2026 Annual Conference
Academic Medical Group Track: Where Academic Mission Meets Operational Excellence
Tailored for leaders in academic medical groups, this track explores the unique challenges and opportunities at the intersection of education, research, and patient care. Connect with peers who understand the complexities of leading in an academic environment.
Friday, April 17, 2026, 10:30 am – 11:30 am
Performance Under Pressure: Sustaining Accountability During Academic Medical Center Growth
Eugene Hong, MD, Chief Physician Executive, MUSC Health; MUSC Physicians and Anthony Powell, Managing Director, Knowledge Capital Group
As Academic Medical Centers (AMCs) grow through acquisitions and community hospital partnerships, maintaining clinical quality, operational efficiency, and workforce engagement can be challenging. This session examines a real-world case of an AMC acquiring four community-based, for-profit hospitals, highlighting strategies to implement shared governance, performance monitoring, and accountability frameworks from day one. Attendees will gain practical tools to sustain high performance while navigating complex integration and growth.
Upon completion of this activity, learners should be able to:
- Examine strategies for maintaining clinical quality and operational efficiency during AMC growth and acquisitions.
- Implement shared governance and performance monitoring frameworks to sustain accountability across newly integrated hospitals.
- Formulate approaches to engage the workforce and align leadership in complex academic medical center expansions.
Intended Audience: CEO, COO, CMO, CFO, Chief Integration Officers, Chief Strategy Officers from academic health systems and affiliated multispecialty practices.
Topic focus areas: Finance, operations, governance, workforce
Friday, April 17, 2026, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
AI Agents in Action: Redefining Patient Access and Operational Efficiency
Phillip Quick, Chief System Access Operations Officer, UChicago Medicine and Jafar Hasan, MD, Chief Innovation & Clinical Integration Officer, Cook County Health
Facilitated by Jason M. Raidbard, MPA, FACMPE, Executive Administrator, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, UChicago Medicine and Biological Sciences
As healthcare systems face growing operational complexity and rising patient expectations, UChicago Medicine is breaking new ground by deploying agentic AI to streamline non-clinical workflows and improve the patient experience. This session will examine their implementation of Salesforce’s Agentforce for Health, which enables 24/7 patient self-service for tasks like appointment scheduling, prescription refills, insurance verification, and even real-time logistical support like parking guidance. By automating high-volume, routine tasks, UChicago Medicine is reducing administrative burden on staff, freeing them to focus on higher-value interactions — and, critically, preparing their organization to scale digital-first care delivery. Attendees will get a C-suite–level look at the strategy, risks, and leadership considerations behind deploying AI agents in a large academic health system. We’ll discuss how this model can be leveraged in their own organizations, the organizational change management required, and what the future holds for patient-centered automation.
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Upon completion of this activity, learners should be able to:
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Articulate the strategic rationale for deploying AI agents in a health system — understanding how tools like Agentforce align with goals around patient access, efficiency, and workforce optimization.
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Evaluate key risks and governance considerations associated with integrating AI agents in patient workflows.
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Design a scalable roadmap for AI agent adoption in their own institutions, including change management, stakeholder engagement, and operational metrics.
Intended Audience: CMO, CAO, COO, CFO, Chief Population Health Officers of academic health systems and affiliated multispecialty practices.
Topic focus areas: Finance, operations, care coordination, value based care, access, AI
Saturday, April 18, 2026, 10:30 am – 11:30 am
Navigating the Policy Landscape for Health Systems and Medical Groups
Darryl M. Drevna, MA, Senior Director, Regulatory Affairs; James J. Miller, M.B.A., Senior Director, Government Relations; and Lauren Lattany, MPS, Director, Government Relations, AMGA
With the impending changes ahead of the 2026 mid-terms, what’s next for healthcare policy? AMGA’s public policy experts will unpack the legislative and regulatory priorities emerging from Washington, D.C., and what they mean for health systems and medical groups nationwide. From payment reform and value-based care initiatives to workforce challenges and quality reporting requirements, you’ll get an insider’s view of the new healthcare agenda for Congress, the administration, and key agencies. Learn how AMGA is advocating to protect physician reimbursement, advance patient-centered care, and ensure the concerns of health system and medical group leaders are front and center in policy decisions.
Upon completion of this activity, learners should be able to:
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Analyze the pre-2026 midterm election healthcare policy landscape and identify key legislative and regulatory priorities that will impact health systems and medical groups
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Apply insights from AMGA's advocacy efforts to inform organizational policy engagement and strategic planning
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Identify strategies to protect organizational interests while advancing patient-centered care models in the evolving policy environment
Intended Audience: CEOs, COOs, CFOs, CMOs, Vice Presidents and Directors of government relations, public policy, and regulatory affairs, senior leaders responsible for strategic planning and policy implementation, practice administrators and operations leaders, quality and compliance officers, financial leaders overseeing value-based care arrangements, and medical directors and physician leaders engaged in organizational governance.
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Integration of a Medical Group: From Concept to High-Performing Reality
Matt Walsh, MHA- Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Rush University System for Health, and Luis Garcia, MD, FACS, MBA, FACHE, President Rush Medical Group; Professor of Surgery, Rush University
Over the past decade, healthcare organizations have faced unprecedented pressures—from rising costs and workforce shortages to IT and cybersecurity challenges, regulatory complexity, and increasing demand for quality and patient satisfaction. In this session, attendees will explore the full spectrum of medical group integration, including: clinical integration, governance and leadership and non-clinical integration. Participants will gain insights on overcoming anticipated challenges, understanding expected outcomes, and measuring success. Key metrics will highlight improvements in access to care, operational efficiency, employee engagement, clinician retention, and financial performance. Through real-world examples and strategic frameworks, this session demonstrates why high-performing integrated medical groups are central to sustainable healthcare delivery, value-based care, and long-term organizational success.
Upon completion of this activity, learners should be able to:
- Analyze the key components of medical group integration, including clinical, leadership, and non-clinical structures.
- Evaluate strategies to overcome operational, workforce, and financial challenges during medical group integration.
- Apply metrics and best practices to create high-performing, integrated medical groups that enhance access, engagement, and value-based care outcomes.
Intended Audience: CEO, COO, CMO, Chief Clinical Officer, CFO, CHRO, Chief Strategy Officer in health systems and large multispecialty medical groups and academic systems.
Topic focus areas: Workforce, value-based care, operational efficiency, finance
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Aligning the Physician Enterprise: Strategic Approaches Amid Economic Headwinds
Jeff Kubisch, MBA, Chief Operating Officer, Medical College Physicians, Froedtert & Medical College of Wisconsin/Froedtert ThedaCare
Persistent economic pressure, rising clinical and labor costs, and shifting patient expectations are forcing health systems to rethink how physician enterprises are strategically aligned to deliver value, resilience, and mission impact. In this session, leaders from the Medical College of Wisconsin and Froedtert ThedaCare share how an integrated academic health system and a community-focused health network are navigating these challenges together through deliberate enterprise alignment. Drawing on Froedtert & MCW’s regional health network partnership, which integrates academic medicine, research, innovation, and specialty care with ThedaCare’s population health and workforce-focused strategies, this discussion will explore how hybrid academic–community systems can align physician leadership, clinical operations, and long-term strategy in an increasingly constrained environment.
Upon completion of this activity, learners should be able to:
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Evaluate strategic alignment models that integrate physician enterprise, academic missions, and community health priorities within a hybrid health system structure.
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Identify leadership, workforce, and governance strategies that prepare physicians to play meaningful roles in enterprise-level decision-making amid economic constraints.
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Apply approaches for measuring physician enterprise impact beyond financial margins, including population health outcomes, care access, and regional economic contribution.
Intended Audience: Academic health system leaders in c-suite roles, Population health and workforce strategy executives, Board members and senior administrators responsible for enterprise alignment and sustainability
Topic Focus Areas: workforce, population health, finance, operations