Inside HIMSS26: Conversations Shaping the Future of Care

From Burnout to Breakthrough: Rome Health’s Virtual Nursing Journey

In this episode of Digital Health Frontiers, Mike Brandofino sits down with Ashley Edwards to explore how a community health system is redefining care delivery through virtual nursing. From tackling post-pandemic burnout to redesigning workflows and improving patient satisfaction, Rome Health shares how they’re building a scalable, nurse-first model that blends bedside and virtual care. Hear how starting with discharges quickly expanded into a broader strategy, and why optimizing workflows before introducing technology made all the difference.

Inside HIMSS26: Conversations Shaping the Future of Care

Fresh off HIMSS26, Caregility’s leadership team reflects on the conversations, innovations, and real-world momentum shaping healthcare today. In this episode of Digital Health Frontiers, host Mike Brandofino sits down with Ron Gaboury, Kedar Ganta, and Susan Kristiniak to explore how AI is being applied in clinical settings, why virtual nursing is gaining traction as a core care model, and what connected care looks like in practice.

Bridging Borders: Bringing Virtual Nursing Across the Globe

n this special international episode of Digital Health Frontiers, Mike Brandofino, President and COO of Caregility, sits down with Nickolas Rorris, CEO of MOD3RN Care to explore how virtual nursing and AI-powered connected care are reshaping hospital workflows across the globe. Together, they trace the evolution of virtual nursing — from its tele-ICU beginnings in the U.S. to its growing role in Australia’s public and private health systems. The conversation highlights how AI-enabled sensing, radar-based monitoring, and contactless vitals are reshaping patient observation and empowering nurses to deliver safer, smarter care, including: * How virtual nursing eliminates “shoulder pull” distractions and restores focus to bedside care * The role of AI sensing, radar, and contactless vitals in boosting safety and efficiency * What it means to build enterprise-grade, self-healing virtual care infrastructure * How Australia can leverage U.S. hub models and Epic-integrated workflows to accelerate adoption Tune in to hear how Caregility and MOD3RN Care are connecting clinicians, patients, and data — transforming the future of care delivery from New Jersey to New South Wales.

The Sound of Safer Care: How Acoustic Sensing is Transforming Healthcare with Derek van der Vorst of Sound Intelligence

While most AI innovation in hospitals has centered on cameras and visual monitoring, audio offers a powerful, scalable, and privacy-preserving way to enhance patient safety, staff well-being, and care efficiency. Derek shares how Sound Intelligence has deployed its solution in over 15,000 patient rooms across Europe, focusing on three key areas: * Staff Safety: Detecting aggressive voices and escalating behavior to prevent workplace violence before it gets out of control. * Better Sleep: Using a “Zen Score” to measure and reduce disruptive hospital noise, improving patient recovery and staff satisfaction. * Better Care: Expanding monitoring capabilities so a single virtual nurse can safely oversee 100+ rooms at night without being intrusive. In this episode of Digital Health Frontiers, Caregility President & CEO Mike Brandofino sits down with Derek van der Vorst, CEO of Sound Intelligence, to explore the untapped potential of audio analytics in healthcare. Mike and Derek also discuss how acoustic monitoring complements cameras and sensors, supports nurse efficiency, and opens new possibilities for detecting medical conditions like sleep apnea or epileptic seizures. With edge-based processing and no recordings stored, this technology delivers real-time insights without compromising privacy. Whether you’re a hospital executive, nurse leader, or innovator in virtual care, this episode shines a light on how sound can play a defining role in the future of virtual care.

Expanding Hybrid Care into the Emergency Department with Ed Barthell of EmOpti

In this episode, Caregility CEO Mike Brandofino sits down with EmOpti founder Dr. Ed Barthell to discuss how health systems are leveraging hybrid care models to overcome staffing challenges, reduce emergency department wait times, and improve patient flow. From enabling remote providers to support multiple facilities to using AI for clinical decision support, this conversation explores innovative strategies driving measurable ROI — including millions in recovered revenue from reduced patient walkouts. Discover how Caregility and EmOpti are partnering to modernize acute care delivery and help hospitals extend connected care across the enterprise.