Health Evolution is gearing up for 2025 Connect, which will take place Sept. 7-10 in Nashville, Tennessee. As we prepare to welcome leaders from across the health care industry for our fall gathering, I sat down with Health Evolution Executive Vice President Rob Lazerow—who develops the content for Health Evolution’s convenings—to discuss why 2025 Health Evolution Connect is a must-attend event for CEOs and C-suite leadership teams.
Read on to discover how 2025 Connect will empower leaders to drive transformation and accelerate the pace of change.
What animates the 2025 Connect experience?
We’re thrilled to be heading back to Nashville this fall for our fourth Connect gathering. Our time together is designed to share new ideas, connect and reconnect with colleagues, and focus on driving change.
The Health Evolution community convenes in person twice each year, and this year’s Connect agenda builds on the powerful 2025 Summit dialogue from this past spring. When we reconvene in the fall, we’ll continue to explore the three central forces health care executives are facing right now: policy change and economic uncertainty; waves of negative public sentiments toward our industry; and the transformative potential of AI.
In recognition of our 15th Summit in April, executives explored bold questions about the future of health care and the major contours over the next 15 years. To start making this future a reality, the conversations at 2025 Connect will center on the present-day actions leaders must take to fundamentally advance bold action, address systemic challenges, and accelerate the pace of change.
What major themes can leaders expect to hear on the main stage?
CEOs and C-suite leaders across the health care ecosystem are confronting profound challenges—perpetual uncertainty, seismic legislative and regulatory changes, declines in public trust, rapid technological advancement, and escalating demands for better outcomes and affordability. Meeting this moment requires clarity of purpose, real collaboration across sectors, and the resolve to lead with both urgency and intention.
The main stage Big Discussions at 2025 Connect will explore these major forces through strategic dialogue, shared learning, and actionable insights. Participating executives can expect to explore four cross-cutting themes in the main stage program.
1. Consumer Trust
We’ll jumpstart our time together by continuing our community’s ongoing dialogue around addressing public sentiments and strengthening trust. This was a central part of Summit this spring and our virtual Forum-wide special sessions over the summer. For the Connect conversation, we’re honored to learn from visionary health plan, health system, and life sciences leaders who have taken the long view on building trust with the communities they serve. In addition to being the centerpiece of the opening main stage Big Discussion, trust will be a key theme across the main stage program and in small-group breakout sessions.
2. AI and Innovation
Next, leaders will discuss how to drive innovation and harness the power of AI. On Monday, we’ll examine the payment and care models needed to support an older, sicker, and more expensive population. On Tuesday, we’ll delve into the evolving landscape of innovation and discovery—particularly how downward pressure on research funding and new tools including real-world evidence, consumer-generated data, and AI are all reshaping the rules of innovation and discovery. And on Wednesday, we’ll explore the growing role of AI in the future of care delivery and unpack the ripple effects as use of AI becomes more pervasive.
3. Health Policy
Third, there will be a major focus on health policy at 2025 Connect. With the recent passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and changes in the regulatory world underway, policy has been at the forefront this year. Leaders will take a closer look at the current policy landscape and unpack the latest developments out of D.C., building on our fireside chat with CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz at Summit. More to come.
4. Leadership
Finally, as a community of cross-industry leaders, our gatherings place a major emphasis on leadership. On Tuesday, we’ll open the day with a cross-industry dialogue on leading through this era defined by the challenging combination of enduring uncertainty and rapid change. We’re delighted to bring together distinguished health system and health plan CEOs to learn how they’re guiding their organizations and the industry in this moment. We’ll follow up with a fireside chat with a preeminent health system CEO to further explore lessons in leadership.
What special highlights can leaders look forward to this fall?
We have two special features for Connect this fall, contributing to a standout experience.
First, this year marks the 10th Confab for Advancing Women in Leadership. We’ll celebrate this major milestone with a dedicated main stage Big Discussion on Tuesday afternoon. We’ll reflect on a decade of progress and learn from the firsthand experiences of remarkable leaders who have driven impact as health system executives, technology leaders, investors, philanthropists, and policymakers. After the main stage dialogue, the Confab community will then continue the conversation over a special “Get Real” celebration dinner. Confab is always such a powerful part of our gatherings, and this year’s reunion will be no exception.
Second, building on the inaugural Summit Intensive, we are excited to conclude 2025 Connect with our inaugural Connect Intensive—a special gathering designed specifically for cross-industry executives at the forefront of reimagining the future of care delivery. This half-day convening will occur on Wednesday morning, bringing together peers and counterparts to examine how payment policy and technology are reshaping the future of care delivery. We look forward to digging into the future of AI in clinical settings and the latest in innovative payment models to conclude our time in Nashville this fall.
What can leaders expect beyond the main stage as they plan their experience?
To complement the main stage program, leaders will also participate in a compelling set of interactive, roll-up-your-sleeves breakout sessions. On Monday and Tuesday, we’ll have a full suite of Deep Dive Discussions, continuing to explore cross-cutting themes such as public trust, leadership, AI, and policy change in small-group settings with leading experts. Additionally, Connect serves as a kickoff to our new Fellowship year, so Health Evolution Fellows will have private meetings for their Forum Roundtables as they embark on their year together. I know how much participants value the peer-to-peer dialogue in these more intimate and interactive sessions.
And as always, we’ll have ample networking time. Participating executives will enjoy receptions on Sunday and Monday evenings, a meet-and-greet for Health Evolution Fellows on Monday morning, and the Confab festivities on Tuesday evening. In addition to these more structured networking times, we’ll have more informal networking breaks throughout. Immersing yourself in this incredible community of cross-industry leaders is such a vital part of the experience.
What do you want leaders to gain from the 2025 Connect experience?
We’re gathering in Nashville at such a pivotal moment for what promises to be a thought-provoking program and engaging experience.
We want leaders to leave these discussions better equipped to drive real strategic change in their organizations and beyond. The 2025 Connect agenda will focus on providing tangible ideas and actionable next steps to drive outsized progress.
As health care increasingly operates—and is judged—as a collective, building strong connections is essential. Accelerating the pace of change takes more than just bold ideas—it requires trusted partnerships and true collaboration. 2025 Connect is designed to foster those relationships and create the environment needed to advance meaningful transformation and lasting impact.
If you haven’t yet, apply to join us at 2025 Connect on Sept. 7-10. Together, we’ll turn vision into action—deepening partnerships, scaling solutions, and accelerating the pace of change.
