Arrival
8:00 AM - 9:00 AM
Registration and Breakfast
Main FoyerWelcome
Registration and Breakfast
Pick up badges, grab coffee, and connect with early arrivals in the expo foyer.
Conference Schedule
vMed26 Agenda
Two days of programming exploring curiosity, convergence, innovation, integration, and impact.
Dates
March 25-26, 2026
Location
Hilton Universal Studios, Los Angeles
Focus
Digital health, XR, AI, biosensors, and clinical transformation
Day 1Wednesday, March 25, 2026
Curiosity and Convergence
Day one spotlights curiosity and convergence across XR, AI, and biosensors with networking and immersive demos.
Day 1
Wednesday, March 25, 2026
Curiosity and Convergence
Day one spotlights curiosity and convergence across XR, AI, and biosensors with networking and immersive demos.
Block 1 - Main Stage
9:00 AM - 10:25 AM
Opening Session: Building an Interoperable Future: Driving Digital Innovation in Health Systems
ModeratorsBrennan Spiegel, MD, MSHS, Cedars-Sinai
Main StageKeynotesModerator: Brennan Spiegel, MD, MSHS
- 9:00 AM - 9:45 AM
Why Doctors Will Not Be Replaced: The Future of Humanistic Medicine in an AI-Driven World
- 9:45 AM - 10:25 AM
Lessons Learned and Futures Built: The Journey of Validating Digital Health in Real-World Medicine
Block 2
10:25 AM - 11:00 AM
Morning Break and Exhibitor Demos
Expo Floor
Morning Break and Exhibitor Demos
Refresh, explore the demo floor, and meet exhibitors for hands-on demonstrations of innovative technologies in healthcare.
Block 3
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Laying the Groundwork: Foundational Strategies for a Digitally-Driven Health System
Individual 30-minute talks anchor each track followed by a series of specialized talks.
XR/VR Applications (Ballroom A)Speaker TalksModerator: Mark Zhang, DO, MMSc, FAMIA
- 11:00 AM - 11:30 AM
“Don’t Call It a Comeback”: XR’s Enduring Impact in Healthcare
- 11:30 AM - 11:45 AM
The Effect of Virtual Reality on Memory for Painful Experiences
- 11:45 AM - 12:00 PM
Integrating VR into the EHR: Immersive Meditation for Inpatient Pain (VR for Pain Study)
- Yixin Yang, Clinical Research Coordinator, Virtual Medicine Lab
AI Applications (Ballroom CD)Speaker TalksModerator: Sumeet Chugh, MD
- 11:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Hype vs Hope: Where Does AI Truly Add Value in Clinical Practice?
- 11:30 AM - 11:45 AM
From Pixels and Tokens to Decisions: Large Language–Vision Models for Clinical Diagnosis
- 11:45 AM - 12:00 PM
Integrating AI into the EHR: Embedding Conversational Agents into Clinical Services (CLARA)
- Muskaan Mehra, Clinical Research Coordinator, Virtual Medicine Lab
Biosensors/Wearables Applications (Ballroom B)Speaker Talks
- 11:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Beyond the Gimmick: Integrating Biosensors into Health Systems for Real Clinical Impact
- 11:30 AM - 11:45 AM
Using Wearables to Detect Arrhythmias in Children
- 11:45 AM - 12:00 PM
Integrating Wearables into the EHR: Lessons learned from a decade of connecting biosensors into Epic
- Allistair Clark, Clinical Data Specialist, Virtual Medicine Lab
Block 4
12:00 - 1:20 PM
Lunch and Exhibitor Demos
Sierra Courtyard
Lunch and Exhibitor Demos
Enjoy lunch in the Sierra Courtyard and continue hands-on demos.
Block 5
1:20 - 2:20 PM
Transforming Care and Learning: XR and AI Across the Healthspan
XR Applications (Ballroom A)Speaker TalksModerator: Renée El-Gabalawy, MA, PhD, C.Psych
- 1:20 PM - 1:35 PM
What Patients Don’t Understand Is Costing Us All
- 1:35 PM - 1:50 PM
Presentation by Healium
- Sarah Hill, CEO and Founder of Healium
- 1:50 PM - 2:05 PM
Teaching Large Language Models to Die: XR Training for Serious Illness Conversations
- 2:05 PM - 2:20 PM
Operation Immersion: Harnessing Virtual Reality to Transform Perioperative Care
Pediatric Panel (Ballroom CD)PanelsModerator: Kathryn Handlogten, MD
- 1:20 PM - 1:25 PM
Introduction to GAP-XR
- Henry Xiang, PhD, MPH, MD
- 1:25 PM - 2:20 PM
Governance, Grit, and Growth: How Children’s Hospitals Are Reinventing Immersive Care Delivery
- Abraham Homer
- Henry Xiang, PhD, MPH, MD
Training Tomorrow’s Healers: VR and AI in Modern Medical Education (Ballroom B)WorkshopsModerator: Harry Van Goor, MD, PhD
- 1:20 PM - 1:40 PM
Medical School Goes Virtual
- 1:40 PM - 2:20 PM
Workshop: Using AI to Enhance Empathetic Communication Training for Medical Students
- Shiri Etzioni, MD
- Molly Svendsen, MD
Block 6
2:25 - 3:25 PM
From Compliance to Compassion: Crafting Ethical, Equitable, and Trustworthy Digital Health Systems
Topics in Digital Health Ethics (Ballroom A)Speaker TalksModerator: Graciela Gonzalez-Hernandez, PhD
- 2:25 PM - 2:40 PM
Evaluating Ambient AI Agents for Measurement of OR-to-ICU Handoffs
- Laleh Jalilian, MD
- 2:40 PM - 2:55 PM
Use Cases of LLM and NLPs in Prostate Cancer Healthcare
- 2:55 PM - 3:10 PM
Building Trust: Patient Privacy In Extended Reality
- 3:10 PM - 3:25 PM
Expanding the Horizons of Virtual Reality in Palliative Care
- Ghazal Rezvani, Clnical Social Worker, Palliative Medicine, University of California, San Francisco
Bioethics of AI (Ballroom CD)PanelsModerator: Virginia Bartlett, PhD
- 2:25 PM - 3:25 PM
Can I and Should I Trust My Cyborg Doctor?
AI Workshop (Ballroom B)Workshops
- 2:25 PM - 2:40 PM
Blueprints for Bedside AI: Building Reliable Tools for Modern Healthcare
- 2:40 PM - 3:25 PM
Unlocking Generative AI: A Hands-On Workshop for Clinicians
Block 7
3:25 - 3:45 PM
Break and Exhibitor Demos
Expo Floor
Break and Exhibitor Demos
Recharge and continue conversations with partners.
Block 8
3:45 - 4:45 PM
From Red Tape to Real World Impact: Digital Health Implementation Success Stories
AI and XR Implementation Examples Across Systems (Ballroom A)Speaker TalksModerator: Susan Kirsh, MD
- 3:45 PM - 4:00 PM
Product Market Fit and FDA Regulation
- 4:00 PM - 4:15 PM
Digital Health for Our Veteran: Addressing the future of healthcare at the VA
- 4:15 PM - 4:30 PM
From Idea to Award: How a Four-Institution Consortium Secured an NIH STTR for Life at 100.4
- 4:30 PM - 4:45 PM
Enhancing the Patient Experience: How UCHealth Scaled Virtual Reality Across 15 Hospitals
- Tomas Estrella
XR Implementation Panel (Ballroom CD)Panels
- 3:45 PM - 4:45 PM
Making Virtual Medicine Real: Overcoming/ Bridging the Implementation Gap Between Research and Clinical Reality
- Courtney W Hess, PhD, Stanford Medicine
- Jeffrey Gold, PhD, Children's Hospital Los Angeles
- Tyler Leiser, Nationwide's Children's Hospital
- Floris van der Breggen, SyncVR
XR Implementation Workshop (Ballroom B)WorkshopsModerator: Maurice Magnée, PhD
- 3:45 PM - 4:45 PM
Mind the Gap: A blueprint for sustainable XR implementation in healthcare
Block 9 - Ballroom CD
4:45 - 5:15 PM
Day 1 Wrap-Up Conversation and Q&A
Day 1 Closing Session (Ballroom CD)Keynotes
- 4:45 - 5:15 PM
Day 1 Wrap-Up Conversation and Q&A
- 5:15 - 5:25 PM
What to Look Forward to on Day 2
- 5:25 - 5:45 PM
Meet the Faculty, Networking, and Exhibitor Demos
Evening
7:00 - 9:00 PM
VIP Dinner and Networking
Sierra Courtyard
VIP Dinner and Networking
Invite-only dinner with faculty, partners, and sponsors.
Day 2Thursday, March 26, 2026
Innovation, Integration, and Impact
Day two emphasizes integration of emerging technology and showcases impact through abstracts, workshops, and closing reflections.
Day 2
Thursday, March 26, 2026
Innovation, Integration, and Impact
Day two emphasizes integration of emerging technology and showcases impact through abstracts, workshops, and closing reflections.
Arrival
8:00 AM - 9:00 AM
Registration and Continental Breakfast
Main Foyer
Registration and Continental Breakfast
Reconnect with attendees before the morning program begins.
Block 10
9:00 AM - 9:10 AM
Welcome Back and Opening Announcements
ModeratorsBrennan Spiegel, MD, MSHS
Main StageAnnouncementsModerator: Brennan Spiegel, MD, MSHS
- 9:00 AM - 9:10 AM
Welcome Back and Opening Announcements
- 9:10 AM - 9:50 AM
Fireside Chat - Leading through the Digital Health Revolution: A CEO’s Journey from EHRs to AI
Block 11
9:50 AM - 10:35 AM
Digital Pioneering: Exploring the Next Wave of Technology in Healthcare Delivery
AMXRA Abstract Plenary Session: Top Research Winners Take the Stage (Ballroom CD)Speaker Talks
- 9:50 AM - 10:05 AM
Abstract Winner 1
10 minute presentation with 5 min Q&A
- 10:05 AM - 10:20 AM
Abstract Winner 2
10 minute presentation with 5 min Q&A
- 10:20 AM - 10:35 AM
Abstract Winner 3
10 minute presentation with 5 min Q&A
Wearables Showcase (Ballroom B)Speaker Talks
- 9:50 AM - 10:05 AM
Soft Wearables for Personalized Health: Building Better Sensors and Actuators for Longevity
- 10:05 AM - 10:20 AM
A Hospital Room With A Digital View Making Healing More Sensible
- 10:20 AM - 10:35 AM
Early Infection Detection & Treatment of Influenza in Solid Organ Transplantation using Smartwatches
Industry Talks (Ballroom A)Speaker Talks
- 9:50 AM - 10:10 AM
Training the Heart of Healthcare with VR and AI
- 10:10 AM - 10:30 AM
Session from HealthScholars
- HealthScholars
Block 12
10:35 - 11:35 AM
Population Health Applications and Implementations of AI, XR, and Wearables
Bringing Digital Health to the Heart of the Community (Ballroom A)Speaker TalksModerator: Cammie Connor, PhD
- 10:35 AM - 10:50 AM
Structuring Lived Experience for Machine Reasoning – CBSD Guided AI in Virtual Care
- 10:50 AM - 11:05 AM
Campus Care 2.0: Using Wearables and VR to Transform Mental Wellness at an HBCU
- 11:05 AM - 11:20 AM
Calling Back Spirit: Using Digital Medicine to Heal Trauma and Break the Pain Cycle
- Patricia May Derbyshire, MA, M.Ed., PhD Student
- 11:20 AM - 11:35 AM
Mental Gravity: A digital tool at the frontier of biogravitational health in body and mind
Beyond Reality: Applied Medical XR Transforming Clinical Training and Patient Care (Ballroom CD)Speaker TalksModerator: Albert "Skip" Rizzo, PhD
- 10:35 AM - 10:50 AM
Optokinetic Virtual Environment (OVE): MXR in balance neuro-rehabilitation and beyond
- 10:50 AM - 11:05 AM
So, you think VR simulation is the answer, now what?
- 11:05 AM - 11:20 AM
Artificially Intelligent Virtual Patients: Practicing Difficult Clinical Interviews
(Ballroom B)Speaker TalksModerator: Christopher Almario, MD, MSHPM
- 10:35 AM - 10:50 AM
Lessening the Burden: Moderating GI Pain with XR
- 10:50 AM - 11:05 AM
A Year of Clinical Use of Virtual Reality Dissociation as Alternative to Anesthesia/Sedation in Pediatric Interventional Radiology
- 11:05 AM - 11:20 AM
Immersion into Reality to Improve Patient Outcomes
Block 13
11:35 - 11:50 AM
Break and Demo Booths
Expo Floor
Break and Demo Booths
Visit partner booths and see live demonstrations.
Block 14
11:50 AM - 12:50 PM
Digital Building Blocks: Designing the Foundations of Immersive and Intelligent Care
Each track kicks off with a framing talk followed by interactive work time.
Developing Immersive Experiences (Ballroom A)Speaker TalksModerator: Kimberly Hieftje, PhD
- 11:50 AM - 12:05 PM
No Screen, No Problem: Designing Non-Visual Immersive Experiences for Clinical and Community Settings
- 12:05 PM - 12:20 PM
How a Lack of Haptic Feedback Impacts Eye-Hand Coordination and Embodiment in Virtual Reality
- 12:20 PM - 12:35 PM
Immersive Medical Simulation and Training Across Virtuality Spectrum: A Design Framework
- Mohammad Obeid, PhD
- 12:35 PM - 12:50 PM
The New Reality of Clinical Education: Building Repeatable and Immersive Virtual Learning Experiences
UX and Design WorkshopWorkshops
- 11:50 AM - 12:20 PM
Beyond Gamification: Leveraging Game Design for Engaging XR Health Apps
- 12:20 PM - 12:50 PM
The Clinician’s Lens on Implementation: Bringing XR into Everyday Care
Designing the Future of Digital MedicineSpeaker TalksModerator: Omer Liran, MD, MSHS
- 11:50 AM - 12:15 PM
A New Era of Experiential Medicine
- 12:15 PM - 12:35 PM
Speaker Presentation
Block 15
12:30 - 1:30 PM
Lunch
Dining Terrace
Lunch
Seasonal menu with sponsored demo tables.
Block 16
1:30 - 2:30 PM
Near-Future Medicine: Digital Innovations for Tomorrow’s Health Systems
Each track begins with a framing talk followed by an interactive segment.
Speaker Talk w/ Panel Discussion (Ballroom B)
Nursing Speaker Talk & Panel Discussion
- Panel
Latest and Greatest: AI and XR Use Cases Across Health Systems
Speakers w/ Panel Discussions: Ballroom C
Latest and Greatest: AI and XR Use Cases Across Health Systems
Block 17
2:35 - 3:35 PM
Keynote Panel: From Concept to Clinic: Turning Bold Ideas into Real Healthcare Solutions
Panel Discussion
Keynote Panel: From Concept to Clinic: Turning Bold Ideas into Real Healthcare Solutions
Panels
Title TBA
Workshops
Title TBA
Block 18
3:35 - 4:05 PM
Break and Demo Booths
Expo Floor
Break and Demo Booths
Final chance to connect with exhibitors and partners.
Block 19 - Main Stage
4:05 - 4:45 PM
Closing Session
ModeratorsBrennan Spiegel, MD, MSHS
Main StageClosing Program
- 4:05 - 4:30 PM
Keynote Topic TBA
Speaker TBA
- 4:30 - 4:45 PM
Top 10 Takeaways from vMed26