4 Takeaways from the 2026 J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference

Health care executives detailed the benefits of collaboration and described how artificial intelligence (AI) can enhance care delivery during the annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco earlier this month. More than 150 health systems attended the event, which took place from January 12 through 15, according to Fierce Healthcare.

4 Takeaways from the Conference

1 | AI can significantly improve clinical care.

Providers are shifting their focus from deploying AI for clerical tasks to utilizing the technology to directly enhance patient care. In interviews at the conference, health system executives described these clinical applications for AI, according to Modern Healthcare.

• Thanks to an AI-assisted solution that analyzes electrocardiograms, Rochester, Minnesota-based Mayo Clinic can identify life-threatening heart conditions in patients who don’t display evident symptoms. Mayo has also developed an AI-powered diagnostic tool capable of recognizing pancreatic cancer three months to three years earlier than human radiologists and an AI-powered stethoscope that can sound the alarm about peripartum cardiomyopathy in pregnant and post-partum patients.
• By deploying AI and predictive analytics to alert clinicians about early indicators of infection, Tampa (Florida) General Hospital decreased its 48-hour mortality rate for sepsis patients by 68% from 2022 to 2025.
• Charlotte, North Carolina-based Advocate Health has improved safety by installing AI-enabled sensors and cameras in patients’ rooms to prevent falls.
• Cleveland Clinic in Ohio has leveraged AI to increase the accuracy of quantum computing simulations, allowing the provider to predict the efficacy of treatments and medications.
• Detroit-based Henry Ford Health has utilized AI to predict patients’ reactions to medication based on genetic information.

Additionally, during the conference, the health tech company Tempus announced alliances with NYU Langone Health in New York City and Northwestern Medicine in Chicago to advance precision medicine for patients with cancer, according to Fierce Healthcare.

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2 | Agentic AI may counteract the health care workforce shortage.

• Nvidia: Kimberly Powell, vice president of health care for the tech giant Nvidia, described 2025 as “an absolute breakout year for agentic AI” — which Google Cloud defines as advanced AI capable of acting autonomously.
• World Health Organization: With the World Health Organization projecting a global shortage of 11 million health care professionals by 2030, these AI solutions can provide vital support, Powell told attendees.

“Health care systems all over the globe are recognizing that they can start hiring these agentic systems and platforms essentially as digital coworkers to close this extreme gap we have in terms of health care services and the number of health care professionals,” she said.

3 | Virtual and home-based care are gaining ground.

Some health care executives touched on the growing demand for virtual and home-based treatment. Here are a few examples.

• ChristianaCare: Wilmington, Delaware-based ChristianaCare plans to shift caregiving toward the home via in-home skilled nursing programs and hospital-at-home, Janice Nevin, M.D., the health system’s president and CEO, told conference attendees, as reported by Modern Healthcare.
• Teladoc Health: The company announced the expansion of its 24/7 urgent care services, according to Fierce Healthcare. The New York City-based virtual care provider has added the ability to treat conditions such as sleep issues, hair loss and back and joint pain.
• Aveanna Healthcare: Atlanta-based home health care provider Aveanna Healthcare plans to carry out home health company acquisitions in the Southeast and Midwest U.S. in 2026, according to Modern Healthcare.

4 | Joining forces with other providers can improve financial stability and enhance care delivery.

Health system executives also spoke about the benefits of merging and partnering with other providers, according to Fierce Healthcare. For example, Advocate CEO Eugene Woods said his system created 23,000 new jobs and achieved $1.5 billion in annual operating savings after merging into the nation’s third-largest non-profit system. In the wake of the merger, Advocate has also improved quality of care: The number of hospitals in the system with “A” safety ratings from LeapFrog has reached 24, compared to five last spring.

Additionally, Bob Garrett, CEO of Edison, New Jersey-based Hackensack Meridian Health, advocated for expanding and improving care through partnerships with non-traditional providers: He told conference attendees that his health system intends to add outpatient services through those kinds of alliances, Modern Healthcare reported. Hackensack Meridian plans to open 20 primary care clinics in New Jersey in collaboration with Amazon One Medical and has partnered with K Health to provide virtual primary care.