Five from ViVE: Takeaways from the digital health conference

Nashville - After the ViVE conference in the Music City, it’s looking like AI won’t be a one-hit wonder for the healthcare industry.

The conversations about AI dominated the digital health conference, which probably isn’t a surprise. But it still can’t be ignored.

Here are five quick takeaways, and they’re not all about AI.

(Here’s a video roundup of ViVE. The story continues below.)

1. AI adoption

It’s not just that people are talking about AI in healthcare, but why they’re so enthusiastic.

Hospital and healthcare executives are seeing more evidence that AI-powered technologies are capable of helping their organizations.

Healthcare leaders say they’re especially encouraged about ambient listening tools that record and summarize clinician conversations with patients, saving doctors and nurses time in documentation and reducing stress.

Marty Bonick, president and CEO of Ardent Health, said the system is seeing promising results in using AI documentation technology.

“I do think we are at the point where technology is going to start working for our caregivers and our patients, versus the other way around,” he told Chief Healthcare Executive® in an interview.

John Halamka, MD, president of the Mayo Clinic Platform, said Mayo is using ambient documentation in Arizona and Florida, so nurses don’t need to touch a keyboard to summarize notes. And AI algorithms at Mayo are showing high degrees of accuracy, he said.

In a conversation on one of the main stages at ViVE, Halamka said, “We really are at the point in 2025, the data is good enough, the technology is getting good enough, the compute is getting available enough, and the use cases are getting clearer. So next year, we talk about what's real.”

One other note: healthcare executives are showing that they’re not just going to buy an AI tool to get the latest gadget or tech. They’re looking at AI tools that solve their problems, but aren’t inclined to try a solution and hope they can find a problem for it.

2. Concerns of clinicians

Doctors seem to be very enthusiastic about using AI documentation tools to reduce the number of hours they spend on documentation, including the dreaded “pajama time,” healthcare leaders and physicians say at ViVE.

However, doctors have some concerns about the increased efficiency AI could provide. Doctors welcome using AI to reduce their documentation demands and have more time to spend with their patients (and with their families). But doctors are worried that the added efficiency means they’ll be asked to see more patients, and spend less time with patients.

During a panel discussion on ViVE’s first day, Azlan Tariq, chief clinical innovation officer of Medrina, said he hears from AI vendors telling him that they’re solutions will enable him to see more patients.

“I'm like, I don't know if I want to see more patients. I want to provide better care,” Tariq said.

Nurses also say they welcome using AI tools and other technology, but they need solutions designed with them in mind.

Jing Wang, dean and professor of the Florida State University College of Nursing, said, “There are a lot of nurses who are very pro-AI.”

But nurses also want to be sure the tools mesh with their workflows, and protect patient safety. Hospital leaders need to consult nurses before deploying tools, and talk with nurses who have concerns about new solutions.

3. Cybersecurity

ViVE featured a series of discussions on cybersecurity, and it’s clear that remains a pressing concern among hospital and healthcare leaders.

John Riggi, national advisor for cybersecurity and risk with the American Hospital Association, outlined the growing threats of cyberattacks, noting 259 million people in the U.S. were affected by breaches of health data.

Riggi stressed that hospitals and health systems must work to deter attacks and be prepared for disruptions when breaches happen. He also stressed that many hospitals are being affected by breaches of their business partners and vendors. “The bad guys have figured out often our third parties and business associates are less secure than we are,” Riggi said.

There seems to be growing frustration among hospitals about being blamed for breaches of their partners.

He also said that most healthcare cybeattacks are launched from ransomware groups outside the U.S., and the government needs to do more to disable those organizations.

Anika Gardenhire, chief digital and information officer of Ardent Health, outlined her system’s recovery from a cyberattack. She stressed the importance of preparing for attacks. As she said, “It’s really not a matter of if. It’s just a matter of when.”

4. Preparing for climate change

John Couris, president and CEO of Tampa General Hospital, spoke at the conference and urged hospitals and health systems to prepare for weather emergencies. His system regularly confronts risks of hurricanes, but he said all health systems need to prepare for more intense storms, wildfires, and flooding.

In an interview with Chief Healthcare Executive®, Couris said the key for health systems is, “You need to be constantly planning.

“This can't be sort of like, well, we focus on it four months out of the year, because that's when we're most vulnerable for natural disasters,” he said. “Wherever you are in the country, you need to be constantly doing it.”

Couris acknowledged those efforts can be costly.

““This stuff's expensive,” he said. “But you know what's even more expensive? Not doing something.”

5. Patients need more

Leaders at ViVE acknowledged that too many patients aren’t getting the care they need. Too many can’t afford care, or they don’t have easy access to doctors.

In a panel discussion on the conflicts between hospitals and insurers over claim denials, several healthcare leaders noted that it’s the patients that are suffering when they can’t get approval for treatments, or their care plans are delayed.

““Who falls through the gap? It’s the patient,” said Rick Gundling, senior vice president of healthcare financial practice at the Healthcare Financial Management Association.

Dr. Soumi Saha, senior vice president of government affairs at Premier, Inc., said that many patients don’t have the energy to keep fighting for care.

“We know that patients that have to go through this process, many of them abandon care,” Saha said.