And here we go, another HLTH planning cycle begins, my ninth to be exact. You’d think at this point, we’d just rinse and repeat, but that would be too boring - for us and for you. And this year feels different. The explosion of AI across every aspect of how we live and work and simply exist has really flipped our reality on its head. And in healthcare, it is marking a true step change for our industry.
Healthcare AI companies have been the dominant recipient of venture capital dollars and as we typically follow the money, this is where innovators are spending their time and health systems are looking for partners. AI isn’t everything, but it is certainly taking up all the air in the room. As big LLMs continue to iterate their models and this “thing” gets more powerful, we will feel the pressure in healthcare to adopt it faster. 2026 may be the year where the winners and losers will truly split off on the road to transforming healthcare. So how do you steer yourself onto the winning track? That’s exactly what we’re trying to find out!
Our theme this year is “The Age of Intelligent Health is Here. Buckle Up!” The convergence of AI, agentic systems, and interoperable data, along with the accelerating pace of innovation across the industry has marked a genuine shift, not just incremental progress. And yet, the most consequential challenges in healthcare remain deeply human ones. We are still facing a heightened political climate, a healthcare misinformation crisis, and systemic inequities that continue to limit access and outcomes for far too many. This promise of intelligent healthcare can only be realized if the people shaping this transformation are committed to building a system that works for everyone.
There is a heightened sense of urgency to adopt AI, innovate faster, prove ROI now and chase the latest shiny object. But at the same time, the currency in healthcare is human lives, so if we move too fast, too recklessly, we will crash and patients will be the ones to feel it.
It’s a difficult balance between rapid technology-led change and maintaining the human element that is central to healthcare. And we certainly don’t have all the answers, mistakes will be made, and that is scary to think about given the stakes. This will take a collective effort to get right, to integrate this truly world-changing technology in a way that alleviates the strain on healthcare systems, personalizes care for patients, and opens up lanes of access in transformative ways, moving us into an era where the right treatment at the right time for the right person is the norm.
That is why who is on our stages has never mattered more. HLTH 2026 will bring together healthcare executives, innovators, policymakers, and cultural figures, whose influence is actively shaping how society thinks about health, wellness, and human potential. We want to feature the people leading the race, whose decisions (and missteps) will determine what intelligent healthcare actually becomes. We have to hear from those in power so that we know where to step next, where to advocate harder for patients and where to place our bets. We all have our individual goals, but whether you like it or not, we are in this race together.
Our agenda will focus on several key areas within health innovation across our stages. Our stages will be themed with one topic area per day in a series of “circuits,” offering a concentrated burst of content for those building in that particular space. Below are those circuits:
- Behavioral Health - the policies, providers and tech leveling up mental and behavioral care delivery
- Oncology Care - from precision medicine to patient navigation, reimagining cancer care end to end
- Employer-Sponsored Health - rising costs, shrinking options, and employers caught in the middle
- Women’s Health - how more research, investment, tech and partnerships are closing the gap
- Consumer Health and Wellness - empowering consumers and innovating outside of the traditional system
- Speciality Models of Care - new delivery models proving value where care is most complex and costly
- Healthy Aging and Longevity - the road to living healthier vs. living longer and the many promises and pitfalls along the way
- GLP-1s and Cardiometabolic Health - the drug class rewriting chronic disease and the massive wave of transformation that follows
- The Business of Healthcare - the data, tools and decision-making under the hood of healthcare operations
- Pharma & Life Sciences - pipelines, pricing models and partnerships changing the future of the drug ecosystem
- Startups and Investors - where the money is flowing, where it’s not, and how to stay afloat as a founder in the intelligent health era
- Wild Card Stage - bleeding-edge health tech, novel research and topics that don’t fit perfectly in a box
- Sandbox Sessions - interactive discussion groups that put attendees in the driver’s seat of the conversation
I know what you’re thinking “Jody, you just went on and on about AI and it’s not listed.” Well that’s intentional.
Aside from our very focused AI Zone, where you will hear case studies from leaders building in various areas across healthcare, we feel AI is one of those topics that cuts across everything. Every stage will cover AI because it truly touches every corner of healthcare now. So you will not feel at a loss for AI content, I promise.
Other topics that will show up everywhere are policy, access, equity and who’s paying for this and how. We have to keep all of that in mind when discussing any topic because without getting the foundation right - no care model, technology or partnership will scale to the level of actually making an impact.
Our agenda is more focused, more intentional, and hopefully more engaging. We are trying out new formats this year with the goal to get you to put your phones down as you sit in sessions. We have far too much screen time anyway, let’s hear from and talk to actual people!
At the end of the day, HLTH is for human connection, to hear what’s going on right from the mouths of the people leading the charge. No AI generated content, no PR spin, just real opinions from really smart people.
And we need you to help bring this vision to life! Our agenda will take some time to finalize, but speaker applications will open on May 1st. Please throw your hat in the ring if you feel you have something to contribute to the program this year. We are looking for health industry experts with unique experiences, strong opinions and an unabashed way of expressing themselves. No talking heads please!
How do we choose? Well it is certainly not easy or perfect, but we have topics in mind already, and will invite well-rounded people with the qualities I described above to speak to said topics with a group of their peers. Please don’t pitch a full panel or customer case study - we won’t accept those. And if you are picky with who you’ll share the stage with, then maybe we are not the event for you. Trust our process! It’s been nearly a decade in the making.
Ok, I’ll leave you with a few more tips that we repeat every year. First is that we choose people, not companies, so leave your sales pitch behind. (We do have plenty of sponsorship opportunities that you should be considering though!)
Second is that HLTH is a big event with a big agenda, but healthcare is much, much bigger. We couldn’t possibly cover everything in one program, so please be understanding if we are not featuring a topic for which you are passionate. I suggest mentioning several areas of expertise, maybe a few that are broader, in your application.
Best of luck applying!! Our team is eager to read all your amazing submissions.
Also, this blog was written by me, not Claude - there is enough of that out there. :)