Hospitals across the region pioneer new technologies

For some in health care, maybe even a majority, the outsized role of technology in nearly every aspect of the industry, from cost to cancer treatments, can’t be emphasized enough. 

Consider a keynote speaker at the 2026 Next Summit: Crowdsourced Framework for Healthcare Affordability, presented by Tampa General Hospital and VU Technologies. Held at the JW Marriott in Tampa, a speaker there, according to a report after the event (powered, naturally, through what VU calls AI-powered synthesis) put the power of automation in historic terms, saying what AI can do for labor shortages is “as important as any of the big innovations, the creation of the railroads or the internet.” 

Hospitals of all shapes and sizes from Lakeland to Naples are getting in on the technology boom, and not only for well-documented labor issues. Sarasota Memorial Health Care System, for one example, replaced its electronic health records systems with a single, integrated platform from industry leader Epic, a $160 million investment that began as far back as late 2024. 

And from hips to hearts, other hospitals are making major investments in technology, looking to be more predictive and personalized. Hospitals such as Naples Comprehensive Health; TGH; Lee Health; Moffitt Cancer Center; and more are among the organizations that have recently debuted a new kind of technology. That includes, but is not limited to AI advances.  

This package of 11 stories looks at new hospital technologies in these hospitals, not necessarily the costs. But the topic of health care affordability isn’t far from any hospital leaders' minds these days. That was clear at the TGH and Vu 2026 Next Summit. And that’s where tech and costs have a significant amount of overlapping.   

“We’re in this time of incredible innovation,” one speaker said, “and if we could use that innovation and creativity to get better outcomes at a lower cost, there’s a solution." 

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