Our mission needs to remain laser focused on creating accessible, value-add software for a community that really needs something built for them.
Fresh off our time in Philadelphia with so many industry leaders, I wanted to share some common themes that we heard. I’m even more bullish now about our mission to build with the behavioral health community because of those conversations.
I’m really worried about what’s happening at a federal level and the potential funding impacts my organization will experience.
All the groups we talked to kept their focus action-oriented when discussing what was next for them, and the sessions did a good job navigating the uncertainty of federal funding cuts. It will be important that organizations work with vendors that understand this and are looking at creating value in a way that keeps software accessible.
Is AI a bunch of hype, or will it actually make things better?
Each organization we talked to really wanted more guidance on how to integrate AI tools. The reasoning varied: some wanted to use AI to show that they were being cutting edge as a retention tactic. Others were far more skeptical of AI and saw it driving up costs exponentially. Our view: We need to focus less on the tooling and more on solving the problems at hand. Organizations should think through downstream impacts we might see because of using specific tooling.
Oh great, another EHR vendor. What makes you different?
This was the most common question we received based on the sea of EHRs that exhibited at NatCon. We’re so fortunate that we have 30 years of experience to build on. We built our software through talking to current clients, organizations that left us, and groups that had never heard of us before. Our previous software didn’t evolve and scale the way it needed to. We took those pieces of feedback to build something new with validation along the way. We’re excited that it’s working because we had current clients willing to be in the booth with us, sharing their experiences (good and constructive!) with those who asked. We do have AI-ready architecture in place (meaning we integrate) because we know some groups will want to use AI. Our focus is on validating use cases with our groups to make sure what we develop adds value. EHRs are the backbone of technical operations at many organizations; we are holding ourselves accountable to ensure every feature we develop is addressing a real need.
NatCon25 reminded us that the work ahead is urgent but never isolated. Together, with the right tools, insights, and partnerships, we can elevate care, drive innovation, and create lasting impact for communities everywhere.