Embedding AI into the DNA of Healthcare: Leadership Imperatives for 2026

HIMSS Global Health Conference & Exhibition
February 19, 2026
3 minutes

AI has moved past its experimental phase in healthcare. The conversation has shifted from “What could this do?” to “What is actually delivering value?”

Health systems are navigating conflicting pressures: vendor promises, board-level ROI expectations, clinician skepticism and uneven data readiness. In many organizations, enthusiasm outpaced governance. Now the emphasis is discipline.

The AI in Healthcare Forum at HIMSS26 focuses on that discipline — embedding AI into the operational fabric of healthcare rather than layering it on top.

Don’t miss HIMSS26 March 9-12, 2026 in Las Vegas! Register now.

Healthcare AI has entered a phase where credibility depends on measurable impact. Organizations that embed governance, align stakeholders and build literacy will move forward with confidence. Others risk stagnation or fragmented adoption.

From Hype to Measurable Outcomes

Healthcare has not lacked AI pilots. What it has lacked is consistent enterprise translation.

The session From Hype to Reality: Guiding Leadership Through AI Transformation addresses the gap between promise and performance. Leaders will examine how to evaluate AI investments rigorously, identify solutions that generate measurable outcomes and create incentives for adoption without forcing change.

This reflects a broader shift. AI strategy is no longer about isolated innovation projects. It requires frameworks that separate signal from noise and align use cases with operational priorities.

For executives, that means asking harder questions:

What problem are we solving?
How will impact be measured?
Who owns post-deployment oversight?

Establishing a Scalable AI Operating Model

Many health systems underestimate the complexity of scaling AI across departments.

The session The New AI Operating Model for Healthcare outlines a maturity roadmap for moving from siloed use cases to platform-level thinking. Data readiness, responsible AI guardrails and cross-stack interoperability are central to that conversation.

Enterprise integration requires:

Defined governance structures
Clear investment prioritization
A unified approach to data management
Guardrails for responsible deployment

Without an operating model, AI adoption fragments quickly. With one, it becomes extensible and measurable.

Bridging Strategy and Clinical Reality

Perhaps the most persistent tension in AI adoption lies between executive ROI demands and frontline workflow realities.

The session Fireside Chat: Aligning AI Strategy with Clinical Reality explores how leaders have addressed that divide. Through shared frameworks and co-design approaches, organizations can connect financial objectives with meaningful improvements in care delivery.

Embedding AI into healthcare requires alignment across:

Executive leadership
Clinical teams
Technical stakeholders
Operational management

When these groups operate in parallel rather than partnership, initiatives stall. When aligned, measurable progress accelerates.

Building AI Literacy and Permission Frameworks

Beyond governance and operating models lies another challenge: confidence.

Many healthcare professionals lack clear guidelines or authority to engage AI tools in daily practice. Outdated systems and ambiguous expectations create hesitation.

The AI in Healthcare Forum directly addresses this barrier by emphasizing literacy and permission frameworks — defining when, where and how AI can be safely and effectively used.

For leaders, this means:

Establishing training pathways
Clarifying usage policies
Defining accountability structures
Ensuring transparency in deployment

Embedding AI into the DNA of healthcare is as much cultural as technical.

Why the AI in Healthcare Forum Matters

The HIMSS Global Health Conference & Exhibition gathers digital health leaders, clinicians and executives navigating AI integration across the industry. The AI in Healthcare Forum, part of the Emerge Experience and requiring additional registration, offers a concentrated environment focused specifically on operationalizing AI.

Held on Monday, March 9 (8:00 AM–5:00 PM), the forum is designed for leaders ready to move beyond exploration and toward disciplined implementation.

Rather than cataloging innovation, it centers on:

Responsible AI guardrails
Executive-clinical alignment
Maturity assessment
Measurable ROI

Approaching the forum with clarity around your organization’s AI objectives — whether clinical workflow optimization, operational efficiency or patient engagement — ensures conversations translate into action.

Leadership in the Maturity Phase of AI

Healthcare AI has entered a phase where credibility depends on measurable impact. Organizations that embed governance, align stakeholders and build literacy will move forward with confidence. Others risk stagnation or fragmented adoption.

The AI in Healthcare Forum at HIMSS26 offers a working session for leaders committed to operationalizing AI with structure and accountability.

Register for the AI in Healthcare Forum at HIMSS26 and engage with leaders shaping the next phase of healthcare AI.

Daymond John

Entrepreneur & Investor, Star of ABC’s Shark Tank

An entrepreneur in every sense of the word, Daymond John has come a long way from taking out a $100,000 mortgage on his mother’s house and moving his business operation into its basement. John is CEO and Founder of FUBU, a much-celebrated global lifestyle brand, and a pioneer in the fashion industry with billions in product sales world-wide. Former President Barack Obama appointed Daymond John a Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepre- neurship (PAGE) to harness his energy, ideas, and experience to help develop the next generation of entrepreneurs both at home and abroad. John is an award-winning entrepreneur and has received 100s of awards including the Brand Week Marketer of the Year, Advertising Age Marketing 1000 Award for Outstanding Ad Campaign, Ernst & Young’s New York Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and was named #2 on LinkedIn’s Top 20 Voices, a list of the top influencers, who are using their voice to help us analyze today’s changing world of work, navigate our industries, and find balance. Most recently, Real Leaders Magazine ranked Daymond John oneoftheTop20 Keynote Speakers in the World for2024! His marketing strategies and ability to build successful brands has made him a highly influential consultant and motivational speaker today. His marketing firm The Shark Group offers advice on how to effectively communicate to consumers through innovative means and connects brands with the world’s top celebrities for everything from endorsements to product extensions. John is also an author of 6 best-selling books including his New York Times best-sellers, The Power of Broke (2016) and Rise and Grind (2018).Hereleased his fifth book, Powershiftin2020 that walks through his tried-and-true process of how to transform any situation, close any deal and achieve any out- come. John’s most recent book, Little Daymond Learns to Earn (2023) is his first for kids, reached the New York Times and Amazon best-seller list the first week of its release. The book addresses the current void of educating our children about money in a fun and engaging story for parents and kids to connect. John’s mission is to continue challenging the status quo and leave a lasting legacy of inspiring other leaders to do the same. Finally, John is celebrating his 17th season on ABC TV’s critically acclaimed business reality show Shark Tank by renowned producer Mark Burnett, which has reinvigorated entrepreneurship around the world. Shark Tank has now gone on to win five Emmy® in the US and millions of weekly viewers world-wide tune into the show as John demonstrates his marketing prowess and entrepreneurial insights.

Linsey Davis

ABC News Live “Prime” Anchor

Linsey Davis is currently the anchor of ABC News Live “Prime with Linsey Davis,” ABC News’ Emmy® Award-winning streaming evening newscast, and “World News Tonight” Sunday. She is a correspondent filing reports for “World News Tonight with David Muir,” “Good Morning America,” “20/20” and “Nightline.” Davis has conducted powerful, exclusive newsmaking interviews with world leaders, influential figures, health officials, and politicians. Notable interviews include the only interview with comedian Bill Cosby in the wake of dozens of sexual assault allegations; Jonathan Majors, after he was convicted of one misdemeanor assault charge and one harassment violation; Boris Johnson, shortly after he left his position as prime minister; the victims who suffered abuse at the hands of Larry Ray at Sarah Lawrence University; Shelley Lynn Thornton, also known as Baby Roe, the daughter of Jane Roe; Kevin Strickland, a wrongfully convicted Missouri man who was released from prison after 43 years; Myon Burrell, a Minneapolis inmate who said he was wrongfully convicted for murder; and Nick Cannon, discussing his journey towards atonement, education and self-improvement after making antisemitic comments and espousing conspiracy theories. Davis’ additional interviewees include former Vice President Kamala Harris, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former Vice President Mike Pence, former First Lady Karen Pence, Gov. Ron Desantis, Nikki Haley, Speaker Mike Johnson, Beto O’Rourke, Gov. Wes Moore, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Herschel Walker, Sen. Raphael Warnock, Kanye West, Nikole Hannah-Jones, Anita Hill, Bill Gates, Halle Berry, Dionne Warwick, Huma Abedin, Dave Grohl, Billy Porter, nearly two dozen senators from both sides of the aisle and dozens of House representatives, and leading up to the 2024 Iowa caucuses, she interviewed the spouses of seven presidential candidates as part of a series called “Running Mates.” Davis helped lead ABC News’ coverage of the 2024 presidential election, notably co-hosting the 2024 presidential debate alongside David Muir, and ABC News’ election night coverage “Your Voice, Your Vote.” She was an integral part of the 2022 midterm elections and was at the forefront of ABC News’ coverage of the 2020 presidential election, spanning all eight nights of the Democratic and Republican National Conventions. She co-anchored major political events such as two presidential primary debates, the vice-presidential debate, presidential election coverage and Inauguration Day. Davis has covered news stories around the globe, including the Black Lives Matter movement, the Las Vegas massacre, the Harvey Weinstein allegations and subsequent #MeToo movement, the Boston Marathon bombing, the Nairobi Mall massacre and several of President Obama’s trips overseas. She has also reported on various natural disasters, including the earthquake in Haiti and multiple hurricanes. Davis joined ABC News in 2017 as a New York-based correspondent for ABC NewsOne, the network’s affiliate news service. Prior, Davis was the anchor of the weekend evening newscasts at WTHR-TV in Indianapolis. During her time there, she reported from New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Torino for the 2006 Winter Olympics and Athens for the 2004 Summer Olympics. From 2001 to 2003, she was a reporter at WJRT-TV, the ABC-owned station in Flint, Michigan. Davis has received several honors for her reporting, including two Emmy Awards, a duPont-Columbia Award and a regional Edward R. Murrow Award. In 2023, “ABC News Live Prime with Linsey Davis” won the Gracie Award for Best National News Program and a Front-Page Award for the feature “Water Warriors.” In 2022, she also won a 2022 On Air Talent – News Magazine Gracie Award. Davis is the author of six books, including The New York Times bestsellers “Girls of the World” (March 2024) and “The Smallest Spot of a Dot” (January 2023), and the titles “How High Is Heaven” (February 2022), “Stay This Way Forever” (February 2021), “The World Is Awake” (February 2019) and “One Big Heart” (August 2019). Davis earned her undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of Virginia and a Master of Arts degree in communications from New York University.

Jose Mayorga

Senior Vice President, Chief Quality Officer, AltaMed Health Services

A distinguished Family Physician and physician executive, Dr. Mayorga brings over two decades of healthcare leadership experience across the nonprofit, academic, and corporate sectors—with a career deeply rooted in delivering high-quality, equitable care to underserved communities. Dr. Mayorga’s journey in medicine began after completing his Family Medicine residency at Harbor-UCLA. Shortly thereafter, he opened his own practice before being recruited to AltaMed Health Services as Site Medical Director in Orange County. His leadership journey took off, leading him to become the inaugural Chief Medical Officer at Share Ourselves (SOS), where he transitioned the organization from a free clinic into a thriving Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) offering integrated primary care, pediatrics, OB/GYN, and behavioral health services. His passion for impactful change led him to DaVita Medical Group (previously HealthCare Partners), where he oversaw three Independent Physician Association (IPA) networks as Medical Director, serving over 100,000 lives across Medi-Cal, commercial, and senior populations. In 2018, he returned to his alma mater, UC Irvine, serving as Executive Director and Executive Medical Director of the UCI Health Family Health Center—where his own journey into medicine began. Under his leadership, UCI’s FQHC went through a transformational change and was nationally recognized for its success in improving quality, expanding access, eliminating health disparities, and addressing social determinants of health—earning top honors from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration from 2021 to 2024. While at UCI, he held an Associate Professor in the School of Medicine – Family Medicine Department and the School of Pharmacy – Clinical Pharmacy Department. Dr. Mayorga returned to AltaMed in May 2025 as the Chief Quality Officer. He has a a clear mission: to lead quality initiatives that elevate care for every patient, every time. He firmly believes that outstanding health outcomes come from empowered, collaborative teams focused on equitable care delivery. In addition to his executive roles, Dr. Mayorga has mentored future healthcare leaders and served as a trusted medical expert in both English and Spanish-language media. Outside of work, Dr. Mayorga enjoys coaching soccer, vacationing with his family, and cheering on the Dodgers and Lakers—always hopeful for another championship season.

David Banks

President & CEO, AdventHealth

David Banks is president and chief executive oﬃcer of AdventHealth, a connected network of care that helps people feel whole – body, mind and spirit. He leads more than 100,000 team members across a national footprint to provide whole-person care for millions of people each year through more than 2,000 care sites. Guided by its mission to extend the healing ministry of Christ, AdventHealth’s wholistic approach seeks to improve the health and prosperity of the communities it calls home. Banks has spent more than three decades at AdventHealth, helping sustain and strengthen its faith- based mission and culture. He began his career as a social worker – an experience that shaped his conviction that care should treat the whole person, not just the condition. As he advanced into leadership roles across AdventHealth’s facilities and markets, he gained deep operational and strategic insight into what it takes to deliver on that promise of wholeness. Before becoming system CEO, Banks led two major divisions within AdventHealth: the newly established Primary Health Division, and the Multi-State Division. As group CEO for the Primary Health Division, he led the formation of a new division devoted to longitudinal, whole-person primary and home-based care. The new structure integrated more than 17 existing business units into a unified division focused on access, coordination and value. Under his leadership, the division’s operating performance improved by 15% year-over-year, supported by a mission-first culture grounded in collaboration and agility. As group CEO for the Multi-State Division, Banks strengthened leadership, operations and mission alignment across eight states and three regional partnerships. In its first year, the division achieved a 60% improvement in operating performance and made measurable gains in patient experience and physician engagement. In the eight years leading up to his system CEO role, Banks also served as AdventHealth’s chief strategy oﬃcer, co-leading the development and implementation of Vision 2030 – the organization’s 10-year strategic plan. He oversaw AdventHealth’s enterprise rebrand and introduced new management models that improved collaboration and decision-making across the system. Banks earned a master’s degree in nonprofit administration from the School of Social Work at the University of Maryland, and a bachelor’s degree from Pacific Union College. He is a member of G100, the Healthcare Leadership Council and The Health Management Academy, and currently serves on the board of Oakwood University and the Andrews University Seminary Executive Committee.

Tyler Gillum

Head Baseball Coach, Savannah Bananas

Tyler Gillum is a coach, educator, and entrepreneur who has dedicated his life to inspiring and helping others achieve their dreams. His mantra—“Bet On Yourself”—has been the driving force behind his exceptional journey, which has inspired over a million people in both sports and business. From humble beginnings, to being the Head Coach of the Savannah Bananas, Tyler’s story is one of resilience, vision, and servant leadership.

Tyler’s impact isn’t limited to the baseball diamond. As a speaker, he uses his platform to inspire both individuals and organizations to reach their full potential. He teaches audiences how to implement actionable plans for success, blending the lessons of sports with business strategies. Through storytelling and hands-on advice, he encourages people to live with a “do for one what you wish you could do for many” mindset and create “never forget moments” for those around them.

Tyler’s college baseball coaching career spanned from 2010 to 2022, during which he recruited, developed, and built championship teams. He wasn’t just a coach who focused on baseball skills; he created environments where athletes could thrive, grow, and ultimately achieve their dreams- by combining developmental skills on the field, with fundamental life skills in the classroom. His philosophy was simple yet profound: coach the person first, then the player. Championship cultures are built through relationships, relationships create Buy-In, Buy-In leads to what Tyler calls “Chasing Dogpiles” aka Championships. Whether it’s in life, sports or business, everyone has a “Dogpile” to chase.

In 2017, Tyler set an ambitious goal: to positively impact one million people. By 2024, that dream was realized with one million fans on tour. Now, Tyler is focused on taking this impact to the next level, aiming to 10x that influence by sharing proven philosophies, strategies and lessons that build championship cultures.

Tyler’s roots run deep in Oklahoma, where he grew up on the rodeo circuit alongside his father, a bull rider. The quote his dad used often was “it isn’t if you get hurt, it’s when, and how bad”. Despite the challenges of a life steeped in rodeo culture, Tyler’s love for baseball was unwavering. In fact, he often jokes he’d rather “get hit by a 90mph fastball than horned by a bull” – a sentiment that has defined his journey in baseball. His upbringing instilled in him toughness, work ethic and resilience needed to overcome life’s hurdles, traits that would serve him well throughout his career.

Tyler’s journey has not been without its challenges. He grew up in a family that struggled with addiction but through it all, baseball served as a refuge, helping Tyler stay focused on his big vision and guiding him to create a life filled with purpose. His ability to turn personal struggles into motivation is a testament to his resilience and his commitment to helping others overcome their own obstacles.

A pivotal moment in Tyler’s career came in 2018 when he became the Head Coach of the Savannah Bananas, a team known for their electrifying style of play. There, he worked alongside owner Jesse Cole to develop the innovative sport of Banana Ball, a unique brand of baseball designed to entertain and engage fans like never before. The combination of being “Fans First”, having fun and developing player’s on and off the field has lead to championships, Hall of Fame Inductions and playing in the biggest stadiums in America.

In 2025, Tyler was inducted into the Hall of Fame at his Alma mater, East Central University, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the sport. Tyler often states “you should never forget where you come from”, so to represent his family on the field Tyler proudly wears his cowboy boots during the game in their honor, which fits perfectly in Bananaland, like they often say “whatever’s normal do the exact opposite”.

Tyler’s story is one that exemplifies the power of having a clear vision, setting big goals, and pursuing them relentlessly. From his childhood dream of winning four state championships in high school to his ambition of coaching in college and eventually leading the Savannah Bananas, Tyler’s journey has been marked by a commitment to personal growth and the growth of those around him.

In the world of business, as in sports, Tyler teaches that the key to success is not just in what you achieve, but in how you uplift others along the way. Take what you do seriously, but don’t take yourself too seriously. That’s the lesson Tyler lives by, and it’s the lesson he shares with everyone he encounters. Whether you’re running a business or leading a team, Tyler’s message is clear: Bet On Yourself, and always remember to serve those around you.

andrew rubin

NYU Langone Health

Senior Vice President, Clinical Affairs and Ambulatory Care and Revenue Cycle Operations

Andrew Rubin is Senior Vice President, Clinical Affairs and Ambulatory Care, and Senior Vice President, Revenue Cycle Operations, at NYU Langone Health, one of the nation’s premier integrated academic health systems devoted to patient care, education, and research.

Andrew oversaw the transformation of NYU Langone’s Faculty Group Practice (FGP), a vast network of clinicians who offer one consistently high standard of care close to where patients live and work. Through his thoughtful leadership approach, dedication to patients and staff, and strategic guidance, the FGP has grown tremendously, with 4,500 physicians employed across more than 320 locations in New York and Florida. In 2024, the FGP’s annual revenue was nearly $4 billion, and the network has been recognized as No. 1 in quality and accountability by Vizient in 9 of the past 10 years. Andrew also oversees a high-performing infrastructure across all hospital revenue cycle services that supports the collection of more than $10 billion in inpatient and $4 billion in outpatient revenues annually.

Throughout his 25 years with NYU Langone, Andrew has contributed significantly to its culture of exceptionalism. As the FGP rapidly expanded, Andrew kept a relentless focus on quality and safety while engaging the Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center to develop a patient experience service strategy focused on reinforcing excellence in every interaction. Known as FGP C.A.R.E.S., it is a sequence of behaviors that guide every interaction between patients and staff, making the overall NYU Langone experience one of empathy and consistency.

Andrew hosts a weekly Sirius Satellite/XM radio show, HealthCare Connect, where he uses warmth and compassion to connect with audiences and simplify the complex healthcare industry. He has also appeared on NBC’s Today Show, Fox News, and CNN, shedding light on all aspects of the healthcare delivery system and industry.

Outside of work, Andrew is passionate about making an impact on his community. He is active with God’s Love We Deliver, a New York nonprofit that provides meals for those with life-altering illness. In 2021, he received Crain’s New York Business LGBTQ+ Leaders and Executives award, which recognized his career achievements, mentorship, and involvement in community and industry organizations. Andrew also enjoys practicing yoga and playing fetch with his Mini Goldendoodle, Pepper.

Nader Mherabi

NYU Langone Health

Executive Vice President and Vice Dean, Chief Digital and Information Officer

Executive Vice Nader Mherabi, executive vice president and vice dean, chief digital and information officer, is responsible for all information technology (IT) strategy, digital transformation for NYU Langone Health and for information technology’s development as a strategic organizational asset. He previously was vice president for IT product solutions and chief technology officer for NYU Langone, responsible for technology strategy, infrastructure engineering, networks, data centers, and application architecture. Nader currently leads NYU Langone Health’s digital transformation and AI initiatives, driving the integration of the institution’s workflows, revolutionizing the digital patient experience and clinical environment, and empowering the institution with big data and advanced analytics to improve care delivery, quality and efficiency.

Nader has designed and implemented many large-scale, diverse systems for NYU Langone and has extensive experience in hospital clinical systems integration, research information technology, and education systems. He has developed an operational architecture for in-house application development and integration, as well as an electronic data repository, warehouse and dashboards center, research-specific infrastructure for computation and collaboration, and scores of mid-size applications for research, education, and clinical care environments.

During his more than 36 years in the information technology field, Nader has implemented large-scale systems for top Fortune 500 companies worldwide, such as Credit Suisse and CitiGroup, and held several prominent IT management positions including senior director at Mount Sinai–NYU Health, vice president at Credit Suisse First Boston, and vice president at Citibank.

Nader Mherabi, executive vice president and vice dean, chief digital and information officer, is responsible for all information technology (IT) strategy, digital transformation for NYU Langone Health and for information technology’s development as a strategic organizational asset. He previously was vice president for IT product solutions and chief technology officer for NYU Langone, responsible for technology strategy, infrastructure engineering, networks, data centers, and application architecture. Nader currently leads NYU Langone Health’s digital transformation and AI initiatives, driving the integration of the institution’s workflows, revolutionizing the digital patient experience and clinical environment, and empowering the institution with big data and advanced analytics to improve care delivery, quality and efficiency.

During his more than 36 years in the information technology field, Nader has implemented large-scale systems for top Fortune 500 companies worldwide, such as Credit Suisse and CitiGroup

Shereef Elnahal

Former Under Secretary for Veterans Health, NJ Health Commissioner, and Academic Medical Center CEO
Thrive Capital

Dr. Shereef Elnahal is a physician leader and expert in health care delivery to dual-eligible patients, with multiple leadership experiences serving vulnerable communities. He is currently Executive Health Advisor at Thrive Capital, and engages with firms large and small on how to remain competitive in an era of unprecedented innovation in health care delivery.
Before this, he was appointed by President Joe Biden to serve as Under Secretary for Health at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and confirmed by the US Senate on July 21, 2022. In this role, he lead the largest integrated health system in the nation alongside a team of nearly 400,000 professionals, delivering world-class care to 9 million enrolled Veterans.
Dr. Elnahal has overseen the Veterans Health Administration’s (VHA) implementation of the Sergeant First Class (SFC) Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act, the largest expansion of Veteran benefits and care in a generation. More than two years since the law, VA has enrolled more than 800,000 new Veterans into health care, the majority of whom had exposure to toxic substances, and upgraded health care coverage for more than 900,000 Veterans already enrolled in VA. Despite this large increase in demand, he has also improved access to care by growing appointment volumes, expanding infrastructure through innovative partnerships with top medical institutions and the Department of Defense, and more. VHA is now better staffed with clinicians that at any point in its history after he initiated system-wide hiring and retention initiatives, which also helped reduce average wait times for primary care and mental health 5% and 15% respectively. He has grown care delivery in all appointment types, and improved overall care productivity by 9% in two years. He has also advanced care access for women Veterans, including extending maternity care coordination benefits for up to one year after birth for Veteran mothers in an effort to reduce maternal morbidity and mortality, and enrolling more than 50,000 new women Veterans into healthcare over the last year.

He has also focused on ending the scourge of Veteran suicide, implementing a new policy in which VA covers the costs of care for any Veteran in suicidal crisis (not just those enrolled for VA healthcare), and has advanced VA’s research in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy to unprecedented levels. Under his leadership, VA is now funding psychedelics studies for the first time since the 1960s, and has gained bipartisan support in Congress for more funding to do multi-site clinical trials on MDMA, psilocybin, and other psychedelics agents combined with novel models of psychotherapy.
Under Dr. Elnahal’s leadership, VA has also made progress in placing record numbers of homeless Veterans into permanent housing. In FY2024, VA housed nearly 48,000 homeless Veterans, leading to a 7.5% reduction in Veteran homelessness since 2023. Veteran homelessness is now at the lowest level overall since measurement began in 2009. He is also co-leading the agency’s efforts on generative artificial intelligence, focusing on use cases that reduce clinician burnout.
Prior to his role at VA, Dr. Elnahal served as President and Chief Executive Officer of University Hospital in Newark, NJ. University Hospital is a Level I trauma center, the principal academic medical center for Rutgers NJ Medical School, and New Jersey’s only public hospital serving a large population of dual-eligible patients. Elnahal led University Hospital through the COVID-19 public health emergency, and the hospital served as a model for urban and regional response efforts. In addition, Governor Phil Murphy tasked the hospital with coordinating regional pandemic response efforts across dozens of hospitals in northern NJ, as well as with activating a military field hospital alongside the National Guard. In addition to his leadership during the pandemic, Dr. Elnahal oversaw substantial improvements in care quality and patient safety at the hospital, leading to improvements against national benchmarks. He also turned around the hospital financially, moving from significant operating losses to a healthy surplus. He engaged the community meaningfully in the hospital’s programming, to include a partnership the NJ Housing and Mortgage Financing Authority to provide supportive housing to homeless patients; a hospital-based violence intervention program that has served as a national model; and a program that deploys trusted chaplains to serve as community health workers.

Prior to his time at University Hospital, Elnahal served as New Jersey’s 21st Health Commissioner, appointed to the state Cabinet post by Governor Phil Murphy and confirmed unanimously by the New Jersey Senate, serving during the first two years of the Murphy administration. As Health Commissioner, he was responsible for running the state’s four psychiatric hospitals, and made strides in improving quality, patient safety, and outcomes for New Jersey’s most vulnerable patients requiring mental health inpatient hospitalization. He also expanded the New Jersey Health Information Network, worked to improve infant and maternal health outcomes, and made strides in curbing the opioid epidemic.
Dr. Elnahal also served as Assistant Deputy Under Secretary for Health for Quality, Safety, and Value at the US Department of Veterans Affairs from 2016 through 2018, overseeing quality of care for the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). He co-founded the VHA Innovation Ecosystem, a program that continues to foster the spread of innovation and best practices that improve Veteran care across the nation.

Dr. Elnahal received his MD from Harvard Medical School and his MBA with Distinction from Harvard Business School. His perspective on the American health care system’s COVID-19 response, including on matters of health equity, has been featured on national media outlets including Fox Business, CNN, and the New York Times.

David Banks

Group Chief Executive Officer, Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer
AdventHealth

David Banks is the chief strategy oﬃcer and senior executive vice president at AdventHealth. In this role, he oversees the system’s 10-year strategic roadmap called Vision 2030 and provides oversight for the acceleration and performance of AdventHealth’s transformation agenda. Further, he serves as the group CEO for two of AdventHealth’s five divisions – the Primary Health Division and the Multi- State Division – and also exercises responsibility for systemwide strategic planning and corporate communications. The Primary Health Division drives the diversification of AdventHealth’s service oﬀerings outside hospitals to increase success in taking delegated risk. Banks oversees the assembly of all services needed to become a health care provider in consumers’ homes, as well as the maintenance and growth of an integrated consumer digital interface. The Multi-State Division spans five regions comprised of 23 hospital campuses across eight states. Banks oversees the strategic direction, development, and expansion of the entire division. Two of these regions are anchored in the strength of national partnerships for regional relevance – University of Chicago Medicine in the Chicago market, and Texas Health Resources in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. With leadership in both relationships and executive oversight into the boards across the division, Banks champions the growth and development of AdventHealth outside of Florida. Previously, Banks served as senior vice president and chief strategy oﬃcer for AdventHealth hospitals throughout Florida. He has also held facility-based positions as administrator for AdventHealth Celebration (formally Florida Hospital Celebration Health) and AdventHealth Kissimmee (formally Florida Hospital Kissimmee), senior vice president of multi-campus administration for AdventHealth campuses in Central Florida and administrator for AdventHealth Orlando (formally Florida Hospital Orlando). Banks earned a master’s degree in nonprofit administration from the School of Social Work at the University of Maryland, and a bachelor’s degree from Pacific Union College. He currently serves on the advisory board for CareCo, an AI-powered care coordination platform. In the past, he has served as co- chair of the executive board for the American Heart Association of Central Florida, chairman for Community Vision and on the board of YMCA of Central Florida.

Valorie Kondoes Field

NCAA Gymnastics Champion and Coach

Valorie Kondos Field is the retired head coach of the seven-time NCAA Champion, 22-time Regional and 18-time Pac 12 Champion UCLA Women’s Gymnastics team. Inducted into the UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame in 2010, the four-time “National Coach of the Year” was also named “West Region Coach” of the Year and Pac 12 “Coach of the Century” for her solid track record as a preeminent coach. Formerly a professional ballet dancer, Miss Val, as she’s affectionately known by her gymnasts, was never a gymnast herself. Her reputation for teaching valuable life lessons, while encouraging individuality and joy is only one reason that 46 former US national team members came through her program and why half of the last two Olympic teams committed to UCLA. Also known as the nation’s foremost gymnastics choreographer, Miss Val’s many credits include choreographing and directing a myriad of live variety shows and 26 years of cirque-type shows for SeaWorld’s Summer Nights and the San Diego Zoo. Current projects include additional live stage shows, TV specials, events and the development of a theatrical musical, plus the highly acclaimed post-Olympic “Gold Over America Tour” featuring an all-star team of female gymnastics champions, headlined by Simone Biles which began in Fall 2020 and visited more than 35 U.S. cities, celebrating powerful female athletes in a high-octane, fun-filled experience. The tour will be back once again after the 2024 Olympics which Valorie will serve in the role of Executive Producer and Supervising Choreographer. Kondos Field is a dynamic and charismatic speaker with an extensive schedule of “Corporate Coaching” events for companies including Sam’s Club, NASA, Kennedy Space Center, Chick-fil-a, JP Morgan Chase, General Electric, Jackson National Life Insurance, Gucci, among many others and has contributed to various panel discussions including Bustle’s “Rule Breakers” and the ESPNW Summit. In her TEDWomen 2019 talk, Miss Val inspires people to reevaluate their definition of success, encouraging leaders to inspire others without compromising the human spirit. In addition her TED Talk has been viewed by millions and praised for her “Does all winning equal success” philosophy. A recent breast cancer survivor, Valorie shared her motivating and inspirational messages with the world in her book, “LIFE IS SHORT, DON’T WAIT TO DANCE: Advice and Inspiration from the UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame Coach of 7 NCAA Championship Teams,” which was released in Fall 2018 by the Hachette Book Group. She is active with the UCLA Jonsson Cancer Center Foundation, LA 84 Olympic Foundation, WISE (Women In Sports & Events), BCRF (Breast Cancer Research Foundation), Unite For Her, and many other charitable organizations, close to her heart. She resides in Fayetteville, AR with her husband, retired UCLA Football Coach, Bobby Field.

Leigh Steinberg

Chairman and Founder Speaker, Steinberg Sports and Entertainment

Leigh Steinberg, premier sports agent, entrepreneur, and Chairman and founder of Steinberg Sports and Entertainment, is best known for his work building athletes into stand-alone brands. Often credited as the real-life inspiration for the Oscar-winning film Jerry Maguire, Leigh has represented some of the most successful athletes and coaches across football, basketball, baseball, hockey, boxing, golf, and more. He holds an unprecedented record of representing the number one overall pick in the NFL draft eight times, along with 64 total first-round picks, and has represented 12 Hall of Famers. Beyond football, his clients include Oscar De La Hoya, Lennox Lewis, multiple Olympians, and professional teams. With a history of record-setting contracts, he has secured over $4 billion for more than 300 pro-athlete clients while directing over $1 billion to various charitable causes worldwide. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Leigh’s early life was shaped by his parents—a teacher and a librarian. He earned his B.A. in political science and J.D. from UC Berkeley, where he served as student body president during both degrees. His cultural significance extends beyond the sports world; Leigh has been a trivia question on Jeopardy! and Trivial Pursuit, cementing his iconic status. Deeply committed to philanthropy, Leigh has been recognized for his charitable work with numerous commendations, including honors from Congress, state legislatures, multiple U.S. Presidents, and various civic organizations. His accolades include being named “Man ofthe Year” over a dozen times and receiving “Keys to the City” in several U.S. cities. He also played a pivotal role in saving the San Francisco Giants, earning him the honor of “Leigh Steinberg Day” in the city. In 2017, he was inducted into the California Sports Hall of Fame.Throughout his career, Leigh has been a prominent media figure, appearing on programs like 60 Minutes, Larry King Live, The Today Show, CNN, Fox Business, Fox & Friends, Lifestyles of theRich and Famous, and Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel. His profile has graced the pages of Business Week, Sports Illustrated, Forbes, GQ, and ESPN The Magazine. As a consultant, he contributed to films and shows such as Jerry Maguire, Any Given Sunday, For Love of theGame, and Arli$$. He also provides expert commentary on sports business through outlets like The Dan Patrick Show and The Herd with Colin Cowherd. A prolific writer, Leigh contributes columns to Forbes, HuffPost, and Daily Pilot and has authored notable works such as Winning with Integrity and The Agent: My 40-Year Career of Making Deals and Changing the Game. Leigh’s passion for improving athlete health and safety has led him to establish a nonprofit foundation for concussion, traumatic brain injury, and brain health. Leigh hosts annual Brain Health Summits, uniting athletes, medical experts, and researchers to address leading healthissues. These summits focus on advancements in diagnosis, prevention, and mental health support. Additionally, Leigh has championed initiatives in sustainability and communitydevelopment through partnerships with various organizations. His efforts include launching educational programs for underserved communities, promoting clean energy in sports facilities, and developing outreach projects aimed at creating long-term social impact. His multifaceted projects reflect his dedication to driving meaningful change both within and beyond the sports world.

Gen. Paul M. Nakasone

Former Commander, U.S. Cyber Command & Former Director

A name synonymous with visionary leadership, retired four-star Army General Paul M. Nakasone is the longest-serving leader of the U.S. Cyber Command and the National Security Agency/Central Security Service, and is regarded among an elite class of leaders whose strategic expertise at the nexus of cybersecurity, technology, and geopolitics has laid the groundwork for upholding our nation’s security in the modern age. General Nakasone’s career spans more than three decades of pivotal moments in modern warfare and digital defense and he draws upon his experiences constantly at the epicenter of conflict to share battle-tested lessons on transformational leadership, while also examining the challenges and opportunities organizations face in the ever-evolving tech and security landscape. Exclusively represented by Leading Authorities speakers bureau, Nakasone is an engaging and dynamic speaker who leads audiences on a fascinating exploration into how our experiences today, paired with the advent of rapid and constant technological change, will shape the future — and what that means for how we approach the safety and security of our systems and society. Pointing to strategies that consistently led him and his teams to mission success in his own career, Nakasone shares recent examples of complex situations in which innovative ideas provided the catalyst for successful outcomes. As part of his talks, Nakasone emphasizes the skills that need to be sharpened in order to make a transformational impact as a leader, as well as the importance of purposefully recruiting, training, and retaining talent. He is of the belief that, ultimately, what shapes our future is fully dependent on the manner in which organizations invest leadership and talent. From the crucible of the Pentagon on 9/11 and spearheading the response to the most significant intrusion into the Defense Department’s classified networks, to the Wars in Iraq in Afghanistan, Nakasone has served as one of the most influential problem-solvers at the center of cyber and information operations and dedicated his career to being a steadfast guardian of our national security interests. He was also part of the select group of leaders that conceptualized and built U.S. Cyber Command from the ground up, and subsequently led their most elite forces before rising to command the entire organization, as well as the NSA/Central Security Service. In addition to his standing as a career Army officer who climbed the ranks to lead elite units battling the world’s top cyber hackers, Nakasone is widely recognized as an agent of innovation who championed new approaches to solving multifaceted challenges in rapidly changing landscape of cyber threats. His persistent approach to cyber defense against nation-state hackers has redefined the national and global security playbooks, while his emphasis on partnerships fostered a collaborative ecosystem transcending international, interagency, and private sector agencies. Under his stewardship, transparency became a cornerstone for his teams, elevating the confidence and trust of the American people in the NSA and U.S. Cyber Command. He retired as Commander of U.S. Cyber Command, Director of the NSA, and Chief of the Central Security Service on February 1, 2024 — having served in those roles since May 2018. General Nakasone’s remarkable service has been recognized with innumerable awards and decorations. Among them are the Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, and Defense Meritorious Service Medal — to name a few. Described as “a transformational leader who strengthened our national security, bolstered our deterrence, and defended our democracy,” Nakasone remains a vocal advocate for defending the nation and securing the best possible future through people and partnerships.

Seema Verma

Executive Vice President and General Manager Oracle Health & Life Sciences

Seema Verma is the Executive Vice President and General Manager, Oracle Health and Life Sciences, where she has responsibility of Oracle’s EHR, (former Cerner), which is the largest EHR in the world, as well as clinical trials and the health insurance portfolio. She also is a Director on the Board of Lifestance, a public company focused on behaviorial health. In addition, she serves on the Board for USC’s Leonard D. Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics. Before coming to Oracle, she served as a Senior Advisor to private equity firms TPG and Cressey & Co, serving on the Cressey Distinguished Executive Committee. She also served on the Board of Directors for Lumeris, Monogram, Wellsky, LYRIC, and ShiftKey. Additionally, she provided advisory services to a variety of early stage and large public health care companies, including national payers and technology companies focusing on strategy, value creation, and operations. Seema was the former administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the largest payer in the world, between 2017-2021. Confirmed by the Senate on a bi-partisan basis, she had one of the longest terms in modern CMS history. In this role, she oversaw a $1.4 trillion dollar budget and coverage for 145 million beneficiaries. She was responsible for federal policy and operations of Medicare, Medicaid, Health Insurance Exchanges, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI), and all federal quality and safety regulations. In this role she developed and implemented the federal administration’s health care strategic plan across all programs to advance value-based care, innovation, interoperability, and price transparency while reducing drug prices, and regulations through her historic Patients over Paperwork initiative. CMS had numerous accomplishments during her tenure including delivering reduced premiums across Medicare Part D, Medicare Advantage, and individual insurance market as well as addressing the social determinants of health. Her pro-market policies advanced market competition, provided $35 insulin to seniors and advanced site neutral payments. Her leadership on the White House COVID Task Force led to the widespread adoption of telehealth, Hospital at Home, and no cost vaccines for the entire country. Prior to her role at CMS, she founded and sold a national consulting company and worked as a VP for Policy and Planning for a public hospital, public health department, and health system. In 2019, Seema was named as Modern Healthcare’s #1 Most Influential Person in Healthcare and was part of the Top 25 Women Leaders. Her healthcare articles have been published in The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Health Affairs, Modern Healthcare, Newsweek, CNN, USA Today , STAT, and others. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland, and John’s Hopkins University School of Public Health.

Dr. Kaitlan Baston

Health Commisioner New Jersey Department of Health

Prior to becoming New Jersey’s Health Commissioner, Dr. Baston built and led the Cooper Center for Healing, an integrated pain, addiction, and behavioral health center and was an Associate Professor of Medicine at Cooper Medical school of Rowan University.

Dr. Baston began her career as a full spectrum family physician focused on underserved populations. Prior to coming to New Jersey, her work ranged from public health projects in Rwanda, to public maternity and trauma hospitals in the Dominican Republic, to providing full spectrum family planning services and working in a bilingual community health center in Seattle, Washington.

Her experiences in primary care highlighted that both patients and medical professionals suffer from the lack of addiction medicine training and integration into healthcare. Following her addiction medicine fellowship, she came to Camden in 2015 driven to improve community-centered health care delivery, population health, and behavioral health. In the following seven years she built an inpatient addiction consult service, multiple interdisciplinary outpatient clinics, a wrap-around perinatal substance use disorder program, a harm reduction based low-barrier walk-in clinic, and the first program for emergency medicine services (EMS) field initiation of medication for addiction treatment. She led both undergraduate and graduate addiction medical education and started a new addiction medicine fellowship. Her research team was responsible for bringing in and overseeing several million dollars in state and federal grant funding to support innovation, community-based care, and to address social determinants of health.

This work expanded to state and federal level health policy, and Dr. Baston became the Medical Director of Government Relations at Cooper University Health Care in 2019. She is nationally recognized for her work in perinatal substance use disorders and EMS delivery of addiction treatment. She has spoken to congress, the American Bar Association, and is a national educator for the organization Zero to Three. She has served on national level committees including the Infant Toddler Court Program Expert Advisory Group, the American Academy of Pediatrics Head Start National Expert Workgroup, the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives Opioid Task Force, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health Opioid Collaborative Workgroup. She has also served on the New Jersey DMHAS State Epidemiological Outcomes Workgroup, the New Jersey ATLAS State Advisory Committee, the Camden County Addiction Awareness Task Force, and the Camden County Opioid Settlement Funds Board. In 2011, she was awarded the Savacool Prize in Medical Ethics. She has been recognized as a New Jersey Top Doctor or Top Female Doctor every year from 2017 to 2023, won the Golden Apple Teaching Award in 2021, the New Jersey Healthcare Innovation Hero award in 2022, and the New Jersey Hospital Association Healthy New Jersey Award in 2023.

Currently, Dr. Baston is focused on decreasing health disparities, improving maternal child health outcomes, and enhancing integrated care for behavioral health and substance use disorders. In her role as Health Commissioner, she strives to ensure that all people have access to resources that can keep them healthy and to compassionate, evidence-based medical care when needed. Dr. Baston is proud to work with an interdisciplinary team of like-minded, driven individuals at the Department of Health who are dedicated to improving the equity and health of New Jersey.

Dr. Baston is dual boarded in Family Medicine and Addiction Medicine, obtained a master’s degree in Neuroscience from Kings College, London, and graduated from Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, PA.

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