Call For Abstracts

This traditional format typically features two presenters and a Q&A period. These sessions are ideal for complex topics that compare and contrast different experiences.

Designed to spark conversation among participants, these sessions typically have shorter formal presentations and longer open discussion among participants. We suggest one to two speakers for this type of session and encourage 30 minutes of prepared material followed by 30 minutes for Q&A.

These highly focused sessions are case studies on one topic or one experience and typically feature only one presenter but may have two. We encourage only 15–20 minutes of prepared material and 10–15 minutes for Q&A.

Posters typically focus on research projects, operational issues, or other evidence-based practice initiatives. They should have clearly measurable outcomes and sound methodology. Proposals accepted for the poster session must identify one author to attend the conference to answer questions about their project during a designated poster session.

Abstracts should target the hard and soft skills necessary to lead complex and evolving hospitals and health systems dedicated to serving their communities. Abstracts also may focus on lessons learned from leadership experiences and the importance of strategic partnerships, combating structural racism, culture change, enhancing and maintaining a highly skilled workforce, reducing employee burnout, recruiting and retaining staff aligned with organizational mission, and climate resilience.

Abstracts should focus on solutions to current public policy and financial issues important to essential hospitals and maximizing resources in an essential hospital. If possible, abstracts also should include innovations in payer relationships, such as those with private payers and Medicare Advantage. Past topics have included Medicaid supplemental payments, waiver initiatives, telehealth policy, graduate medical education, and state-level 340B Drug Pricing Program policies.

Abstracts should showcase new and promising programs that demonstrate groundbreaking initiatives in caring for low-income and other marginalized populations and ensuring equitable access to high-value, patient-centered care. Abstracts also may focus on innovative programs that integrate clinical practice into the health system’s overarching mission and goals; quality improvement; managing operations during a pandemic or other public health threat; and delivering comprehensive, coordinated care across ambulatory networks to bring services to patients where they live and work.

Population health is the proactive, prevention-based approach of addressing social, economic, political, and environmental factors that impact communities and affect the health outcomes of individuals. Abstracts should offer expertise on improving health outcomes for a population by engaging internal and external stakeholders to serve community needs. Abstracts may focus on leveraging policies and procedures at the hospital, local, state, and federal levels to support community well-being; innovative financing models; cross-sector partnerships; and aligning community benefit investment with population health efforts (e.g., the intersection of essential hospitals and community, including but not limited to public health departments, community organizations, health centers, and faith-based entities). Programs and practices that address social determinants of health and ultimately aim to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in health and health care are encouraged.