Bringing diagnostics into the health ecosystem | HLTH 2026

Over the past few years, diagnostics has gained more attention at the HLTH conference.

The conference, running Nov. 15-18 in Las Vegas, is expected to draw several thousand healthcare leaders.

Eliad Josephson, a subject matter expert on diagnostics for HLTH Inc., talked with us about the focus on diagnostics at this year’s event and the integration into the wider healthcare ecosystem. This year, HLTH’s diagnostic zone is doubling in size.

Here are excerpts from the conversation.

Q: You recently became affiliated with the HLTH conference. What sparked your involvement with the conference?

A: “So I've been going to many conferences in the industry over the years. My focus has always been diagnostics, and one of the conferences that I very much liked was HLTH because of how the conference is organized, because of the different activities, Market Connect, the different values that the conference brings. And I've been going over the years, and I always wear the hat of diagnostics, and I'm thinking to myself, how can I have a focused diagnostic experience? Because there were companies in diagnostics that were spread around the floor in different areas.

“So I approached the leadership team, John and Rich, and I told them, look, diagnostics is such an important component of healthcare. Let's create a diagnostics area where people can intentionally come and meet diagnostic companies, and we'll bring in sponsors that never came to HLTH before because they didn't find the right fit.

“And two years ago, we created the diagnostic zone. The first year was a success. This year we're doubling the size, more companies, more activities, and we have some amazing sponsors that are coming in. So that's how it happened. And I told John and Rich at the time, I can help you map out the companies, invite and open the doors with the relevant sponsors, and let's do it. So we did it, and now we have a really good diagnostics area, which is growing and capturing a lot of attention.”

Q: From your perspective, how would you summarize the key strengths and benefits of the conference?

A: “One of the things that HLTH delivers is the ecosystem approach. When I go to other diagnostic conferences, I'm pretty much within the world of diagnostics, which is great. It has its own values, but I'm very much interested in how diagnostics supplies to the ecosystem, and that's what HLTH knows how to do, bring together the entire ecosystem, where you can talk to people that regularly are not at the other conferences, and that is a key benefit.

“And of course, there are components to the event that are very unique. For example, Market Connect, curated one-on-one meetings with people that otherwise are just too busy, or are not at the right timing, or whatever the reason would be. HLTH has the system of putting that together. I know that a lot of the sponsors are highly excited about that, and it just delivers year over year.

“Of course, it's in Vegas. The production value and the whole experience is great, and year over year people come out of the conference and say, ‘Wow, this was amazing! It's one of the best conferences I've attended.’ So I think the key, I would say, is the ecosystem approach, the value of the sponsors, exhibitors, speakers, the private sessions that are happening. We have a sponsor, a very big sponsor, that has a private session where they're getting 30 executives together in a roundtable during HLTH. That's very high value. So these are the things that are delivered very, very well at HLTH.”

Q: Can you talk in a little more detail about the ecosystem approach you guys have been using?

A: “When you come to HLTH, you have the opportunity to see technology, to talk to payers, to talk to providers, to talk to health systems, and that's really what gives you the opportunity to have this holistic approach of how things can advance. The theme of the conference is innovation in healthcare, right? So how does innovation work in a silo? You have to have seats at the table, like people sitting at the right seats, in order to advance these initiatives.

“And this is exactly what's happening there. And that is the ecosystem thing that I'm talking about. And from startups to very mature companies, everything in between. Even regulatory people come, like FDA people come to talk about their perspective and what's important. Attorneys come if it's related to regulatory compliance, things like that. You have the IT infrastructure people. You have the clinicians. You have the startups. We talk a lot about AI and radiology.

“These amazing technologies exist and they're developing, but you need to make sure that it is integrated properly into the clinician workflow and that it's not just reading images; it's way beyond that. And I think those discussions happen very successfully in the environment that HLTH knows how to create.”

Jeff Hall is senior editor of Diagnostic Imaging, a sister brand of Chief Healthcare Executive. Ron Southwick contributed.

Chief Healthcare Executive® will be reporting from the HLTH conference in Las Vegas. Follow our coverage, and look for more previews ahead of the big event.