2026 Gold Humanism Summit

2026 Summit Aims & Themes

The 2026 Gold Humanism Summit: The Person in Front of You will take place September 16-18, 2026, in Pittsburgh, Pa.

The Summit will convene members of the healthcare community to share best practices, strategies, and tools that are intended to improve healthcare for patients, communities, and caregivers alike, creating healthcare that is safe, trusting, and kind.

Primary Aims

The three primary aims of the Summit are to:

  1. Advance transformative educational initiatives
  2. Share practical, evidence-informed solutions for real-world impact
  3. Strengthen community among leaders driving change in humanistic healthcare

In addition to falling under one of the above categories, content will reflect the themes listed below, including artificial intelligence; connection; communication; access and belonging; humanities; interprofessional teamwork; mentorship; research; trust; well-being; and service-learning programs. See below for the full list.

Presentation Formats

Presentations will be featured as lecture-style talks, panels, workshops, posters, and roundtable discussions, each of which will offer practical solutions that reflect a humanistic approach to healthcare – defined as safe, kind, and engendering trust – and that directly impact the way that patient care is delivered. The intention is for Summit attendees to leave the event with practical action steps to take back with them.

Sessions are expected to be highly engaging and interactive.

Submissions will be accepted for the following general formats:

  • 45-minute lecture-style presentation, including Q&A
  • 45-minute panel presentation, including Q&A
  • 45-minute workshop, with additional requirements for the abstract
  • Poster presentation
  • GHHS Day presentations*

*Presentations made during the Gold Humanism Honor Society (GHHS) Day (Sept. 16) are to be delivered by GHHS members only.

Summit Themes

We are seeking presentations on projects, programs, research, and initiatives in healthcare that demonstrate action-oriented approaches in these themes:

Human-Centered Technology in Healthcare — exploring how AI and automation can enhance, not replace, empathy, trust, and clinician-patient relationships.

  • Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare
  • Ethical Use of AI to Support Human-Centered Care
  • Digital Health Tools for Patient Engagement
  • Telehealth and Virtual Care Delivery
  • Simulation and Immersive Learning (e.g., VR for empathy-building)
  • Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare

Evidence-Informed Research for Humanistic Care

Humanism in Professional Formation

  • Imposter syndrome
  • Shame

Human-Centered Leadership

  • Mentorship and Leadership Development
  • Trust and Psychological Safety
  • Kindness in Clinical Culture

Humanistic Healthcare Access for All

  • Trauma-Informed Care
  • Service-Learning and Community Engagement

Collaboration & Communication

  • Interprofessional Teamwork
  • Effective Communication
  • Building Connection Across Systems

Well-being

  • Burnout, Moral Injury, and Clinician Well-being

Humanities in Healthcare

How to Submit

To apply to present at the 2026 Gold Humanism Summit: The Person in Front of You, taking place September 16–18, 2026, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, all prospective presenters must complete the official submission form by Friday, January 9, 2026.

As part of the submission process, you will be asked to:

  • Select the most appropriate presentation format for your proposal
  • Identify which Summit category and area(s) of relevance your content aligns with
  • Provide a clear and concise abstract that outlines your topic, objectives, and intended outcomes

Please note: while you may indicate your preferred format, the Summit committee may follow up with clarifying questions and will make the final determination on accepted presentation formats.

All submissions must reflect the Summit’s core values of humanistic healthcare—defined as safe, kind, and engendering trust—and should offer practical, action-oriented solutions that attendees can apply in their own settings.

We welcome submissions that:

    • Foster interaction and meaningful engagement
    • Are grounded in evidence, lived experience, or practice-based insight
    • Reflect a broad range of perspectives across the healthcare continuum

If you have questions about the submission process or need guidance on selecting a format, feel free to reach out to the Summit planning team at summit@gold-foundation.org.

Submit your proposal here.