At AHA’s Annual Membership Meeting, Uniting to Protect Access to Care

Just 23 days from now, more than 1,000 hospital and health system leaders from across the country will arrive in Washington, D.C., for the 2026 AHA Annual Membership Meeting.

It is a gathering that always inspires, as so many passionate and dedicated people come together to focus on ways to tell our story, educate policymakers and advance our advocacy agenda.

Programming at the 2026 AHA Annual Membership Meeting

To help our members understand the political environment, gain perspective on key policy issues, and navigate the shifting landscape and dynamics on Capitol Hill, we’ve built a program highlighted by nationally recognized speakers who are influential in the administration and Congress, as well as special forums that provide in-depth discussions and unique insights into key challenges facing our field.

We are putting finishing touches on the final program for the meeting and already have a great lineup. On the Senate side, we’ll be joined by Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, and Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., who serves on the Senate Committee on Finance.

On the House side, we’ll hear from Rep. Richard Neal, D-Mass., ranking member of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, which has jurisdiction over Medicare and tax policies, and Rep. Blake Moore, R-Utah, also a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, in addition to serving on its Subcommittee on Health. Also speaking will be Rep. Greg Landsman, D-Ohio, a member of the important House Committee on Energy and Commerce, including its Subcommittee on Health.

We’ll gain insights from a number of senior government officials, such as FBI Deputy Director Andrew Bailey, who will address the cyberthreat landscape facing providers today. And more top-ranking officials and legislators will be announced soon.  

We’ll also hear from people making and breaking news, as well as have discussions on emerging issues facing our field. One session, “AI in Health Care: Navigating Policy, Regulation and the Road Ahead,” is a discussion featuring Jim VandeHei CEO, Axios; 2026 AHA Board Chair Marc Boom, M.D., president and CEO, Houston Methodist; Anne Kilbanski, M.D.,president and CEO, Mass General Brigham; former AHA Board Chair Jonathan Perlin, M.D., president and CEO, the Joint Commission; and Ladd Wiley, head of public policy, Epic. Another session will focus on the future of health care with AHA Immediate Past Chair Tina Freese Decker, CEO of Corewell Health; Rob Allen, president and CEO of Intermountain Health; and Jim Skogsbergh, former AHA board chair.

In addition, we’ll have an insightful conversation with Katherine LaNasa, Emmy-award winning actress on HBO’s “The Pitt,” who will participate in the AHA’s Recognition Luncheon. We’ll hear from presidential historian and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jon Meacham, whose new book, “American Struggle: Democracy, Dissent, and the Pursuit of a More Perfect Union—An Anthology,” connects to the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding. We’ll also be joined by Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Peggy Noonan, a guest speaker at our AHAPAC luncheon, as well as former CNN senior political analyst John Avlon and PBS host Margaret Hoover for a bipartisan conversation on the upcoming election cycle at the AHA’s Government Relations Officers Network Lunch.

Advocacy Priorities and the Road Ahead

It’s a very full agenda, but we’ve also built in time for you to connect with colleagues from across the country and have those personal connections that we know are so valuable.

The timing provides a great opportunity for your visit to Capitol Hill to drive home several key messages. These include urging Congress to:

• Reject policies that would reduce access to care for patients and communities.
• Support efforts to strengthen the health care workforce.
• Advance solutions to ensure health care is affordable and accessible.

We hope you can join us April 19-21 and be a part of the important story we must tell. It’s about highlighting the tremendous work caregivers do every hour of the day, preserving access to the 24/7 care and services that only hospitals and health systems provide, and protecting the special role hospitals and health systems play as cornerstones of their communities throughout the country.

With so much at stake for patient access to care, it is vital that we continue to face health care’s challenges together, speaking with one voice to protect the blue and white “H” that is a beacon of health, healing and hope in every community across the nation.