WEDI 2025 Spring Conference

Exclusively on Zoom, View the conference agenda HERE

Join WEDI for its 2025 Spring Conference, the premier annual event showcasing the latest in health IT best practices, lessons learned, and emerging trends. This dynamic gathering brings together industry leaders, policymakers, and innovators to explore critical topics shaping the future of health care technology, including interoperability, artificial intelligence, and regulatory compliance. Through expert-led discussions, interactive panels, and networking opportunities, attendees will gain actionable insights to navigate the evolving health IT landscape. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect, learn, and drive meaningful change in health care technology and data exchange!

May 14 Spring Pre-Conference

3 sessions to get you prepared for the Spring Conference!

• HIPAA Exception Pilot Proves Significant Improvement: How Using FHIR APIs Streamlines Prior Authorization
• Inside WEDI: Exploring Workgroups (open to the health care industry)
• TBA Session on the CARIN Alliance Digital Health Insurance Card

May 19 will be dedicated to WEDI's Workgroup meetings. Normally reserved for WEDI members, workgroup meetings on that day will be open to everyone in the industry.

May 20-22 will be dedicated to conference content.

Topics and themes we are developing for the conference:

• State-Led Innovation: Advancing Health IT and Data Exchange for Better Care 
• AI in Healthcare IT: Navigating Innovation, Impact, and Implementation 
• Transforming Prior Authorization for a More Efficient Health care System 
• Cyber Resilience in Health IT: Protecting Data, Systems, and Patient Trust 
• Patient-Centered Innovation: How Health IT is Enhancing Care and Engagement

and more!

Our esteemed faculty—leaders across multiple layers of health IT—will share invaluable insights on interoperability, cybersecurity, AI, data exchange, and policy, shaping the future of health care technology. 

Defining the Values, Purpose, and Practices of AI to Ensure They Help, Not Harm, Brian Anderson, MD, CEO, Coalition for Health AI (CHAI)

Leading with Impact: Strategies for Women to Thrive in Health IT Leadership

Sarah Ahmad, Chief Executive Officer, CAQH

Shweta Maniar, Global Director, Health Care & Life Sciences, Google Cloud

Hannah Galvin, MD, Chief Medical Information Officer, Cambridge Health Alliance

Kill the Clipboard! A Federal Policy and Industry Roadmap to Accelerate Innovation and Cut Administrative Waste (Recorded), Ryan Howells, Principal, Leavitt Partners

Leading, Mentoring & Thriving in Health IT. Women of WEDI Panel

• Pam Grosze, Vice President, Senior Product Manager, PNC Bank
• Andrea Preisler, Senior Associate Director, Administrative Simplification Policy, American Hospital Association
• Gail Kocher, Director, National Standards, Blue Cross Blue Shield Association
• Danielle Lloyd, Senior Vice President, Private Market Innovations & Quality Initiatives, America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP)
• Rebekah Fiehn, Director, Dental Benefits, Coding, and Data Exchange, American Dental Association
• Merri-Lee Stine, Senior Manager, Project Management, Aetna, a CVS Health Company

Cyber Resilience in Health IT: Protecting Data, Systems, and Patient Trust Track Faculty:

• Lisa Bisterfeldt, Program Manager, Cyber Resiliency, St Luke’s Health System
• Sola Adesida, Executive Director, Enterprise IT Resiliency, Kaiser Permanente
• Rick Doten, VP, Information Security, Centene Corporation, CISO, Caroline Complete Health
• Rajan Odayar, EVP, Digital Information & Cyber Security Officer, Waystar
• Erik Decker, VP Chief Information Security Officer, Intermountain Health
• Charles Sweat Jr, MD, Health Care and Public Health Sector Liaison, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)
• Charlee Hess, Director, Healthcare and Public Health, Cybersecurity Division, US Department of Health and Human Services

State-Led Innovation: Advancing Health IT and Data Exchange for Better Care Track Faculty:

• John Ohanian, Director of the Center of Data Insight and Innovation, State of California Health and Human Services
• Alanna Chamberlain, Associate Professor of Epidemiology, Mayo Clinic (Minnesota EHR Consortium)
• Tyler Winkelman, Health Services Researcher, Hennepin County Medical Center (Minnesota EHR Consortium)
• Denny Brennan, Executive Director, Massachusetts Health Data Consortium
• John Kanksy, President and CEO, Indiana Health Information Exchange (IHIE)
• Melissa Kotrys, Chief Executive Officer, Contexture (Colorado and Arizona)
• Eric Galvez, Chief Executive Officer, Manifest Medex (California)

AI in Healthcare IT: Navigating Innovation, Impact, and Implementation Track Faculty:

• Eyal Klang, MD, Director of Generative AI Research Program, Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai
• Donald Apakama, MD, Emergency Department Physician, Assistant Professor, Artificial Intelligence and Human Health, Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai
• Rebecca Mishuris, MD, Chief Medical Information Officer and VP, Mass General Brigham

Transforming Prior Authorization for a More Efficient Healthcare System Track Faculty

• Erin Richter Weber, Chief Policy and Research Officer, CAQH
• Daniel Cawood, Senior Manager, Product Management, MCG Health

Standard Development and Operating Rules Organizations

• Robert Bowman, Principal Interoperability and Standards, CAQH
• Margaret Weiker, Vice President of Standards Development, NCPDP
• Charles Jaffe, MD, PhD, Chief Executive Officer, HL7
• Cathy Sheppard, CEO, X12