Health system leaders discuss care delivery, workforce and technology at 2026 AHA Leadership Summit

Jul 14, 2026 - 02:32 PM
Image of a panel discussion from AHA's 2026 Leadership Summit

Following an introduction from Michelle Hood, AHA executive vice president and COO, moderator Chris DeRienzo, M.D., AHA senior vice president and chief physician executive, led a panel discussion July 14 at the 2026 AHA Leadership Summit with Betty Chu, M.D., senior vice president and chief medical officer of Advocate Health; Christine Donohue-Henry, M.D., chief population health officer of ChristianaCare; and Bill Gassen, president and CEO of Sanford Health, and AHA chair-elect.

The session also featured two fireside chats with health system leaders. James Hereford, president and CEO of Fairview Health Services, discussed emerging approaches to strengthening team-based care, expanding flexibility and integrating technology to support clinicians and staff. Greg Adams, chair and CEO of Kaiser Permanente, talked about aligning people and technology to support care redesign, as well as building organizations that can respond quickly to a changing environment.

Other concurrent sessions explored improving patient flow across care settings, integrating value-based care, designing systems to sustain quality improvement, building dedicated leadership roles for Advanced Practice Professionals, and strengthening rural healthcare models.

Related News Articles

Headline
Map details prehospital blood transfusions following motor vehicle crashes in 2025
A map released by the Department of Transportation features data showing that 32,992 motor vehicle crash patients in the U.S. met the clinical criteria for…
Headline
AHA podcast explains how Cone Health’s multidisciplinary teams coordinate care to support healthier pregnancies, families
In this conversation, Kardie Tobb, D.O., a non-invasive preventative cardiologist at Cone Health, explains how multidisciplinary teams are breaking down…
Headline
Webinar to explore pathogen control strategies for environments with rapid microbial rebound
The AHA’s Association for the Health Care Environment will host a webinar Sept. 8 at 2 p.m. ET that will discuss strategies environmental services leaders can…
Headline
AHA podcast shares how literacy is used to strengthen bonding, early childhood development in the NICU 
Gabriela Jimenez Thompson, program lead of Our Story Begins at NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue, and Liliana Escobar, R.N., NICU head nurse at Bellevue Hospital…
Headline
DHS proposes new filing fee for certain H-1B visas
The Department of Homeland Security today released a proposed rule to establish a new $103,265 filing fee for H-1B visa petitions that are subject to statutory…
Headline
Webinar to discuss how Georgia health system improved capacity monitoring efforts
The AHA’s Hospital Capacity Management Consortium will host a webinar Sept. 9 at 1 p.m. ET for capacity management and operations leaders, exploring how…