Building the AI-Ready Rural Workforce: What Leading Hospitals Are Doing Now

AHA Leadership Scan: A Series of Virtual Panel Discussions 

Building the AI-Ready Rural Workforce: What Leading Hospitals Are Doing Now

Thursday, May 7, 2026 
1 - 2 p.m. Eastern; noon - 1 p.m. Central; 10 - 11 a.m. Pacific  

Artificial intelligence, virtual care and digital tools are rapidly transforming how care is delivered and rural hospitals are seeking ways to effectively prepare their workforce to operate effectively in this new environment.

Preparing staff for AI-enabled care requires more than introducing new technology. It requires practical strategies to build AI competencies, strengthen digital capabilities and create sustainable workforce pipelines.

In this Leadership Scan, rural hospital leaders will share how they are equipping staff today for the next generation of care delivery. Panelists will discuss practical tools and strategies they are using to introduce AI responsibly, build digital skills across clinical and operational teams and develop workforce pipelines through community partnerships.

Attendees will gain peer-tested approaches and actionable ideas for strengthening workforce readiness, supporting staff adoption of AI tools and building a more resilient workforce for the future of rural care.

Attendees Will Learn:

• How leading rural hospitals are introducing AI awareness and digital literacy across their workforce.
• Practical approaches to upskilling staff to work with AI, virtual care and other emerging technologies.
• How hospitals are building workforce pipelines through partnerships with schools, community colleges and regional organizations.
• Learn about available resources tailored to rural and community health to advance high performance workforce training and innovation.

Speakers:

Laura Kreofsky, MHA, MBA 
National Director, Rural Health Resiliency 
Microsoft Elevate  

AHA Moderator:  

Susan Doherty, MA, LNHA 
Vice President, Field Engagement 
Rural Health and Regional Executive Team 
American Hospital Association

By attending the AHA Leadership virtual panel discussion "Building the AI-Ready Rural Workforce: What Leading Hospitals Are Doing Now" offered by the AHA, participants may earn up to 1 ACHE Qualified Education Hour toward initial certification or recertification of the Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE) designation.