athenahealth Thrive 2025: The power of connection

5 highlights from our annual customer event

Thrive, athenahealth’s annual customer event, brings out the best in athenahealth and our community — and the latest gathering, which took place in Nashville in November 2025, may have been our most exciting summit yet. More than 3,200 customers, partners, and athenahealth team members convened to highlight the power of connection in healthcare and the role of technology in bringing joy back to the practice of medicine.

“Healthcare works better when people, workflows, and data are connected,” CEO and chairman Bob Segert said in his opening remarks. “When that happens, complexity gives way to coordination, change turns into progress, patients feel cared for, practices thrive, and the communities we serve grow healthier.

Introducing athenaOne’s AI-native encounter

One of this year’s highlights was the announcement of athenaOne’s AI-native encounter featuring athenaAmbient — our proprietary ambient listening technology integrated within the athenaOne® platform. We also unveiled our AI-enabled Chart Assistant, with Sage™, which will also be available as part of the AI-native encounter. Attendees experienced live, hands-on demos on the expo floor, seeing for themselves how this technology reduces administrative  demands of the visit, and enables clinicians to have more face time with patients.

Throughout Thrive 2025, athenahealth unveiled new features aimed at creating smarter clinical workflows, elevating patient communication, streamlining front desk operations, and alleviating revenue cycle challenges. Chief Product and Operations Officer Paul Brient emphasized athenahealth’s focus on deliberate, customer-centric innovation aimed at solving pressing challenges faced by clinicians and practices. He highlighted AI-native athenaOne as a prime example of this progress. Its capabilities help reduce administrative workload, improve quality, and bring more time and delight into clinical encounters. Paul underscored that AI should serve to amplify clinicians’ efforts, not replace them, by removing daily friction while preserving the vital human connection at the heart of healthcare.

Technology with a human touch: Insights from keynotes and conversations

In his keynote speech, Bob Segert delivered a clear call to action: Organizations should lead through disruption with urgency, agility, and accountability. He emphasized that connection — bringing together people, processes, and technology — is essential for progress, resulting in better outcomes for patients, practices, and communities. Highlighting the interconnected pillars of culture, quality, and technology, Bob urged everyone at every level to take ownership and turn ideas into action, positioning athenahealth to lead through this moment of transformative change driven by AI-native innovation designed to support clinicians rather than complicate their work. He concluded by inspiring attendees to unite in keeping patients at the center, acting swiftly and with discipline, and ensuring every advancement leads to measurable impact.

Thrive 2025 reinforced a core truth: technology alone cannot foster genuine connection. This message was woven throughout Bob Segert’s remarks and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Nele Jessel’s fireside chat with AMA President Dr. Bobby Mukkamala. They emphasized that AI’s role is to serve as a partner to human insight, enhancing clinical care rather than replacing clinicians.

CEO Bob Segert emphasized that connection — bringing together people, processes, and technology — is essential for progress, resulting in better outcomes for patients, practices, and communities.

Launching the athenaInstitute: Advancing thoughtful innovation in healthcare

Also announced at Thrive 2025: the athenaInstitute, a new initiative to foster meaningful exchange and generate actionable research on technology’s impact in clinical care. Its first report offers deep insights into clinicians’ perspectives on AI at the frontline of care.

Policy, partnership, and customer collaboration: Fueling innovation together

Thrive 2025 provided its attendees with thought-provoking updates at every turn. Joe Ganley, Vice President of Government and Regulatory Affairs, provided an insightful overview of how policy continues to shape ambulatory care, reaffirming athenahealth’s commitment to fair reimbursement, expanded telehealth access, and alleviating administrative burdens. Chief Customer Officer Chris Kondrat emphasized the critical role of active listening to customers as a driver for product adoption and service excellence. And Chief Strategy and Corporate Development Officer Michael Palantoni shared insights into athenahealth’s strategic vision, built on cloud-based software, embedded services, and a sophisticated network — forming a strong foundation for AI-driven innovation in ambulatory care.

On the Expo Hall Show floor, the Innovation Lab hosted 59 interactive research sessions, where clients played a direct role in product development. Customer panels demonstrated how adaptable technology and services support clinicians and practices as they navigate change, reduce administrative burden, and better serve their communities. Dozens of athenahealth’s partners showcased our vision of the healthcare ecosystem come to life, culminating in a partnership forum that provided updates on our shared vision to expand and strengthen this vital network.

The path forward: building connection and innovation

Thrive exemplifies that advancing healthcare IT requires a deeply collaborative approach — one that leverages the broader ecosystem. athenahealth believes the future of healthcare depends on thoughtful innovation that strengthens human connection, simplifies complexity, and holistically supports practices. Together, we are building more than products — we are creating a platform for collective progress. We look to the future with optimism and a commitment to evolve alongside our customers, creating a smarter, more integrated, and compassionate healthcare ecosystem.

Join the Thrive community to hear about big announcements, training and networking opportunities, and early access to 2026 Thrive Summit registration.