HIMSS 2025: Four big themes of the health conference

If you’re looking to see what’s in the cards for the HIMSS conference in Las Vegas, look no further.

The HIMSS 2025 Global Health Conference & Exhibition kicks off Monday and runs through Thursday. Hal Wolf, president & CEO of HIMSS, talked with Chief Healthcare Executive® and offered a preview of the upcoming event. He also offered perspectives on health and technology in a wide-ranging conversation.

With the conference, Wolf talked about four key themes this year: digital health transformation, AI, cybersecurity, and workforce development.

Here’s a portion of our conversation.

Q: What do you expect to be the big conversations this year?

A: Wow, you know, we have centralized our focus, and the market has centralized its focus, really, I think, on four big themes."

“One is, of course, digital health transformation. It sits at the core of who we are and what our members are looking for and what the exhibitors are bringing forward. How do we help organizations, you know, transform into digital transformation?

“Second, of course, AI is huge. We're seeing a big increase in the number of applications that are being brought forward for operational purposes. And even in the opening keynote, Samsung Medical Center, which is one of the foremost centers in the world. We'll be talking about how they utilize information and artificial intelligence to have accelerated and improved their care all the way across their very large and incredibly forward thinking hospital in Seoul, South Korea, along with some robotics that I think people are going to find very interesting on stage.

“Cybersecurity is front and center as well. And it's not just what's happening inside the provider market, but also, HIE, very important. New pavilions are set up for that, as well as an AI pavilion.

“And then, you know, finally, real big point here, is workforce development. So when you talk workforce development or the educational programs at HIMSS, there's over 300 educational sessions. Over 150 of them carry CE accreditation, so people are coming to get educated, learning what other people have done.

“It's a classic HIMSS conference, along with all the amazing networking and conversations that take place in the hallways.”