ViVE has once again delivered an exciting glimpse into the future of healthcare, bringing together executives, innovators, and decision-makers to tackle some of the sector’s biggest challenges.
This year’s conference was in Nashville, TN and, despite the wintry weather causing a few hiccups, the vibes at ViVE were great and both attendees and exhibitors were high-energy all week long.
Our team was there too, showcasing our latest product innovations, catching up with old and new clients, and having a chinwag with other industry leaders. There were a ton of exciting presentations, workshops, and networking opportunities at ViVE this year, so read on for some key takeaways from the event.
AI as a human-centric tool
AI is everywhere in healthcare, but at ViVE 2025, the most compelling conversations weren’t just about automation or predictive analytics. Instead, many discussions centered around how AI is shaping the healthcare workforce—helping to alleviate the ongoing staffing shortage and even attracting new talent to the industry.
Can AI be a workforce ally?
With burnout at an all-time high and staffing shortages persisting across hospitals and health systems, organizations are turning to AI not just to fill gaps, but to create a better working environment. Some key AI-driven workforce strategies discussed at ViVE included:
- AI-driven assistants. Chatbots and AI-powered documentation tools are alleviating administrative burdens, allowing clinicians to spend more time with patients and less time on paperwork.
- Workforce planning. By analyzing historical data, patient demand patterns, and employee scheduling preferences, AI is helping health systems optimize staffing models, reducing the need for last-minute overtime or excessive workloads.
- Talent retention. Healthcare organizations are leveraging AI tools to analyze and understand employee skill sets and make recommendations on tailored growth opportunities to retain top talent and open the way for career advancement.
How leaders are positioning AI to work with, not against, healthcare workers
One of the biggest themes—and most thought-provoking discussions—at ViVE 2025 was that AI should enhance, not replace, human workers. It’s an important conversation to be had, and healthcare leaders spoke candidly about using AI ethically and responsibly to navigate the concerns around the technology.
Experts in the field know that AI has a “black box” problem, AI models make decisions and recommendations without clear explanations. To address this, healthcare leaders are demanding AI systems that are interpretable and auditable. Vendors are being pushed to develop models that can explain how its decisions are made, empowering clinicians and patients to better understand recommendations. Moreover, major health systems are implementing regular audits into AI algorithms to check for accuracy, reliability, and unintended biases.
Speaking of biases, healthcare leaders are also working to ensure the datasets used to train AI models represent different racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic groups to prevent disparities. AI models are only as good as the data they’re trained on, after all, and it only benefits healthcare organizations to eliminate biases that may impact the quality of patient care. For more on why bias in AI is such a problem, and what biopharma and medtech leaders are doing to combat this concern, read our report on how life sciences companies are leveraging AI.
Cybersecurity leaders are shifting from reactive to proactive strategies
Cybersecurity has long been a concern in healthcare, but ViVE 2025 made one thing clear: A reactive approach to cyber threats is no longer an option. With ransomware attacks, data breaches, and phishing schemes on the rise, healthcare leaders are making a major shift toward proactive risk management and resilience-building strategies.
From zero-trust architectures to AI-driven threat detection, organizations are investing in systems designed to predict, prevent, and rapidly respond to cyberattacks before they cause widespread damage. Another key takeaway was the increasing collaboration between healthcare providers and cybersecurity firms, ensuring that organizations have the tools and expertise needed to stay ahead of evolving threats.
Of course, strengthening the “human firewall” remains a sensible and effective approach to safeguarding against cybercrime. Human error is one of the primary reasons why data breaches occur, but healthcare organizations can implement systems to curb the problem. This includes:
- Regular training so employees can spot, avoid, and report phishing schemes.
- Restricting access to private data with role-based permissions.
- Shifting the culture internally and across the healthcare landscape to one that prioritizes security awareness.
Virtual-first care is becoming the face of healthcare delivery
Beyond AI, it seemed like this was the year that healthcare leaders not only fully embraced virtual care models but doubled down on digital engagement as the default for patient interactions.
Gone are the days of awkward Zoom calls with doctors. The “digital front door” strategy is rapidly becoming a foundational pillar of healthcare delivery, and the global virtual care market is now valued at nearly $80 billion by 2032.
The payoff? Greater accessibility, convenience, and cost savings—not just for patients, but for providers and payers as well.
Virtual-first care is more than just telemedicine, RPM, patient portals, and AI. It’s a comprehensive approach to patient care that seamlessly integrates various virtual components alongside health education, asynchronous communication, and clinician guidance to enhance care outcomes.
By prioritizing digital engagement and remote services, healthcare providers are reducing unnecessary in-person visits, optimizing specialist referrals, and reaching patients in historically underserved areas. More organizations are also embracing hybrid models that blend virtual and in-person care, ensuring patients receive care tailored to their needs.
The question now isn’t whether virtual-first care will stick—it’s how the industry will scale it to maximize its impact.
The retail health market is in flux
For several years, big-box retailers like Walmart and CVS have been positioning themselves as major players in healthcare, expanding into retail spaces, primary care, urgent care, chronic disease management, and more. But this year, leaders at ViVE spoke about recent economic headwinds that have shifted the tone around retail health—from rapid expansion to course correction.
Shifting consumer behaviors, unprofitable investments, and changes to the U.S. economy have forced these companies to rethink their strategies. Here’s some quick highlights of the pain points brought up:
- Rising labor costs and staffing shortages are hurting pharmacies and retail clinics
- Foot traffic in brick-and-mortar stores are declining as online pharmacies and telehealth adoption grows, indicating a possible shift
- Many retail health services are not reimbursed at the same rates as traditional providers, impacting profitability
- The big players are closing dozens (if not hundreds) of retail locations
Instead of doubling down on in-store health clinics, many retailers are pivoting toward digital health and hybrid care models. Companies like CVS (through its Aetna arm) are investing in home-based care services to better serve seniors and patients with chronic conditions.
Despite economic struggles, retail health isn’t going away, but consumer perception remains a pressing challenge. Long wait times and pharmacy closures have hurt retail brands. Staffing shortages have led to increased consumer frustration, which retailers must address to rebuild trust. And while the convenience and affordability of retail care have been key selling points, patients still prefer traditional providers for serious health issues and chronic disease care. It's clear retailers have their work cut out for them.
Learn more
From new use cases for AI to and proactive strategies for combating data breaches to evolving patient care delivery models, ViVE 2025 made it clear that organizations must stay agile to adapt, compete, and thrive in this fiercely competitive market.
But keeping up with these rapid changes—and making informed strategic decisions—requires more than just a subscription to the major news outlets. It requires the right data.
At Definitive Healthcare, we provide the up-to-date intelligence, analytics, and insights that healthcare organizations need to track industry trends and anticipate shifts in the market. Then, your teams can use our insights to uncover new opportunities, understand patients and providers, and navigate the future of healthcare.
Want to see how our data products and solutions can help your organization achieve its goals in 2025? Start a free trial today.
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