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