Azara 2025 Annual User Conference

The Azara 2025 Annual User Conference took place April 29-May 1 at the Westin Boston Seaport. Over 400+ DRVS users, partners and staff from from 39 states joined us for a day of pre-conference workshops and two days of general sessions, breakouts, and networking events.

As the Azara User Conference 2025 comes to a close, it's important to reflect on the key themes and insights that emerged over the course of the three-day event. More than 400 DRVS users, partners, and staff from 39 states joined us for pre-conference workshops, two days of general sessions, breakout discussions, and vibrant networking opportunities.

Let’s dive into some of the key moments from this year's conference.

Opening Remarks from Jeff Brandes 

Jeff Brandes, President and CEO of Azara Healthcare, kicked off the conference by highlighting how far the DRVS platform has come. He shared compelling "side-by-side" comparisons that showcased enhancements to the user interface and platform capabilities. Notably, DRVS Measures can now display data points along curved lines, just one example of how our tools continue to evolve to meet the needs of providers across the country. As we celebrate 15 years of impact, our platform continues to grow in both functionality and reach.

Jeff also reflected on a major milestone from the past year: Azara’s strategic investment partnership and merger with i2i Population Health. This combination forms a stronger, more diversified population health company, with benefits that include:

• Greater scale and reach for clients and staff
• Expanded capacity for product investment
• A more diversified client base to ensure long-term stability and innovation
• Complementary strengths in areas of expertise and infrastructure
• Additional capital to support growth and expand offerings

Together, Azara and i2i now support data management for more than 50 million patients across over 1,000 practices and 49 states. (If you know anyone in Vermont who could benefit from our services, send them our way!) Both companies are purpose-built to serve community health providers and are committed to advancing value-based care initiatives across the safety-net ecosystem.

Looking ahead to 2025 and beyond, Jeff reaffirmed Azara’s continued commitment to safety-net providers. Our focus remains on:

• Rapidly responding to emerging data and reporting needs
• Supporting providers entering risk- and value-based care arrangements
• Ongoing investment in our products, infrastructure, and client success services

Community as Medicine From Dr. Elizabeth Markle

Dr. Elizabeth Markle, co-founder and executive director of Open Source Wellness, delivered an inspiring keynote at the Azara 2025 User Conference. Her session centered on the concept of Community as Medicine (CAM). This powerful model partners with communities and healthcare organizations to deliver joyful, trauma-informed, and culturally relevant programs that promote health, well-being, and human connection.

Rather than prescribing behavior changes like “exercise more” or “reduce your stress,” CAM focuses on building supportive environments that make those changes possible and sustainable.

Dr. Markle outlined the structure of a typical CAM session, which includes:

• Welcome & Agreements, Icebreaker
• Movement
• Mindfulness
• Spark (a motivational message or prompt)
• Small-Group Health Coaching
• Closing

This model puts CAM at the center of mental, physical, and social health practices.

She also shared the impact of this approach among CAM participants, a population that includes 85% people of color, 89% living below the federal poverty line, two-thirds on Medicaid, one-third non-English speakers, and 15% uninsured. The outcomes speak for themselves:

• Daily servings of fruits and vegetables increased from 4.3 to 5.5
• Weekly exercise minutes rose from 74 to 112
• Significant reductions in depression, anxiety, loneliness, and blood pressure were observed

To bring the CAM experience to life, Dr. Markle led the audience through a series of engaging exercises. Attendees broke into small groups to mimic each other’s best dance moves and moved across the room in response to prompts like, “Are you a dog or a cat person?”—creating opportunities for laughter, connection, and conversation with fellow Azara users.

Azara User Conference Breakout Sessions

This year’s conference featured 24 breakout sessions covering a wide range of topics, from DRVS 101 to social drivers of health and value-based care strategies. Each session played a vital role in the success of the event, highlighting the versatility and impact of the DRVS platform. Attendees gained valuable insights into how different organizations are using DRVS to drive innovation, improve outcomes, and meet the unique needs of their communities.

A heartfelt thank you to all of our breakout session speakers for sharing your time, expertise, and real-world experiences. Your contributions made these sessions meaningful, actionable, and inspiring for everyone in attendance.

The Future of Population Health Starts Now

A heartfelt thank you to all of our attendees, speakers, and sponsors, Upstream USA and AMA MAP Hypertension, for making this the most impactful Azara User Conference yet. Your energy, insights, and engagement brought this event to life.

As we look ahead to 2026, we encourage you to take time to reflect on the sessions, revisit the slide decks, and connect with the Azara Support team if you have any outstanding questions we didn’t get to during the conference.

We’re grateful for your continued partnership and can’t wait to see you again next year!