The 2025 Defense Health Information Technology Symposium (DHITS), held in Nashville, TN, brought together more than 1,100 attendees, including over 600 active-duty and civilian personnel and representatives from 550 industry partners. With 55 breakout sessions, 14 plenary sessions, and 118 exhibitors, DHITS reinforced its reputation as the premier forum for advancing health IT innovation across the Military Health System (MHS).
This year’s conference made one theme clear: innovation at scale requires cross-functional collaboration. From enterprise IT modernization to data governance and AI adoption, the Defense Health Agency (DHA) emphasized that industry partnerships are essential to sustaining readiness, securing information, and improving care delivery for 9.5 million covered lives worldwide.
Key Themes from DHITS 2025
- Scale and Modernization: In his keynote, Mr. Pat Flanders, DHA CIO and J-6 Director, highlighted the size and scope of DHA’s mission: 49 hospitals, 320 clinics, and millions of beneficiaries across the globe. Sustaining readiness requires enterprise-scale IT modernization—built on architecture, interoperability with VA systems, and zero trust security models.
- Cybersecurity and AI: DHA Chief Information Security Officer Tom Hines introduced “Ask Sage,” the first DoD-approved large language model capable of handling Protected Health Information. His message underscored the dual priorities of innovation and rigorous security.
- Partnerships Driving Change: Collaboration was a defining theme, from the planned Reverse Industry Day—designed to allow industry to directly address DHA capability gaps—to the Joint Operational Medicine Systems (JOMIS) program supporting deployed warfighters. Interagency efforts, including acceleration of the joint DoD–VA Federal EHR rollout, reinforced the importance of seamless, secure, and interoperable solutions.
- Data as a Force Multiplier: DHA’s Chief Data & Analytics Office showcased efforts to strengthen governance and leverage emerging technologies to transform raw data into actionable insights that improve outcomes and decision-making.
IntelliDyne’s Takeaways
For IntelliDyne, DHITS 2025 underscored not only the scale of DHA’s mission but also the trust placed in industry partners to deliver results.
- Security and Interoperability: A major takeaway this year was the renewed focus on Zero Trust. DHA continues to lead in securing Protected Health Information (PHI) and Personally Identifiable Information (PII) through rigorous verification at every access point. Coupled with interoperability initiatives with the VA, this direction reinforces the importance of trusted industry expertise in safeguarding sensitive data while enabling seamless care as the framework matures to the Zero Trust Architecture 2.0.
- Strategic Direction for FY26: DHA will prioritize transitioning expiring contracts to the Global Service Provider (GSP) contract in FY26, aligning with evolving guidance from the Secretary of Defense regarding insourcing. This targeted approach will reduce disruptions across Military Treatment Facilities through enterprise standardization while sustaining readiness.
- Recognition of Excellence: Behind the scenes, our dedicated IntelliDyne service team worked tirelessly to ensure every plenary session ran smoothly. Arriving days in advance, they prepared systems, supported live sessions, and stayed after closing to ensure a seamless wrap-up. Their professionalism was recognized publicly by Mr. Pat Flanders during the closing ceremony, an acknowledgment of the critical role our team plays in supporting DHA’s mission at this high-profile event.
Looking Ahead
DHITS 2025 reinforced the importance of trusted partnerships in advancing the DHA mission. From Zero Trust and data analytics to interagency collaboration and modernization of operational medicine, the event highlighted both the scale of the challenge and the opportunity for industry to add real value.
As DHA continues to evolve, IntelliDyne remains committed to delivering secure, innovative IT solutions that enable readiness, optimize healthcare delivery, and support the mission of the Military Health System.