Speaking Opportunities


Our Call for Proposals is now open. Submission deadline is Thursday, July 27, 2023.

About the Rural Health Care Leadership Conference

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.

Since 1987, this conference has been the educational event of choice for rural health care leaders who want to learn from top researchers, strategists and practitioners who can stimulate their thinking and provide the tools and approaches needed to transform the rural health organization for a sustainable future. The conference is designed for health care leaders from rural hospitals, health care systems with a strong presence in rural communities, rural health clinics, associations and community health organizations. Participants include administrators, trustees, physician executives, nursing administrators, public health officials and community leaders.

Call for Proposals

We are now accepting speaking proposals for our 2024 conference. We are especially interested in presentations that feature rural hospital executives, clinical leaders and trustees as presenters. Submission deadline is Thursday, July 27, 2023.

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.

How to Submit a Proposal

Submissions are now being accepted through our online submission site.

  • 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.
  • A detailed summary of the session including its focus and participant learning objectives
  • A description of how this session is customized for a rural health care audience
  • Identification of a content area
  • A description of the instructional format of the session
  • 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.)

Please note: You will able to log back into the submission platform to make edits before the submission deadline.

You will receive an e-mail confirmation once the proposal has been successfully submitted. We'll contact you in October with the status of your proposal.

Waived Conference Fee

Accepted speakers will receive a complimentary registration to the conference. Speakers are responsible for their own travel and hotel guest room expenses.