2026 Annual Conference
Keynotes That Change How You Lead
Our keynote sessions are the cornerstone of the conference — featuring nationally recognized leaders who've navigated adversity at the highest stakes and scaled innovation at the highest speed. These dynamic presentations will inspire new thinking and equip you with strategies to lead with clarity and courage in a rapidly evolving healthcare landscape.
Harnessing Headwinds – Successfully Navigating Change & Adversity
Thursday, April 15
Nicole Malachowski, First Woman Thunderbird Pilot, Combat Veteran, Fighter Squadron Commander, White House Fellow, Former White House Adviser
Every healthcare leader knows the feeling: just when you've got the organization on course, a new headwind hits: a merger, a margin crunch, a workforce shortage, a regulatory shift no one saw coming. Like headwinds to a pilot, these forces can slow your momentum, narrow your options, and force a change in direction you didn't plan for. In this talk, decorated fighter pilot Nicole Malachowski draws on her experience in combat and at the White House to reframe headwinds, not as threats to survive, but as energy leaders can learn to harness. This session will show your team how to turn setbacks into forward momentum, and how to lead through disruption and cultural change without losing the team along the way. Nicole’s experience will help leaders get comfortable operating in uncertainty rather than waiting for it to resolve, and build the resilience and adaptability today's healthcare environment demands. Above all, she'll challenge your organization's leaders to have the courage to push past self-doubt and legacy thinking, and to mentor and strengthen the leaders coming up behind them.
The Dr. Scott Hayworth and the Honorable Dr. Nan Hayworth Lecture
Mastering Both Innovation and Scaling: Discover the Proven Algorithm for Success
Friday, April 16
Jon McNeill — Former President of Tesla, Former COO of Lyft, CEO of DVx Ventures
Health system and medical group leaders have been chasing the same question for years: is there an actual blueprint for growth, or is scaling innovation just something you get lucky at? According to former Tesla president and Lyft COO Jon McNeill, there is — and it's the same "algorithm for success" that fueled explosive growth at Tesla and SpaceX. In this session, McNeill, who led Tesla through a stretch that took revenue from $2B to $20B, shares insights from his book, The Algorithm: The Hypergrowth Formula That Transformed Tesla, Lululemon, General Motors, and SpaceX, breaking down a proven method for accelerating innovation while scaling it across a large, complex organization — a challenge every AMGA member group knows well. Through real-world examples, he unpacks the key steps of the algorithm, why it works, and how organizations far outside the auto and tech industries have put it to use. Attendees will leave with a practical, actionable framework they can bring back to their own group and apply immediately to turn bold ideas into sustained growth.
Cost, Care, and Common Sense: A Conversation with Mark Cuban
Saturday, April 18, 2026 | 12:30 pm
Mark Cuban, Entrepreneur and Cofounder, Cost Plus Drugs
Join us for a candid fireside chat with Mark Cuban, cofounder of Cost Plus Drugs, entrepreneur, investor, Dallas Mavericks owner, and a longtime “Shark” on Shark Tank. The conversation will be moderated by AMGA board member Dr. Anil Keswani, corporate executive vice president, chief medical officer & operations officer – ambulatory, Scripps Health.
With healthcare under pressure from every direction—capital constraints, workforce fatigue, margin compression, regulatory complexity, and accelerating AI—the question is no longer whether disruption is coming. It’s who will help shape it.
The Final Act: Dinner, Deception & Dessert with Penn & Teller
Saturday, April 18, 2026 | 5:30 pm – 9:00 pm
Penn & Teller
Step behind the velvet curtain for a spectacular send-off as AMGA 2026 ends on a truly magical note. Join your fellow attendees for an unforgettable Closing Dinner Celebration, featuring world-famous illusionists Penn & Teller, live on stage in their hometown. Enjoy a final cocktail hour and gourmet dinner, and stay for our sweet “After-Glow” dessert lounge following the show.
You’ve spent the week shaping the future of healthcare—now it’s time to sit back, relax, and let the magic happen.
Exclusively for AMGA 2026 attendees. Limited seating available.