I’m going to this year’s HLTH 2026 conference in Las Vegas next week with an eye toward two particular developments: women’s health and AI. Specifically, how both may be converging in novel ways the healthcare industry has not yet seen.
Every year at HLTH I appreciate the rich and robust conversations about women’s health, which include both the persistent problems as well as forward-looking ideas for improvement. This year, the conference has a range of related topics on the docket, including a discussion about funding the next big breakthrough in women’s health, and what healthcare leaders can do now to capitalize on the momentum and investment into women’s health.
The first step is improving access to the care women across the country (and, let’s face it, around the globe) need by charting a course to reduce gender disparities, including maternal health.
In fact, maternal health is a critical topic to Sage Growth Partners as our research of 300 recently pregnant women and 50 health plan leaders reveals the fragile foundation underlying maternal health. That foundation is fissured by gaps in communication and data collection that leave women confused about their care plans as well as maternity and postpartum insurance coverage options.
At the same time, separate Sage Growth Partners research illustrates that C-suite executives rate investments into clinical AI tools as their top technology initiative moving into 2027. Administrative AI solutions also rank within the top five of such C-suite priorities.
As those investments in clinical and administrative tech take hold, will AI play a role in improving women’s health more broadly? I expect to learn more at HLTH 2026 about AI’s potential to advance interoperability, what the next four years hold for agentic AI tools, and the existential question of whether AI is delivering actual value in the real world or just shifting money around. All of those can be directly, or indirectly, tied to women’s health moving forward.
And while we may ultimately walk away from HLTH 2026 with even more burning questions, one thing is already clear: the opportunities for both women’s health and AI are nearly limitless. It’s just a matter of how and where they coalesce.
It’s also clear where our additional areas of expertise at Sage Growth Partners come into a sharp focus. Our team went back through every client engagement since 2023 and five aspects of healthcare emerged:
- Revenue cycle management
- Provider data and credentialing
- Patient engagement
- Payer technology and interoperability
- Senior care and post-acute tech
Sage CEO Dan D’Orazio and I will be in Las Vegas meeting with innovators looking to transform ambitious ideas into tangible growth, networking at parties, and looking to glean as much insight as possible into what the near-future holds for healthcare.
So if you have a complex challenge to overcome, a big growth goal to achieve, or a compelling founder story to bring to life, let’s talk!
Connect with Jenn or Dan at HLTH 2026: jwalsh@sage-growth.com
If you are interested in learning more about how Sage helps providers and practices acquire patients, improve engagement and enhance patient satisfaction, we would love to hear from you.
