Nationally Acclaimed Thought Leaders to Headline NHC Science of Patient Engagement Summit

Washington, D.C) The National Health Council today announced exciting additions to the speaker lineup for its 2026 Science of Patient Engagement Summit (Summit), to be held May 11-12 in Arlington, VA:

• Ken Stern, Founder & Chair of the Longevity Project, will explore how social connection influences health and longevity in a fireside chat. Drawing on global examples, he will explore how stronger social networks and community engagement can improve well-being and health outcomes, and what these insights mean for patients and the broader health care system.
  
• Anita Ravi, MD, MPH, MSHP, FAAFP, Chief Executive Officer & Founder of PurpLE Health Foundation. In an interactive keynote address, Dr. Ravi will draw upon her work as a family physician and practitioner focused on advancing care for survivors of gender-based violence to explore unmet patient needs in the context of responsive care models, improved communication and stronger integration of patient perspectives, clinical practice and research.
  
• In his keynote address,Alok Patel, MD,Pediatric Hospitalist, Stanford Medicine, Columbia University, and University of California, San Francisco; ABC News Special Correspondent, and award-winning journalist, will explore the role of medical storytelling in bridging the gap between clinical expertise and public understanding, demonstrating how clear, engaging communication can help patients better understand their health and navigate care decisions.
• "Rapid innovation has improved our ability to diagnose and treat those with chronic diseases, but those same fast-paced changes also raise important practical and ethical questions about how we keep humanity - patients and their needs - at the center of our health care system," said Randy Rutta, Chief Executive Officer of the National Health Council. "That is what this Summit is all about, and these new speakers bring immense gravitas and intellectual firepower to an already impressive agenda."

The reimagined 2026 Summit reflects the incredible success of the event in recent years, including attendance growth, an expanding scope of health care topics and speakers, increased collaboration, and the promotion of more and better meaningful patient engagement and patient-centered solutions.

The two-day conference opens with an interactive workshop, "Under the Microscope: A Blueprint for Patient Engagement Success." The session will highlight how the NHC is equipping health systems, biopharmaceutical companies, payers, data systems, etc. with the practical tools to strengthen patient partnership and improve decision-making. The NHC's resources are designed to make patient partnerships easier, more meaningful, and more effective across the health sector.

Visit the event page for the up-to-date agenda and to register for the event.