HIMSS26 Lines Up Health System CEOs, Star Physicians and a Closed‑Door Executive Program

A new speaker roll call and a private executive track set the tone for HIMSS26

HIMSS26 has unveiled a slate of headline speakers and an expanded Executive Experience, signaling a focus on high‑level strategy, clinical leadership and practical innovation. The announcements put senior health system chiefs and well‑known physicians on center stage and promise a mix of public plenary sessions and private, invite‑only programming for executives. For anyone who follows health care technology, that matters: the show is tilting toward conversations about how hospitals and health systems will pay for new digital tools, how clinicians will use them, and how leaders can steer big, risky projects.

The public lineup promises sessions aimed at clinicians, technologists and policy watchers. Behind closed doors, the Executive Experience will gather C‑suite teams for facilitated strategy talks, small roundtables and networking designed to move deals and decisions forward quickly. That split — public ideas presented broadly, private sessions aimed at decision makers — is becoming the default for big industry shows, and HIMSS26 is leaning into it.

Who’s speaking and what they’ll talk about

The announced headliners include a mix of health system executives and respected physicians. Each brings a different angle: operational muscle, clinical credibility, frontline perspective or media‑visible public health experience.

David Banks will speak about large health‑system strategy and transformation. Banks has experience running major hospital networks and is positioned to talk about the practical steps executives take when they try to modernize IT, reorganize care models and cut costs. Expect a no‑nonsense look at where money is really getting spent in big systems.

Tyler Gillum is on the roster to discuss innovation execution. Gillum’s background bridges digital product work and operational rollout in clinical settings. His session will likely focus on how to move pilots into routine clinical use — a bottleneck most digital health vendors and provider IT shops face.

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John Whyte, known for public communication about health and medical guidance, is slated to speak on clinical trust and how medical leaders shape public understanding. His presence signals that HIMSS wants to keep the clinician and patient perspective visible amid tech talk.

Neurosurgeon and TV‑familiar physician David Langer will bring a frontline clinical voice and likely push the audience to consider the clinician experience when evaluating tools and workflows. Sessions with practicing physicians add credibility to debates that otherwise can get lost in platform demos and vendor slides.

Together, these speakers create a lineup that mixes boardroom decisions with practical, bedside viewpoints — a pairing meant to draw both enterprise buyers and clinical champions.

What the Executive Experience will offer senior leaders

The Executive Experience is built as a compact, invite‑first program for senior leaders. It will feature small, moderated roundtables, C‑suite panels and closed workshops focusing on strategy, procurement, workforce and risk management. Sessions are described as interactive: executives will discuss use cases, contracts and measurable outcomes rather than just listen to vendor pitches.

Besides formal sessions, organizers are emphasizing curated networking — short, structured meetings that pair hospital leaders with peers, health plan executives and a handful of vetted solution providers. For busy executives, that kind of targeted interaction is often more valuable than a large exhibition floor walk.

Conference themes and where to look for new ideas

HIMSS26 is shaping up around a few clear themes: making digital tools work in real clinical settings, improving front‑line care through better workflows, and tackling the staffing and training gap that holds back many tech projects. Expect panels on remote care, AI support tools that assist clinicians (not replace them), and case studies of systems that have scaled new programs successfully.

On the show floor and in demo areas, look for practical showcases rather than flashy prototypes: companies showing how technology reduced clinician clicks, sped patient throughput, or cut administrative work will get attention. Panels pairing IT leaders with chief medical officers or nursing leaders are where you’ll see honest debate about tradeoffs and adoption challenges.

Who should go — and what they’ll walk away with

The conference is broadly useful: IT leaders and digital health teams will find tactical sessions about implementation and procurement; clinical leaders will get hands‑on talks about workflows and safety; and executives who want to make large purchases or shift strategy can use the Executive Experience to test ideas with peers.

Attendees should expect to leave with concrete examples they can adapt: names of teams that have executed similar projects, frameworks for measuring clinical impact, and a clearer sense of vendor offerings that are actually being used at scale. For those focused on career development, plenaries and specialty tracks can also offer continuing education credits and visibility — speaking or moderating a panel still raises a leader’s profile.

When and how to attend HIMSS26

HIMSS26 will be held in Las Vegas. Registration details, pricing tiers, press credential information and the full daily schedule are available from the HIMSS organizers and the official event site. The Executive Experience requires separate sign‑up or invitation; companies planning to send senior teams should register early to secure spots in the closed sessions.

For anyone deciding whether to attend, the event will be most valuable if you go with a clear goal — find partner vendors, benchmark a project, or connect with peer leaders. With both public sessions and private executive programming, HIMSS26 aims to be a place where ideas meet decisions.

Sources

• prnewswire.com