Sustainability, Strategy, and Scale: 4 Key Takeaways From MEDITECH LIVE 2026

Last week, health system leaders, providers, and technology partners came together for MEDITECH LIVE 2026, and the conversations made one thing clear: the MEDITECH community is moving from strategy to execution. Here’s what stood out to us this year.

1. Rural Health Transformation Program awards are top of mind.

Conversations throughout the event centered on the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) and how health systems can put these awards to work. Healthcare providers are weighing how to direct funding toward initiatives that improve outcomes and strengthen long-term sustainability, particularly for rural and community hospitals navigating tight margins and growing patient needs.

2. AI adoption is maturing, and governance is catching up.

AI remained a central theme, with continued interest in MEDITECH’s solutions supporting physicians, nurses, and revenue cycle teams. What’s changed is the conversation around it. MEDITECH users are moving past early experimentation and asking harder questions about governance and strategy, including how to scale AI responsibly across clinical and operational workflows.

3. A growing Expanse community is energized.

MEDITECH LIVE welcomed a wave of new Expanse users this year, and the energy was contagious. Customers were eager to join the broader Expanse community and connect with peers facing similar implementation and optimization challenges, reinforcing that this platform shift is still gaining momentum across the industry.

4. Customer voices drove the agenda.

This year’s event featured 75 sessions, the most in MEDITECH LIVE’s history, including 36 customer presenters. Health systems shared their own stories and lessons learned, giving attendees a practical, real-world view of what’s working across the MEDITECH community.

Our Perspective on MEDITECH LIVE 2026

The themes from this year’s event reflect where healthcare IT is headed: more funding tied to measurable rural health outcomes, more disciplined approaches to AI, and a growing, engaged Expanse community eager to learn from one another. As a member of the MEDITECH Alliance, Tegria is proud to partner with the MEDITECH community as they work through these challenges every day. We will continue to support MEDITECH users navigating these shifts, and we look forward to continuing the conversations that began in Foxborough.