The 2024 AHA Rural Health Care Leadership Conference, February 11-14 in Orlando, will gather more than 1,000 rural health leaders committed to advancing rural health and providing quality care for patients and communities. The conference will feature top rural practitioners sharing actionable strategies and resources aimed at improving access to care, leveraging unique workforce approaches, implementing digital technologies and prioritizing health equity.

We will explore the most significant challenges facing rural health care providers and present innovative approaches to transform care delivery and business practices.

Call for Proposals
We are now accepting proposals centered around “on-the-ground” perspectives and applicable strategies that showcase unique insights, successful case studies and cutting-edge solutions. We are especially interested in presentations that feature rural hospital executives, clinical leaders and trustees as presenters. Proposals that highlight how health care organizations are overcoming challenges, accelerating innovation and transformation, and scaling change are preferred.  

Topics of Interest:

• Strategies for a more robust, resilient and flexible workforce. 
• Improving quality, patient safety and performance. 
• Planning and responding to disaster. 
• Adopting new models of care and payment. 
• Improving equity and eliminating disparities in treatment, access and outcomes.  
• Advancing community and population health and economic development. 
• Inventive approaches to mergers, joint ventures and affiliations. 
• Advances in telehealth, information technology and artificial intelligence.  
• Best practices in health care delivery for American Indians and Alaskan Natives. 
• Best practices for achieving governance excellence. 
• Improving access to behavioral health services. 

Presentation Format
Submitters must choose a preferred presentation format. The AHA will consider the submitter’s format preference taking into consideration the best venue for the topic given the slots available. The AHA reserves the right to make the final decision and will communicate the presentation format in the notification of acceptance.

Formats:
Education Session: 1-hour concurrent session to convey knowledge, demonstrate actionable tools, highlight key takeaways and how-tos, focus on replicable models and demonstrate value and measurable impact, and engage participants in a discussion through creative learning strategies.

Panel Discussion: Facilitated by a skilled moderator, this format features unique perspectives from up to 3 expert practitioners. The discussion should provide insights to create real value and takeaways for the audience. The group of panelists should generate takeaways more interesting than any one individual panel member could generate on their own.

Poster Presentation: Share current research, innovative ideas or mechanisms of recent projects. Posters are designed by the presenter and will be on display in the sponsor hall. Presenters should be prepared to discuss with fellow attendees during sponsor hall hours.

Workshop: Workshops are 1.5 hours in length and are structured to provide attendees with active learning opportunities and immersion in an important topic. The proposal should utilize an instructional format, e.g., design thinking that engages participants in collaboration with their peers to develop innovative solutions to persistent challenges. Successful proposals will demonstrate that presenters have expertise with facilitation.

Important Details and Guidelines for Speakers

• The AHA strongly recommends all presentations include at least one presenter from a health care organization (hospital/health system or similar entity). Contact information and confirmation of the presenter’s participation is required when submitting the proposal. If you do not include a provider, please provide reasoning in your submission.
• All presentations must be non-commercial. The promotion of commercial products and services is strictly prohibited.
• Accepted speakers will receive a complimentary registration for the 2024 AHA Rural Health Care Leadership Conference. Accepted poster presenters will receive a discounted conference registration rate of $350.  Speakers and poster presenters are responsible for their own travel and hotel guest room expenses.
• Speakers will be notified of their submission status by November 15. 

How to Submit a Proposal

• To submit a proposal, you must create an account to begin the proposal submission process. The email used to create the account will be set as the default email for the primary contact or presenter.
• Identification of a presentation format.
• A detailed summary of the session including its focus and participant learning objectives.
• Identification of a content area.
• An assessment of whether the session is basic, intermediate or advanced in its content.
• Full contact information for the primary contact.
• Full contact information on the proposed speaker(s).
• A brief bio for each speaker.
• One speaking reference for each presenter (noting where the individual might have presented in the past — along with contact information for those who can vouch for the speaker).
• A brief description of each speaker's organization (bed size, services, etc.).

Questions? Contact events@aha.org