Sanford to convene Summit on the Future of Rural Health Care
| July 10, 2025 |
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Media Contacts: |
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — For the fourth consecutive year, Sanford Health will convene some of the leading and most influential voices in health care, technology and business for a day of thought-provoking conversations focused on transformation in rural health care delivery. This year’s theme is “Advancing access, quality and sustainability.”
The 4th annual Summit on the Future of Rural Health Care will take place Oct. 14 at the Sanford Barn in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. It will also be livestreamed for journalists and the public to join.
Bill Gassen, president and CEO of Sanford Health, will moderate a fireside chat with Rick Pollack, President and CEO at the American Hospital Association. He will also sit down with other health system CEOs including Joanne M. Conroy, M.D., President and CEO, Dartmouth Health, Andrea Walsh, President and CEO, HealthPartners and Erik Wexler, President and CEO, Providence for a panel discussion moderated by Alexis Kayser, healthcare editor at Newsweek.
“There has never been a more important time to bring together a group of dynamic leaders across the health care ecosystem for meaningful conversations about how we can accelerate the future of health care for patients, senior care residents, health plan members and communities,” said Gassen. “We look forward to a day of bold ideas, collaboration and impact as we reimagine what’s possible in rural care delivery – together.”
Confirmed speakers
- Emily Barey, R.N., Chief Nurse Evangelist, Epic
- Joanne M. Conroy, M.D., CEO and President, Dartmouth Health
- Tony Hernandez, Interim President, Presbyterian Health Plan
- Alexis Kayser, Healthcare Editor, Newsweek
- Amy McDonough, Managing Director, Strategic Health Solutions, Google
- Ateev Mehrotra, M.D., MPH, Chair, Department of Health Services, Policy and Practice, Brown University, School of Public Health
- Bobby Mukkamala, M.D., President, American Medical Association
- Rick Pollack, MPA, President and CEO, American Hospital Association
- Mario Schlosser, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer, Oscar Health
- Molly Smith, Group Vice President, Public Policy, American Hospital Association
- Seema Verma, MPH, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Oracle Health and Life Sciences
- Andrea Walsh, JD, President and CEO, HealthPartners
- Erik Wexler, MBA, President and CEO, Providence
Additional details about this year’s program and newly confirmed speakers can be found at sanfordruralhealthsummit.org
Last year’s event brought together health system CEOs, industry experts and prominent tech leaders for candid, wide-ranging conversations focused on pioneering innovation in a shifting landscape. Nearly 200 guests attended the Summit in Sioux Falls and more than 5,000 streamed the event online.
Media and members of the public can register to view the livestream of the event at sanfordruralhealthsummit.org/register-now.
About Sanford Health
Sanford Health, the largest rural health system in the United States, is dedicated to transforming the health care experience and providing access to world-class health care in America’s heartland. Headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the organization has 53,000 employees and serves over 2 million patients and nearly 425,000 health plan members across the upper Midwest including South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wyoming, Iowa, Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The integrated nonprofit health system includes a network of 56 hospitals, 288 clinic locations, 147 senior care communities, 4,000 physicians and advanced practice providers and nearly 1,500 active clinical trials and studies. The organization’s transformational virtual care initiative brings patients closer to care with access to 78 specialties. Learn more about Sanford Health’s commitment to shaping the future of rural health care across the lifespan at sanfordhealth.org or Sanford Health News.
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