HIMSS25: Artificial intelligence, disruptive technologies, and cybersecurity in healthcare

AI and disruptive technologies are revolutionizing healthcare, helping to advance diagnostics and improve workflow efficiency—but they also introduce significant cybersecurity risks. To thrive in this evolving landscape, organizations must balance innovation with security, cultivate digital readiness, and stay ahead of emerging threats.^1-3 The key challenge for healthcare leaders is clear: how to harness AI’s potential while protecting patient data and system integrity.

To explore this important question, the LabLeaders team attended the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society 2025 (HIMSS25) Global Conference in Las Vegas, gaining insights from industry experts on the intersection of AI, cybersecurity, and digital transformation.

It’s no surprise that artificial intelligence (AI) was the hot topic of conversation at HIMSS25. During the opening, HIMSS President and CEO Hal Wolf took the stage and proclaimed, “I defy anyone to try and find a booth that does not mention AI”. He was right; no matter where you looked, you would find someone discussing AI.

In a session hosted by HIMSS’s own Nicole Ramage, Senior Market Insights Manager, they discussed healthcare’s digitization journey, focusing on the current status of hospitals and health systems. They shared that digital health initiatives show a strong positive impact on systems, especially in the realm of patient engagement and clinical care. However, the big takeaway shared is a strong consensus that AI will be integral to the future of healthcare operations and delivery, with 7 in 10 organizations having already adopted AI to support clinical decision-making and data security.

From innovative devices enhancing patient monitoring to bold conversations about transforming pediatric care, AI was the thread running through it all. However, Bob Garrett, CEO of Hackensack Meridian Health, shared that 4 in 10 leaders feel the AI sector isn't moving fast enough as far as implementation, and 1 in 3 feel they're going at the right pace.⁴

Garrett takes the opinion that we are moving in the right direction, highlighting how within his organization "We want to make sure we're producing real results not in five or 10 years, but in one to three years," and how valuable it is to have a “pretty thorough business plan for each case.” This illustrates that as long as you have a thought-out business case and are producing real results, it doesn’t matter the speed at which you implement it but rather that you are successful.

Garrett believes we’re moving in the right direction, emphasizing the importance of delivering tangible outcomes. As he explains about his own organization, “We want to make sure we're producing real results not in five or ten years, but in one to three years.” He also highlights the value of having a “pretty thorough business plan for each case,” noting that success isn’t about how fast you implement a solution, but about having a thought-out business case that delivers real impact.

He also went on to note that "technology cannot replace the human touch," Garrett said. "It's enhancing the quality of people's lives." Bringing a friendly reminder that AI is a complementary technology to our healthcare workforce, and not designed to replace them.

We are in an era of exponential growth for disruptive technologies that hold the power to completely change the way we approach healthcare. In his keynote session, Former U.S. National Security Agency Director General Paul M. Nakasone started by taking us back to the launch of the iPhone, a technology that completely disrupted the communication industry. He said, "Those that adapted and adopted had an incredible run and have an incredible run based upon the capability to see a disruptive technology."

“The healthcare sector is at a 'Sputnik’ moment as it considers how it will proceed in a rapidly evolving landscape of technology change,” said Nakasone. He highlighted how AI, with its potential to impact drug development, diagnostics, electronic health records (EHR), and administrative tasks, is healthcare’s version of the iPhone, it is our disruptive technology. Therefore, we need to embrace and adopt this to ensure we are not left behind in this digital revolution.

The conversation around disruptive technologies continued in a session hosted by WHX Tech entitled “Harnessing Disruptive Tech: Your Keys to Driving Digital Health Transformation.” A panel of global experts further elaborated on how applying technology across the face of healthcare will not only support healthcare organizations but the wider patient population.

As beneficial as these technologies might be, an important question was raised: how do we ensure accessibility for everyone? Reenita Das, Healthcare and Life Sciences Partner and Senior Vice President at Frost & Sullivan, highlighted that over a third of the global population does not have access to the internet—underscoring the need for further investment in infrastructure to support rural and hard-to-reach communities.⁵ In response, David Rew, Global Chief Medical Officer and Vice President of Healthcare for Microsoft, suggested that a hub-and-spoke model could help bridge this gap by enabling the effective distribution of resources and technology to underserved areas.

The panel concluded by highlighting that while disruptive technologies, such as AI, EHRs, and screening tools, are beneficial, without the correct infrastructure in place to support them, they are rendered useless. Therefore, it is not only important to have a workforce that can effectively leverage them but also to invest in the infrastructure to support them so that we can reach as many people as possible.

As digital health solutions and AI adoption expand, strengthening cybersecurity is more critical than ever. With vast amounts of healthcare data stored in digital tools and the cloud, organizations must prioritize robust defense systems to ensure data security and patient trust.

Ransomware attacks are a growing concern no matter what industry, but Healthcare is especially susceptible due to the large volume of healthcare data collected. In 2024 alone, there were over 1,000 confirmed ransomware attacks on healthcare organizations, with over 195.4 million records being compromised.⁶

With the increased use of AI in healthcare, it’s important for leaders to understand the implications of this on their cybersecurity. While AI is helping organizations become more efficient, it is also aiding those responsible for the attacks. Therefore, as Etay Maor, Chief Security Strategist at Cato Networks, said, “hospital leaders and AI teams need to be vigilant and to stay one step ahead of the technology.”

Some of the best ways to stay on top of cybersecurity threats were outlined in a talk by Jon Moore, Chief Risk Officer and Senior Vice President of Consulting Services and Client Success at Clearwater Security and Compliance, and Michael Gross, Manager of Cyber Intelligence at the Cleveland Clinic. They advised a move from a reactive to a more proactive approach by embracing threat detection solutions, enhancing incident response, informing risk management, and empowering team collaboration. They concluded their session by reinforcing the need for organizations to stay ahead of evolving threats and ensure sustained protection of sensitive data and critical systems.

With so much discussion around the importance of implementing and adopting digital solutions, healthcare organizations should prioritize change management just as much as implementation. It plays a key role in unlocking the full potential of digital health solutions.

Sepi Browning, Director of Technology from Piedmont Eastside Medical Center, shared the staggering statistic that only approximately 34% of change initiatives succeed and 1 in 3 CEOs failed to achieve the desired outcomes from past transformation initiatives.^7,8 With the sheer volume of digital technologies entering the healthcare space, it is vital that leaders embody change management to drive success.

A panel, sponsored by the Georgia HIMSS Chapter, highlighted that successful change requires both the technical side of change and the people side and where we often fall short is on the people side. To create the best opportunity for success, it is imperative that leaders communicate with their employees, and listen to their concerns as well as build out the infrastructure for new technologies. If you only focus on the technical side of change, you will fail.

HIMSS25 concluded with an inspirational talk from Simone Biles—athlete, advocate, and seven-time Olympic gold medalist gymnast—, who shared her own story of success, self-worth, and perseverance in the face of enormous challenges. She closed by saying “At the end of the day, we're still human, we still have these little voices in our heads that we can't do it, or to be anxious or to be scared. I can't say what will work for you, but I can walk this journey with you.” As leaders, this is something to embody, especially as we navigate the ever-evolving world of healthcare, this is not something that we do alone, we do it together.

With groundbreaking technologies on display and expert speakers sharing how AI-enhanced tools will support the transformation of care pathways and physician efficiency, one thing is clear: the digital revolution isn’t on the horizon—it is here and we are living it.