New episode of Changes: HIMSS CEO Hal Wolf on AI, hospitals, and more

With hospitals and health systems facing growing demand, financial pressures, and workforce shortages, Hal Wolf says moving to AI and other digital health tools is imperative.

Wolf is the president and CEO of HIMSS, the Healthcare Information Management and Systems Society. He’s gearing up for the big HIMSS 2026 Global Health Conference & Exhibition, which starts next week in Las Vegas.

Ahead of the conference, he took time to sit down with Chief Healthcare Executive®. Our wide-ranging conversation is featured in this episode of Changes, a new video program and podcast from Chief Healthcare Executive®.

Over a half-hour discussion, Wolf talked about the increasing adoption of AI and how health systems are adapting AI tools. He discussed the growing financial pressure on the healthcare industry, and shared his fears for the future of rural hospitals and safety-net hospitals. He weighed in on the grave threats of cyberattacks and the growth of telehealth.

We also discussed the changes in federal policy. Wolf welcomes the way the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is embracing technology and focusing on new ways to serve patients. He’ll be talking with Dr. Mehmet Oz, the CMS administrator, in a discussion at HIMSS next week. But he also shares concerns about the impact of Medicaid cuts adding to the challenges of health systems.

The entire discussion is worth watching, but here are a few noteworthy excerpts . (You can also subscribe get the audio version of Changes wherever you get your podcasts.)

Q: So I guess AI is going to be a big topic at HIMSS?

A: “I mean, it is everywhere, right? The question about AI has been, it's not a silver bullet itself. But there are the components of a silver bullet in there that definitely can weigh itself into making improvements and change, and kind of relieving some of the pressures that we have inside the ecosystem.”

“So we have all the issues that are still there: the silver tsunami … We have our disease burden, which is on top of us. We have shrinking revenue, which is coming on top of us. That's always going to be a challenge. And from a chronic disease standpoint, we have growing numbers, people are living longer, and we're going ahead and being able to anticipate problems. But it's the workforce shortage and the money that are really the two big drivers right now.”

“So people are having to think through how the health model and the medical model are going to get along. And the health model has been growing like crazy. So I think you're going to see both on display at HIMSS 26, and I think what's really on top of the industry right now as a whole is: How do we bring those two in comfort with each other? We used to think about them blending a few years ago, that the health model was there and the medical model would lean into it. I don't really see that as much anymore. I think we're seeing more about the health model’s finding its place, and the medical model needs them to. So now we're going to get into a whole scope of practice conversation, and that's going to be one of the topics I think you'll be hearing about as well.”

Q: Even at HIMSS last year, the AI conversation was evolving. People were less inclined just to get an AI tool, to say they were adding it to the toolkit. I’ve heard more and more: We need real things that are going to solve real problems, and we need to see returns sooner than later. Is that your perspective on how the AI conversation is changing a bit?

A: “One hundred percent. I think you're right. If you go back three years, people really didn't know what they could do with it, and we saw some of the early adopters making some significant investments and efforts and their impact on operations. But we're now beginning to see not only that, but clinical decision support and then again, where can it relieve those pressures? So I think it's very real, and the investments are very strategic.”

“So you may have had a CEO or others in the healthcare system say, ‘Hey, I don't know what it is, but get something AI up there, because everyone's expecting me to.’ And that's not unfair. I mean, that was a little bit of that going around. And now it's like, OK, let's really talk strategically about how these investments can impact my investment curve, my cost curve, right? If I had all the money in the world and I built every hospital and clinic I wanted, I can't staff it. And, oh, by the way, I don't have the money to do that. So can I use AI, and its capability, to replace people, to reduce the amount of capital I need to put out. I'm always going to spend more. But my question is, can I reduce that curve? Can I reduce the arc of my cost going up by making smart investments? And AI is one of those really critical tools.”

Q: There are some big changes in Medicaid and some fairly substantial cuts coming in the years ahead. How does this play out in terms of what you've already talked about, with some of the financial challenges that healthcare providers are facing? Will this maybe drive even more urgency to move forward with some of these digital tools to address the workforce shortages?

A: “Yeah, well, I think everything you said, of course, is absolutely true. And I think the financial pressures, especially on our rural hospitals, they're immense.

“I'm very, very worried, especially on the Medicaid side, because I don't think people appreciate how difficult it is, and it's going to be. It's not like the rural hospital environments were doing great. It's not like our public health hospitals that have been taking care of the less fortunate, if you would, or those that need the extra support, but they've all been under financial stress, and now we're going to squeeze that even harder.”

“So I'm worried about that, of course, but I do think from a government standpoint, particularly, and you're going to see it at HIMSS with Dr. Oz coming in and and his team from CMS, they're working very hard to figure out how to use digital tools in order to extend care, extend access quality. They're counting on some of those investments to really pay off. So I'm looking forward to being on stage with them and having those conversations about where CMS is.”

Chief Healthcare Executive® will be reporting from the HIMSS conference in Las Vegas. Look for our coverage.