As Henry Elliott & Company enters its 34th year in business, we look toward 2026 with optimism in the healthcare IT industry. In 2025, companies embraced the use and further development of AI but remained cautious regarding other capital projects awaiting policy direction. We found decisions took longer, and necessary or priority projects moved forward while speculative ones were delayed. In 2026 companies seem to be proceeding with innovation and strategic projects, knowing there may be bumps along the way. Ultimately businesses that are successful continue to adapt, advance, and innovate.

Navigating Uncertainty

Uncertainty about policy relating to Medicaid and Medicare financial support and political division impacts daily lives. Both individuals and organizations absorb significant costs they hadn’t experienced at the same level previously.

What is certain is that as our population grows and ages, the demand for healthcare and innovation doesn’t diminish. Eventually, most policies are resolved, at least in the short term. Uncertainty and lack of funding becomes more painful as time goes on without resolution.

Adapting to Change

To be successful, we had to adapt and evolve as skill sets changed. The desire for outsourcing, staff augmentation, systems integration, and project management all became options our customers considered as they optimized the best cost structure to support their software requirements. Whether working with InterSystems IRIS Data Platform, Caché, HealthShare, or other healthcare technologies, our clients rely on contract and temporary consultants for application development and systems implementation support.

Embracing New Healthcare Technologies

The IT professionals who grew in their careers were those who embraced learning new and challenging technologies and methodologies. Understanding interoperability, AI, and changing user needs requires keeping pace with rapid evolution. With innovation comes the creation of jobs and technical resource demands. As efficiencies are developed, new services, businesses, and whole industries emerge. In the short term, it may create an uneasy feeling to think about the effects of automation on one’s profession, but we have witnessed this for decades—innovation always creates new opportunities and personnel needs. The future is bright because you can’t change the past, only learn from it.

I wish all our customers, and valued members of the Henry Elliott network a New Year embracing collaboration and learning.

Respectfully,
Ken Wagner
President, Henry Elliott & Company