From the first moments at the Gaylord Opryland in Nashville, it was clear: this year’s Healthcare Tech Summit would not be just another conference—it was a pivotal moment for bringing innovation, partnership, and real-world impact to the healthcare IT community. As someone who’s spent nearly two decades in healthcare strategy, I am deeply proud of how Connection and our partners moved the conversation forward on issues that matter most—security, patient/provider experience, cost containment, and the promise (and reality) of AI in health.
A Community United by Vision and Urgency
The Summit brought together more than 100 client attendees, representing 77 unique healthcare organizations across 33 states, and nearly 100 partner guests across 35 leading vendors. The diversity of the attendee base—from hospitals and LTACs to behavioral health, managed services, payor organizations, and manufacturing—mirrored the evolving, interconnected nature of healthcare itself.
What struck me most was the energy in the room: professionals confronting financial pressures, regulatory complexity, talent shortages, and the daily realities of keeping patients safe and data secure—but doing it with purpose, transparency, and hope.
Client Perspectives: The Real-world Priorities
Our pre-event survey highlighted what’s keeping technology, operations, and security leaders up at night: cybersecurity threats, AI regulation, interoperability, cloud vulnerabilities, and system outages topped the list.
When asked about their top IT initiatives, respondents prioritized EMR upgrades, application consolidation, identity and access management, AI in all its forms (agentic, vision, generative), and augmenting staff with managed service solutions. The breadth of projects on the horizon underscored a crucial insight: innovation must be practical, scalable, and always grounded in business and patient impact.
A Program Designed for Collaboration and Action
The opening moments set an inclusive, problem-solving tone. Instead of a passive keynote, attendees dove into a hands-on collaborative challenge session where client, Connection, and partner teams tackled real healthcare IT scenarios and presented actionable solutions. As one peer reflected, “We leave with not just ideas, but next steps.”
Breakout session highlights included:
- Lenovo: Innovative strategies to elevate the patient experience
- Chrome OS: Raising standards for access and efficiency
- Zebra: Enhancing provider workflows and outcomes with modern technology
- Microsoft: Untangling complexity and driving impact in multi-cloud/hybrid environments
- Dell: Securing healthcare’s digital future amidst new and evolving threats
I was heartened to see our partners—Zebra, Chrome OS, Microsoft, Dell, Lenovo, and many others—show up not simply as sponsors, but as thought leaders and co-creators. Connection’s subject matter experts helped frame each session in the context of our clients’ toughest challenges—bridging the vital gap between technology possibility and healthcare reality.
Networking with Purpose—and Results
Strategic networking was woven into the fabric of the Summit: structured client-partner “speed dates,” an expo featuring 23 technology booths, and evening sessions focused on peer-to-peer learning and direct connections. A standout moment for me was the customer testimonial captured with St. John’s Health, which reinforced how Connection’s partnership delivers not just value—but transformative results for patient care and operational excellence.
Outcomes and Next Steps
Feedback was clear: attendees valued the Summit’s focus on actionable solutions, authentic dialogue, and takeaways that will shape their digital roadmaps. Partner demand exceeded expectations—so much so that we were waitlisted for both expo and main sessions within days of the first invitation. The creative, relentless outreach of our marketing and events teams paid off in a program that was not only inspiring, but inclusive and relevant.
Yet, we also learned valuable lessons for improving the nomination process, making room for even more emergent tech partners, refining the communication cadence with both clients and partners, and simplifying logistics to make it even easier for healthcare leaders to engage.
Connecting to a Broader Mission
Perhaps most importantly, the Summit underscored that Connection’s role is more than technology matchmaking—we are value creators, educators, and long-term partners. As the stories and priorities that emerged in Nashville proved, Connection’s commitment to healthcare is grounded in “learning the language of healthcare,” growing and supporting our GPO business, and working with clients to solve their most pressing problems—together.
What Comes Next
To every client, partner, and team member, thank you for making the 2025 Nashville Healthcare Tech Summit a beacon for what’s possible when community, innovation, and patient outcomes are at the center. We’re already incorporating your insights as we shape future events and solutions. Planning for 2026 is underway!
If you are looking to turn bold ideas into actionable outcomes, let’s start that conversation now. What should Connection focus on next to help your organization thrive in this changing healthcare landscape? Contact your Account Manager to share your ideas.
Learn more about our Healthcare Solutions and Services.
Jennifer Johnson
Jennifer Johnson, Director Healthcare Strategy and Business Development, joined Connection in 2010 starting in field sales and joined the healthcare practice in 2015. Jennifer has more than 20 years in IT, including prior roles in distribution and manufacturing. Jennifer holds her Certified Digital Health Leader designation from the CHIME organization and is a member of HIMSS, where Connection is a diamond sponsor. Jen was named CRN Women of the Channel in 2023 and 2024 and holds certifications from NVIDIA (AI Advisor- Sales) and Dell Technologies (AI Champion- Partner Sales).
