October 2-3, 2025

Healthier institutions support healthier people; this is especially true of the spaces in which we live, work, and play. Creating deep and lasting health improvements in these settings requires a systematic approach that empowers individuals to become change agents for their health and the health of their communities. These strategies often include building deeper connections with professionals from various sectors including those who specialize in addressing non-healthcare factors, such as housing, legal issues, parenting support, healthy behaviors, and food insecurity to drive change. Sessions in this track should highlight evidence-based, data-driven approaches that empower leaders across sectors to collaborate on policy, systems, and environmental change for improved health.

We encourage session proposals that will highlight:

• Challenges faced in working across sectors, including issues such as differences in culture, terminology, goals, and outcome measurement
• Financial sustainability
• Experiences of coalitions, collective impact models, school health advisory councils (SHACs), community health collaboratives, and other community organizations in building a culture of health
• Experiences by health institution and health organizations in forming collaboratives and working across sectors to have a collective impact on the health outcomes of their communities
• Programs with demonstrated impact(s)

Primary care organizations are central to quality healthcare delivery. It is often a patient’s first point of entry to care that provides greater access to healthcare services, preventive care, management of chronic illnesses, and coordination of care. Post-pandemic, primary care has transformed to meet the needs of the population in innovative ways. Sessions in this track will share evidence-based strategies that address complex challenges of effective healthcare delivery while advancing the quality of primary care and patient outcomes.

We encourage session proposals that will highlight:

• Investments in innovative and collaborative primary care practices
• Implementation of strategies, including patient-centered care to address disparities and provide quality and timely services to diverse patient populations.
• Leveraging and scaling transformative practices
• Utilization of technology to bridge access care gaps
• Use of quality improvement strategies to optimize health outcomes of patient population
• Bridging primary and specialty care
• Partnering with community organizations
• Innovative ways to address non-medical drivers of health

In the dynamic realm of health, nurturing and empowering the current and upcoming workforce is paramount as the demand for quality and timely health services continues to grow. Shortages in the workforce, access to training, and stressed providers contribute to a reduction in both access and quality of care. This track is dedicated to learning opportunities for developing, strengthening, re-imagining and supporting the Texas health workforce. Proposals for sessions in this track will delve into strategies to equip professionals with essential skills and knowledge while fostering resilience, adaptability, and innovation amidst complex challenges.

We encourage session proposals that will highlight:

• Team based approaches
• Integration of non-traditional health professionals including, but not limited, to public health professionals, community health workers (CHWs) and social services into care practices
• Contributions to the health and public health workforce by developing core competencies—such as data, health equity, and leadership—to adapt to evolving work environments
• Innovative approaches to engage and recruit a diverse workforce that reflects the communities that they serve
• Use of technology to reduce administrative burdens and to effectively support the workforce in the care of their participants
• Ways to reduce stressors and support the workforce to increase retention and interest in entry into the field
• Programs and initiatives that foster healthy behaviors, promote employee well-being and create supportive environments that prioritize physical, mental, and emotional health.