HLTH 2025 Recap: Key Takeaways

Posted in Events & Thoughts Leadership

HLTH 2025 in Las Vegas drew more than thousands of attendees, including 44% C-suite leaders from across the healthcare industry. Massive hospital networks, enterprises, and AI startups, everyone gathered at the Venetian Expo Center to talk about where healthcare is headed next.

But the mood was less buzzy and more work this time. The tone was more grounded, with a shift in focus from innovation to practical execution. How to turn big ideas into measurable impact. Some key areas of discussion included:

1. Maturity of AI

For the first time, AI didn’t feel like a futuristic add-on but a foundation of a sturdy structure. This year, the conversations were less about what AI could do and more about how it’s actually being used.

• Practical deployment: Hospitals, payers, and startups discussed AI in real-world settings. Every aspect was detailed, from automating billing and coding to supporting clinical decisions and patient triage. Health leaders repeatedly said AI’s value now depends on how well it integrates into existing workflows.
• Ambient documentation: One of the clearest wins for AI so far is clinical documentation. Tools that record and summarize doctor–patient conversations are saving physicians hours each week and improving face-to-face time with patients.
• Cautious optimism: Despite enthusiasm, leaders such as Dr. Tom Mihaljevic, CEO of the Cleveland Clinic, warned against reckless speed, reminding audiences that healthcare isn’t an industry that can “move fast and break things.”
  

2. Integration Beats Innovation

Another major theme this year was making existing tools work together. Attendees agreed that the next big leap won’t come from inventing more apps, but from connecting the ones we already have.

• Interoperability as a business priority: Many speakers said interoperability has moved from a technical goal to a competitive advantage. Hospitals, insurers, and tech vendors are under pressure to share data smoothly, not just between systems, but across the entire horizon of care.
• Workflow sync: “We don’t need another tool; we need fewer clicks,” one executive said on a panel. That sentiment echoed across sessions. The goal is seamless workflows that make clinicians’ lives easier, not more complicated.
  
• Data reliability: As AI expands, organizations are realizing that cleaner, well-governed data is essential. Integration isn’t just technical, it’s also cultural, requiring trust between technology teams and clinical staff.
  

3. Value-Based Care

Value-based care, which is paying for outcomes, remains a North Star for many organizations. But leaders admitted it’s harder to scale than it looks.

• Financial constraints: Economic uncertainty, inflation, and a shifting reimbursement landscape have made it tough to expand value-based programs. Misaligned incentives between payers and providers continue to be a stumbling block.
• Regulatory complexity: Many attendees said that inconsistent federal and state regulations are holding back innovation in payment reform. They want clearer rules that reward prevention and quality.
• Success stories (and lessons): Organizations like Kaiser Permanente and Risant Health shared examples of expanding value-based care through system acquisitions and shared data infrastructure. Their message was that scale and alignment are key to making the model work.
  

4. GLP-1s and Weight Management

Drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy, well-known as GLP-1s, were another hot topic. However, instead of treating them as “miracle drugs,” healthcare leaders talked about how to integrate them into holistic, long-term care models.

• Beyond the prescription: Several panels discussed combining GLP-1 use with behavioral health support, nutrition counseling, and fitness programs. The message: medication alone doesn’t create sustainable health outcomes.
  
• Equity and access: Speakers also raised concerns about affordability and equitable access. How can systems ensure these drugs reach patients who need them most, not just those who can afford them?
  
• Long-term impact: Payers and employers are closely watching the data on adherence, side effects, and cost savings over time. Everyone wants to know if GLP-1s will prove to be a medical revolution or just an expensive short-term trend.
  

5. Health Equity and Access

Equity was not treated as a side issue; it was a part of nearly every discussion.

• Designing for inclusion: Health tech companies were urged to build tools that work in under-resourced communities, with accessible language, lower costs, and cultural sensitivity.
  
• The AI bias conversation: Experts warned that AI systems can easily reflect or amplify bias if trained on incomplete or skewed data. Dr. Uché Blackstock, founder of Advancing Health Equity, told attendees to “be brave” in addressing structural inequities instead of avoiding hard conversations.
  
• Population health over politics: With public health programs under scrutiny, some leaders reframed equity initiatives as population-health investments, focusing on outcomes rather than ideology.
  

6. Digital Health Faces a “Merge-or-Measure” Moment

Outside the keynote halls, the business side of digital health was a hot topic. Many analysts said the market is entering a reality-check phase.

• Funding: After years of easy capital, investors are being more selective. Startups now need clear revenue paths and proven ROI, not just user growth.
  
• Consolidation trend: As Business Insider reported, some digital-health companies are being told to “merge or die.” M&A discussions are increasing, especially for firms without AI in their core offering.
  
• IPO window reopens: Experts said the market for digital-health IPOs is technically open again, but most expect only a few strong candidates to go public, given policy and market volatility.
  

HLTH 2025 in a Nutshell

After four packed days in Las Vegas, one thing was clear: healthcare is entering a new phase. The industry is moving past the buzz and into action. AI is not just talk anymore, not an experiment. Integration is the real innovation, and value-based care, while complex, remains the only sustainable path forward.

Health equity is now at the center of every serious conversation. The message from HLTH 2025 was that innovation must be inclusive; tech that doesn’t reach everyone fails everyone. And as digital health matures, investors and leaders are demanding measurable outcomes, not just big promises.

In the end, HLTH USA 2025 wasn’t about hype or one-hit wonder startups. It was about healthcare stepping fully into execution, where bright ideas meet accountability, and innovation finally delivers impact.

What’s your biggest takeaway from HLTH 2025?

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