
The Diagnostics track highlighted how AI, big data, and bioinformatics shift healthcare from reactive to proactive, cutting costs, boosting efficiency, and unlocking scalable solutions. Lab science and digital diagnostics leaders connected across healthcare, life sciences, and medtech.
The Employer Health track addressed rising demand for cost-effective, high-impact solutions focused on employee health to boost productivity, retention, and wellbeing. Business leaders, HR executives, benefits innovators, and payers reimagined employer-sponsored healthcare.
The Food Lab showcased how nutrition science, digital health tools, and new business models scale food-as-medicine solutions. Healthcare providers, insurers, retailers, pharma, and employers explored where food meets healthcare, AI, and consumer health.
The Dental Innovation track brought together dental, healthcare, technology, and investment communities to showcase how innovation in diagnostics, AI, and digital health reshapes oral health and its role in overall care.
The International Healthcare track helped global leaders share innovations, unlock new markets, and build partnerships. As healthcare becomes increasingly global, these connections matter for companies expanding beyond domestic markets.
Patient Voices Move to Center
HLTH positioned patients as drivers of innovation rather than subjects of it. As healthcare innovation surges ahead, organizers put authentic patient voices at the center of technology, policy, and product design.
From health equity to digital tools, the goal was ensuring innovation reflects real-world needs of diverse communities. Better health starts with listening, the conference argued.
The emphasis matters because healthcare technology often gets developed by people who don’t use it. Doctors, engineers, and executives design systems that make sense to them but frustrate patients. Including patient perspectives throughout development prevents expensive mistakes.
Pharma and Life Sciences Integration
AI, biotech, and digital health leaders gathered to redefine drug development, clinical trials, and precision medicine. The most innovative pharma and life sciences leaders forged partnerships, accelerated R&D, and shaped the future.
Pharmaceutical companies see AI as potential solution to rising development costs and lengthy timelines. If AI can identify promising drug candidates faster or design better clinical trials, it could transform an industry stuck with expensive, slow processes.
The integration hasn’t happened yet. Pharma operates under heavy regulation that moves slowly for good reasons. But HLTH provided space for conversations between pharmaceutical companies and technology providers who believe they can help.
Wolters Kluwer Demonstrates Trust in AI
Wolters Kluwer exhibited and sponsored HLTH, showcasing expert solutions and AI innovations focused on trust and efficiency. The company launched AI-enhanced UpToDate Enterprise Edition, revolutionizing clinical decision support for healthcare systems with AI for search, usage analytics, and more.
UpToDate Connect offers API-integrated clinical intelligence, letting other platforms embed trusted decision support directly into clinician workflows. As clinical workflows grow more complex, digital health platforms can reduce friction and restore focus.
Trust and transparency became Wolters Kluwer’s theme. The company understands that healthcare professionals won’t adopt AI tools unless they trust the underlying information and can understand how systems reach conclusions.
The emphasis on trust addresses real concerns. Early AI tools sometimes produced confident-sounding recommendations based on flawed reasoning. Healthcare can’t tolerate that error rate.
The Networking Events Create Connections
HLTH structured networking throughout the conference week:
Sunday’s Welcome Reception at Topgolf Las Vegas kicked off the event with shuttle service for all attendees. The casual venue encouraged conversations that don’t happen in formal conference settings.
Monday through Wednesday featured Happy Hour festivities on the show floor with lounges, collaborative atmosphere, and unique activations. The Nurse Innovator Pavilion celebrated nurses’ role in care delivery and innovation. The Impact Pavilion hosted HLTH Foundation and National Association for Community Health Centers events.
The AgeTech After Dark Pitch Challenge brought together leaders shaping the future of aging. Five finalists presented innovative AgeTech solutions for a chance to win $10,000. The combination of networking and competition created energy.
The Women & Allies in Health gathering attracted one of HLTH’s largest and most popular evening receptions. Gender equity matters in an industry where women dominate frontline healthcare but remain underrepresented in executive leadership.
The Digital Health Awards celebrated the best in digital health with a formal ceremony recognizing innovators making waves in the healthcare industry.
Key Takeaways
HLTH 2025 revealed several clear messages. First, AI has moved from hype to implementation in limited applications. Ambient documentation works. Some clinical decision support systems add value. But we’re early in adoption, and caution is warranted.
Second, healthcare costs dominate executive thinking more than previous years. Technology that doesn’t reduce costs or improve affordability won’t gain traction regardless of clinical benefits.
Third, the industry is maturing its approach to innovation. The “move fast and break things” mentality that works in consumer technology doesn’t apply to healthcare where mistakes have serious consequences.
Fourth, patients are demanding more voice in how healthcare technology gets developed and deployed. Companies ignoring patient perspectives build products that fail in market.
Fifth, the conference format matters as much as content. HLTH succeeds because it brings together diverse stakeholders who don’t normally interact.
Looking Forward
HLTH 2026 will take place in Las Vegas again, likely in fall. The conference has found its home at The Venetian Expo Center, which provides the space needed for the massive event.
Challenges facing healthcare won’t disappear by next year. Costs will continue rising. Labor shortages will persist. Technology will advance incrementally rather than transformatively. The political environment will remain uncertain.
But HLTH provides valuable space for healthcare leaders to gather, share challenges, explore solutions, and build partnerships. Sometimes that’s enough.
Las Vegas proved once again that it can host serious healthcare conversations alongside its entertainment reputation. The city’s infrastructure and hospitality make it ideal for large conferences, and attendees appreciate the evening entertainment options after intense conference days.
The quieter tone at HLTH 2025 reflected industry maturity rather than decline. Healthcare leaders are thinking more carefully about which innovations actually improve care and reduce costs. That thoughtfulness should lead to better decisions and more sustainable progress.
Links:
– HLTH USA 2025 Official Site: hlth.com
– HLTH Conference Overview: hlth.com
– HLTH 2025 Complete Guide: expahealth.com
– HLTH 2025 Key Takeaways: chiefhealthcareexecutive.com
– Wolters Kluwer at HLTH: wolterskluwer.com
