Shevaun Harris, secretary of the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration, shared her personal experience as a patient at the 2026 Business of Healthcare Summit held at Florida State University. She described a recent visit to her doctor where she faced a three-hour wait for lab work. “I just got fussed at by my doctor because I didn’t get my labs done, and I was like, ‘Honestly, I went in, and there was a three-hour wait. I can’t sit and wait for three hours,’” Harris said. “I think we really need to think about how we can have things more conveniently designed for consumers so that they put their healthcare first.”
The summit brought together about 20 speakers from various sectors including industry, government, academia, and nonprofits to discuss key issues in healthcare and explore solutions aimed at improving care for Florida residents. Panel discussions focused on leadership, strategy, workforce development, finances, technology, and especially the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare.
Matt Feeney of J.P. Morgan addressed the impact of AI during one panel session. “AI is not going to completely take over, but over time, those who can leverage it will be empowered, and that will give them the opportunity to do more,” he said.
The event is organized annually by FSU’s Herbert Wertheim College of Business as part of FSU Health—an initiative that brings together scholars and clinical partners to transform healthcare in Florida. Michael D. Hartline, dean of the college and summit emcee, highlighted FSU’s growing commitment to healthcare through expanded programs and research infrastructure. He mentioned ongoing construction projects such as a new research center at Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare’s main campus and plans for an acute-care hospital in Panama City Beach.
“We are proud at Florida State University to be a partner in this region’s future,” Hartline told attendees. “We look forward to opening doors of these new facilities and a new era of healthcare that will benefit families and communities for generations to come.”
Stacey Patterson, FSU’s vice president for research, described FSU Health as a broad philosophy encompassing all efforts across campus aimed at improving health outcomes in the region. “It includes everyone who has healthcare interests across our campus…where we have so many disciplines that come to play,” she said.
Jeremy Slaga, FSU’s vice president and chief clinical operations officer, emphasized collaboration among colleges within the university: “There are a tremendous number of great things that we can package and partner on…and then avail that to the region.”
Panels also provided advice for students pursuing careers in healthcare administration. Ross Nelson from KPMG advised students: “Always be inquisitive…Look it up, get smart on it…Be hypothesis-driven.” He added that data-driven approaches are generally well received by physicians and executives.
Artificial intelligence remained a recurring topic throughout the summit. Feeney noted consumer hesitation toward fully automated or AI-driven medical visits: “I don’t think anybody wants to sign up to have a complete ‘teledoc’ visit…Maybe someday we are going to be comfortable with that. It’s just not right now.”
Jonathan Fozard from FSU moderated discussions on data infrastructure and AI implementation strategies. Jeff Couch from Ruvos stressed the importance of establishing IT governance before deploying AI solutions: “Once you’ve done that…Work backwards from the end…Are your vendors able to meet your measures of success? And are they going to be held accountable?”
Eyal Darmon from Accenture pointed out an industry-wide skills gap regarding AI readiness: “We don’t have enough people who are AI-ready.” He called for greater focus on reskilling today’s workforce.
In another panel focused on public policy impacts on business models in healthcare, Lisa Rawlins from VTC Enterprise discussed value-based agreements where pharmaceutical companies receive payment based on treatment outcomes rather than volume of care episodes.
Harris also spoke about Florida receiving $209 million through the U.S. Rural Health Transformation Program—a federal grant intended to improve rural health access across 31 rural counties in Florida by introducing innovation and specialty care typically found in urban areas.
At the event’s conclusion, Hartline invited participants back next year when the summit will include a job fair aimed at connecting employers with graduate talent from FSU’s Herbert Wertheim College of Business.
