Rural Health Care Leadership Conference 2026

The 2026 AHA Rural Health Care Leadership Conference, February 8-11 in San Antonio, will gather more than 1,000 rural health leaders committed to advancing rural health and providing quality care for patients and communities.

The conference will feature top rural practitioners sharing actionable strategies and resources aimed at improving access to care, leveraging unique workforce approaches and implementing digital technologies.

We will explore the most significant challenges facing rural health care providers and present innovative approaches to transform care delivery and business practices.

Learning Objectives:

• Explore strategies for fostering a more flexible and adaptive workforce in rural health settings.
• Identify effective approaches for advancing quality, patient safety and performance improvement in a rural care environment.
• Examine emergency and cybersecurity preparedness, response and recovery plans tailored to rural hospitals and health systems.
• Discuss value-based care and emerging payment models designed for rural and small population markets.
• Evaluate strategies and collaborative models to improve access to behavioral, maternal and specialty services.
• Analyze approaches for advancing community and population health and economic vitality in rural communities.
• Assess value and innovative approaches to joint ventures, affiliations and mergers for rural hospitals.
• Review the adoption of cutting-edge technology and AI to improve access to care, address workforce shortages, reduce administrative burden and mitigate coverage denials or delays.
• Learn best practices and high-performing care models that address the health care needs of American Indian and Alaskan Native patients and communities.
• Develop insights into strategies for effective and high-performing governance that strengthen leadership, accountability and decision-making in rural hospitals and health systems.

Who Should Attend: