Registration
Registration for our 2027 AHA Rural Healthcare Leadership Conference will open in early August.
Please join our email list to be updated when registration opens.
Conference Registration Guidelines
Attendance at the 2027 AHA Rural Healthcare Leadership Conference is limited to individuals from healthcare provider organizations, academic institutions, government agencies, nonprofit organizations, associations and approved business representatives.
If your organization does not fall into one of these categories, you will not be permitted to attend the conference. Registrations by vendors that are not permitted to attend the conference will be canceled, and the registration fee will be refunded. If you are uncertain about your organization's AHA membership status, please look up your organization on the AHA Guide website. You can also contact AHA Field Engagement at 312-422-3000 or email ahahelp@aha.org.
Business representatives may attend the conference only if they are confirmed sponsors. If you are a member of the business community and would like to participate, we invite you to explore opportunities to become a sponsor. Please contact marketing@aha.orgfor more information.
Sponsor Registration
All sponsor registrations—both complimentary and paid—must be completed through a separate registration process. Please contact aha@360livemedia.com to receive instructions on how to register as a sponsor.
Healthcare Provider Organizations, Academic Institutions, Government Entities, Nonprofit, Associations
| Early Bird by December 1 | Regular Rate after December 1 | |
|---|---|---|
| Healthcare Provider, AHA Organizational Member | $750 | $850 |
| Healthcare Provider, Non-Member of the AHA | $850 | $950 |
| Academic, Government, Nonprofit, Associations | $850 | $950 |
Fifth Team Member — FREERegister four people from your organization and the fifth attends for free. Add all registrants from your organization and the promotion will be automatically applied at checkout. This special offer is available to Healthcare Provider Organizations, Academic Institutions, Government Entities and Nonprofit Associations only. Contact ruralregistration@aha.org if you experience any issues or errors. | ||
Interested in Reducing Your Cost to Attend?
The Hosted Buyer Forum offers a showcase for hospital and health system leaders interested in connecting with solution providers addressing key hospital issues. Approved applicants are given complimentary registration to the 2027 AHA Rural Healthcare Leadership Conference. After the Forum is complete participants are encouraged to join the Sponsor Reception for beverages, appetizers and networking. Learn More!
Pre-Conference Workshops | Sunday, January 31
Enhance your conference experience with a pre-conference workshop. Each workshop requires an additional registration fee and is open to all attendees unless otherwise noted.
10:00 AM – 1:45 PM | Additional Fee: $199 Lunch will be provided
- Building Future-Forward Rural Hospital Boards
Strong governance is essential to guiding rural hospitals through a rapidly changing environment. This interactive workshop equips board members and executives with practical strategies to build forward-looking boards ready to navigate emerging challenges and strengthen oversight. - Rural Healthcare Emerging Leader Bootcamp
Registration for this session is limited to hospital and health system leaders.
Accelerate your organization's leadership pipeline by empowering high-potential, next-generation leaders. This immersive half-day bootcamp equips emerging leaders with the knowledge, tools and confidence to step into executive roles through interactive discussions, scenario-based exercises and real-world insights from seasoned rural health executives.
2:00 PM – 3:30 PM | Additional Fee: $79
- Operationalizing Well-Being for Rural Healthcare Workforce Retention
Rural hospitals operate with limited staffing capacity, making workforce retention, engagement and well-being critical to stability and access to care. This interactive workshop helps leaders move beyond traditional wellness programs to embed well-being into operations, leadership and organizational strategy. - Advancing High Reliability in Rural Healthcare
Rural hospitals face growing pressure to improve quality and patient safety while operating with limited staff, resources and specialty support. This interactive workshop explores how rural organizations can adopt high-reliability principles that fit rural realities, giving participants strategies to strengthen safety culture and embed reliable practices into daily operations.
4:00 PM – 5:30 PM | Additional Fee: $79
- Advancing Age-Friendly Care Through Rural Community Partnerships
Rural communities face growing demand for services that support older adults, requiring stronger collaboration across healthcare, social services and community organizations. This interactive workshop explores how rural hospitals can partner with aging networks, public agencies and community organizations to create more coordinated approaches to healthy aging. - Creating High-Performing Rural Hospital Boards
Effective governance is a discipline, not a byproduct of good recruiting. This interactive workshop gives rural hospital leaders and trustees practical strategies for board development, orientation and self-assessment that build a more cohesive, high-performing governing body.
Special Accommodations
If you need any of the auxiliary aids and services identified in the Americans with Disabilities Act, contact Bree Angelo at bangelo@aha.org with a written description of your needs.
Guarantee
In the unlikely event that we should have to cancel the event, attendees can request a full refund of registration fees or transfer the fees for credit to the 2028 AHA Rural Healthcare Leadership Conference. AHA is not responsible for any nonrefundable travel or lodging expenses in the event of program cancellation.
Registration Confirmation
All official registration confirmation emails for the 2027 AHA Rural Healthcare Leadership Conference will come from an @aha.org email address. If you have registered and do not receive a confirmation email, or if you have questions about your registration, substitutions, cancellations or special accommodations, please contact us at ruralregistration@aha.org.
This proactive measure helps ensure that attendees can confidently verify their registration details and avoid potential phishing attempts. Thank you for your attention to this matter as we prioritize a secure and seamless conference experience.
Substitutions/Cancellations
If you are no longer able to attend the conference you can send a substitute, even at the last minute. If you must cancel, your request for a refund – minus a $150 processing fee – must be made in writing to ruralregistration@aha.org no later than December 31, 2026. Cancellations made after December 31 are not eligible for a refund.