Healthcare Industry Insights: Latest Developments on November 26, 2025 – HIStalk Highlights

Top News

New Zealand’s health minister announces a 10-year investment plan to convert the 65% of hospitals that use paper records to digital systems.

The plan calls for a single national digital medical records system, remote patient monitoring, a national radiology system, and stronger cybersecurity.

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Reader Comments

From GoBeyond: “Re: HIMSS. Please investigate whether HIMSS was technically insolvent when it sold the global conference to Informa. Also, who does it count as a ‘member’ in announcing a big increase?” On the latter issue, only HIMSS can answer how it counted its announced 75% membership increase over the past eight years. I wonder about HIMSS organizational affiliate memberships, the all-you-can-eat plan where an organization pays one price for unlimited individual members. For example, health systems can sign up unlimited individual members for a total annual cost of just $5,000. On the first issue, a non-profit’s financial health can be ascertained only from its 990 tax forms or audited financials and I haven’t seen those. Here’s some background:

• A 501(c)(6) trade association like HIMSS is required to file a Form 990 every year, although IRS backlogs (which IRS has confirmed) can affect the visibility of those filings.
• IRS records show no timely HIMSS Form 990 filings for fiscal years 2022, 2023, and 2024. HIMSS has also not provided recent returns upon my multiple requests as required by federal disclosure rules.
• The organization’s fiscal year change to a December year-end for 2021 explains a one-time shift in timing, but not a multi-year absence of posted filings.
• HIMSS announced a global headquarters in the Netherlands in 2023 and sold its conference operations to Informa in the same year. The global headquarters change does not relieve HIMSS of the obligation to file 990s for its US operation.
• I don’t know who HIMSS uses as an external auditor in the absence of 990 filings. HIMSS CFO Annemarie Tuzik left the organization in October 2025 after two years and an interim is in place. She was hired at the same time as its general counsel, who left after just over one year and does not appear to have been replaced.
• Without 990s or audited financials, an organization’s financial health can be assessed only through observable behaviors such as persistent late filings, refusing to provide disclosure, downsizings, executive or board turnover, selling core revenue-generating assets, a reduction in membership or sponsorship levels, office relocations, program cancellations, and major operational shifts.

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HIStalk Announcements and Requests

My aggravation of the day: news websites that force me to turn off my ad blocker, then dump me off to paywall anyway.

It’s nearly Thanksgiving, which means that tens of thousands of people will pack their heavy coats and turkey sandwiches for Chicago and RSNA, where the already cold weather will worsen under a forecast winter storm. Exhibitors love adverse weather that keeps attendees in the exhibit hall.

Subject-verb agreement matters, at least to me. Removing those first three words fixes the problem and shortens the headline as a bonus.

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Sponsored Events and Resources

None scheduled soon. Contact Lorre to have your resource listed.

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Acquisitions, Funding, Business, and Stock

Canada’s competition bureau is investigating Well Health Technologies over concerns that its recent acquisitions, including Healwell AI and Orion Health Holdings, are reducing competition in the AI transcription market. The former yoga studio operator now operates 227 medical clinics and has announced plans to take its software subsidiary Wellstar public next year.

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Sales

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Announcements and Implementations

RapidAI obtains FDA clearance for five new imaging modules in its Rapid Enterprise Platform.

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Government and Politics

The White House launches the Genesis Mission, a national effort to use AI to transform scientific research.

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Sponsor Updates

• Health Gorilla’s Chief Medical Officer Steven Lane, MD, MPH and Altera Digital Health Chief Medical Officer Laura Kohlhagen, MD, MBA will co-present at the Harris Customer Training Conference in San Diego on “A New Dawn: Data Exchange in Sunrise via TEFCA” December 3 in San Diego.
• Wolters Kluwer Health adds Lexidrug to its UpToDate Expert AI.

Sponsor Spotlight

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How might the 15% advancement in early cancer detection through AI-driven image analysis impact healthcare costs and resource allocation?

AI-Powered Diagnostics Gain Traction

Artificial intelligence (AI) continues to revolutionize healthcare, especially in diagnostics. Recent developments, as of November 26, 2025, showcase critically important advancements in AI-driven image analysis.

* Early Cancer Detection: Several hospitals are now utilizing AI algorithms to analyze mammograms and CT scans wiht increased accuracy, leading to earlier cancer detection rates. A study published in the Lancet Digital Health this week demonstrated a 15% improvement in identifying subtle anomalies compared to conventional methods. This impacts precision medicine and patient outcomes significantly.

* Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) Integration: AI is being integrated into RPM devices to analyze vital signs and predict potential health crises. This proactive approach allows for timely intervention, reducing hospital readmissions and improving chronic disease management.

* Pathology Assistance: AI-powered tools are assisting pathologists in analyzing tissue samples, accelerating diagnosis and reducing the potential for human error. This is particularly valuable in areas with pathologist shortages.

Telehealth expansion & Virtual Care Models

Telehealth adoption, accelerated by recent events, continues to evolve. November 26th saw announcements regarding expanded coverage and innovative virtual care models.

* Medicare & medicaid Reimbursement Updates: New guidelines released this week clarify reimbursement policies for telehealth services, including mental health and specialist consultations. This is a major win for healthcare accessibility, especially in rural areas.

* Hospital-at-Home programs: Several major hospital systems are expanding their “hospital-at-home” programs, leveraging telehealth and remote monitoring to provide acute care in patients’ homes. These programs are showing promising results in reducing costs and improving patient satisfaction.

* Virtual Reality (VR) Therapy: VR is gaining traction as a therapeutic tool for pain management, anxiety, and rehabilitation. Several clinics are now offering VR-based therapy sessions, demonstrating positive patient responses.Digital health is becoming increasingly crucial.

Cybersecurity Threats & Data Privacy Concerns

The healthcare industry remains a prime target for cyberattacks. Recent events highlight the urgent need for robust cybersecurity measures.

* Ransomware Attacks on Hospitals: A concerning trend continues with several hospitals experiencing ransomware attacks in the past week,disrupting patient care and compromising sensitive data. This underscores the importance of healthcare cybersecurity and data protection.

* HIPAA Compliance Updates: The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced updates to HIPAA regulations, focusing on enhanced data security standards and breach notification requirements.Healthcare data privacy is paramount.

* Blockchain for Secure Data Sharing: blockchain technology is being explored as a potential solution for secure and interoperable data sharing among healthcare providers. Pilot programs are underway to assess its feasibility and scalability.

Pharmaceutical Innovations & drug Growth

Significant progress is being made in pharmaceutical research and development, with several promising new therapies on the horizon.

* mRNA Vaccine Advancements: Building on the success of mRNA vaccines for COVID-19, researchers are exploring their potential for treating other diseases, including cancer and autoimmune disorders.

* Gene Therapy Breakthroughs: Several gene therapy trials are showing positive results in treating rare genetic diseases. These therapies offer the potential for long-term or even curative treatments.

* Personalized Medicine & Pharmacogenomics: Advances in pharmacogenomics are enabling more personalized drug prescriptions, optimizing treatment efficacy and minimizing adverse effects. This is a key component of personalized healthcare.

Supply Chain Resilience & Drug Shortages

Ongoing supply chain disruptions continue to impact the availability of certain medications and medical supplies.

* Domestic Manufacturing Initiatives: The government is investing in initiatives to bolster domestic manufacturing of essential medications and medical supplies, reducing reliance on foreign sources.

* Diversification of Supply Chains: Healthcare organizations are actively diversifying their supply chains to mitigate the risk of future disruptions.

* Inventory Management Strategies: Hospitals are implementing more sophisticated inventory management strategies to optimize stock levels and prevent shortages. Healthcare logistics is a critical area.

Interoperability & Data Exchange Challenges

Achieving seamless data exchange between different healthcare systems remains a significant challenge.

* FHIR Implementation: The adoption of the fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) standard is gaining momentum, facilitating data exchange and interoperability.

* CommonCare Initiative: The CommonCare initiative, aimed at creating a national framework for interoperable health data exchange, is progressing, but faces ongoing challenges related to data standardization and privacy concerns.

* API Integration: Increased use of Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) is enabling more efficient data sharing between electronic health records (EHRs) and other healthcare applications.Health facts technology (HIT) is crucial.