Highlights from 2026 TX HIMSS Regional Conference

What happens when healthcare innovation is shaped not only by technology, but by the real human experiences behind it?In this SOHIT HIMSS 2026 episode of Straight Outta Health IT, Christopher Kunney speaks with healthcare leaders, informatics experts, entrepreneurs, and innovators at the Texas HIMSS Regional Conference about how technology, AI, data, and human experience are transforming healthcare. Erica Olenski, Founder of Monarch Futures and August’s Artists, shares how her experience as a caregiver and the loss of her son inspired her work in healthcare innovation. She emphasizes the importance of treating patient and caregiver experiences as valuable data that should inform the design of digital health solutions.The discussion continues with Elsie Gori, Nurse Informaticist and Program Chair for the Texas HIMSS Regional Conference, who explains how nursing informatics can improve care delivery through better workflow design, data utilization, AI, and smarter alert systems that help reduce alarm fatigue. Nayan D. Patel, SVP and General Manager for Transformation at Neteera, adds the perspective of both a former healthcare CIO and technology executive, highlighting the potential of contactless vital sign monitoring and the need for AI solutions that solve real clinical challenges without adding complexity to existing workflows.Katherine Taylor Pearson, President of the American Nursing Informatics Association, discusses her journey from military nursing to informatics leadership and explains why clinicians remain essential in guiding AI adoption and interpreting healthcare data. Closing the episode, Ted Lindsley, CEO of CognomIQ, explores how modern healthcare data platforms can replace fragmented systems, transform static data into actionable insights, and create the foundation needed for more effective operations, clinician innovation, and the future of healthcare AI.Tune in to hear how healthcare leaders are connecting lived experience, clinical insight, AI, and data infrastructure to build a more human and effective future for health IT.ResourcesConnect with Erica Olenski on LinkedIn here.Follow Monarch Futures on LinkedIn.Connect with Elsie Gori on LinkedIn here.Follow Lone Star Communications Inc on LinkedIn and visit their website here.Connect with Nayan Patel on LinkedIn.Follow Neteera on LinkedIn and visit their website here.Connect with Katherine Taylor Pearson on LinkedIn here.Follow the American Nursing Informatics Association on LinkedIn and visit their website here.Email Katherine here.Connect with Ted Linsley on LinkedIn.Follow CognomIQ on LinkedIn and visit their website here.