Our Key Takeaways from XGM 2026
At XGM this year, the Incisive team stayed busy. Between hosting after-hours events for both Epic user group cohorts (in case you missed it, check out the photo gallery), and spending two weeks in conversations with healthcare IT leaders across the Epic community, one thing became very clear:
AI is no longer theoretical in healthcare operations.
The conversations at XGM felt noticeably different this year. Less “what is possible?” and more “how do we operationalize this responsibly?”
Across the board, our consultants saw growing alignment around a few themes: AI’s ability to reduce administrative burden, the rising importance of workflow and governance expertise, and increasing pressure on organizations to move faster without creating long-term technical debt.
A few of our biggest takeaways:
Epic's Agent Factory
Consultants left XGM energized by Epic’s Agent Factory demonstrations and the broader pace of AI innovation in healthcare, while remaining cautious about production readiness, governance, and long-term cost structures.
The Pace of AI-Driven Solutions
Much was discussed at demonstrations of how quickly organizations can now build AI-driven solutions internally at a fraction of traditional SaaS pricing, creating growing pressure on healthcare point-solution vendors.
Cloud Costs
Attendees also highlighted rising concerns around Epic cloud costs, evolving AI pricing models, and the ongoing challenge of managing governance, version control, and shared AI infrastructure across teams.
The Increasing Value of Operational Expertise
Perhaps most importantly, XGM reinforced that AI is unlikely to reduce the need for experienced healthcare IT professionals. Instead, it will increase the value of leaders who understand workflows, data structures, operational change management, and how to safely orchestrate AI within complex healthcare environments.
The organizations that move fastest likely will not be the ones with the most tools. They will be the ones with the clearest operational strategy.