This article is part of our HLTH 2025 Recap Series, where we’re breaking down the biggest trends shaping the future of healthcare. We’re starting with the star of the show: artificial intelligence. At this year’s HLTH, AI moved from flashy demos to measurable ROI — and it’s officially becoming the backbone of healthcare innovation.
If last year was full of AI dreams, this year was full of case studies.
Francis deSouza, Chief Operating Officer for Google Cloud, said it best In 18 months, we’ve seen healthcare organizations go from vision to execution, with real ROI from systems like Hackinsack Meridian and HCA Healthcare.
Hospital execs from Houston Methodist, Geisinger and Risant Health, Advocate Health, and Atrium Health took the stage to share innovations.
Here’s a few quick examples that caught our eye:
- Houston Methodist’s “smart hospital” pilot was pretty mind-blowing. The CEO unpacked what they’ve built: cameras in every patient room, wearable monitors, ambient listening, an AI command center and more—all of which has already delivered a measurable drop in mortality. CEO and President Dr. Marc Boom noted that “AI, automation, remote monitoring and digital-first services are part of our future… tools that will help our care teams make faster, safer decisions.”
- Advocate Health has rolled out Microsoft’s DAX Copilot for 2.5 million encounters to reduce clinician burnout.
- Atrium Health deployed ambient scribes and predictive tools for identifying high-risk patients before they hit critical thresholds.
- Hackensack Meridian Health worked with Google Cloud to bring all its data—from patient records to imaging and operations—into one secure, easy-to-access system. What used to take hours to analyze now takes seconds, giving leaders real-time insights to improve care and run the organization more efficiently.
- GE Healthcare unveiled new partnerships with Duke Health and Queen’s Health Systems
With these examples and many more, AI in healthcare is now a full-blown infrastructure conversation and it’s finally focused around measurable ROI.
As Maria Ansari, MD, CEO and Executive Director at The Permanente Medical Group noted, “Let’s not just take the novelty off the shelf. Let’s see what’s actually changing outcomes… it’s all about improving longevity, quality of life, and reducing the total cost of care.”
“You can’t just drop a tech tool for 40% of patients and call it innovation. The question is: are your partners willing to come in under a subscription model to reach the whole population?”
Healthcare’s next chapter is absolutely about big ideas, but we’re quickly moving to a phase of execution.
As AI reshapes the foundation of care delivery, the ripple effects are everywhere — especially in how and where patients seek care. Next up: how retail and wellness brands are rewriting the rules of healthcare access.
