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The Health Equity Summit is a collaborative space for healthcare professionals, community leaders, researchers, advocates, and change-makers to come together in pursuit of a more just and equitable future. This Summit is built to spark bold conversations, uplift underrepresented voices and drive actionable strategies that transform how we understand and achieve health equity across our communities.

Through interactive sessions, expert panels, and storytelling, we examine the root causes of health disparities and explore collaborative solutions. We work together to advance equity—the fair and just opportunity for everyone to achieve their highest level of health—across clinical care, policy, education and community systems.

Summit Schedule:

Thursday, October 23
4:00 - 6:00 pm | Poster presentations and kickoff reception

Friday, October 24
8:00 am - 5:00 pm | Workshops and sessions

Location: UVM Davis Center | Burlington, VT 05401 
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Questions? Please email

HESummit [at] uvmhealth.org (HESummit[at]uvmhealth[dot]org).

Registration opens: Monday, September 1

Exhibitor Opportunities

We welcome organizations, academic projects, and community programs to share their work through in-person tabling and virtual exhibits. Whether you're displaying a public health campaign, community resource, or health innovation, this is a space to connect and engage.

Deadline for exhibit / tabling submissions: September 5

Apply Here


Keynote Speaker

Loretta J. Ross – Activist. Public Intellectual. Professor.

Loretta J. Ross, keynote speaker

Loretta J. Ross is an activist, public intellectual, scholar, the 2022 recipient of the MacArthur Foundation "Genius" award and an Associate Professor at Smith College. She has a passion for innovating creative imagining about global human rights and social justice issues and started her career in activism and social change in the 1970s. In 1978, she was the third executive director for DC Rape Crisis Center, the first rape crisis center in the country. This was her entry point into the women’s movement where she learned about women’s human rights, reproductive justice, white supremacy, and women of color organizing. Through her organizing she helped launch the movement to end violence against women that has evolved into today's #MeToo movement.

Throughout her 50-year career, she has worked with the National Football League Players' Association, the National Organization for Women (NOW), the National Black Women's Health Project, the Center for Democratic Renewal (National Anti-Klan Network), the National Center for Human Rights Education, and SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective. Loretta retired as an organizer in 2012 to teach and follow her passion to educate. In 1996, she founded the first center in the U.S. to innovate creative human rights education for all students transforming social justice issues to be more collaborative and less divisive.

In her work Calling In the Calling Out Culture, she transforms how people can overcome political differences to use empathy and respect to guide difficult conversations. In 2023, Loretta was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame.

Topics We’ve Explored in Previous Years

From policy shifts to frontline initiatives, past Summits have highlighted creative and practical solutions, including:

  • Closing racial disparities in health care—What’s working, and where do we go next?
  • Supporting LGBTQIA+ communities—How can we create more inclusive, affirming care?
  • Educating the next generation of health care providers—What does true cultural humility look like?
  • Addressing housing and food insecurity—Why are basic needs like food and housing key to better health?  
  • Creating neurodiverse-friendly health care spaces—What changes can we make now?
  • Protecting provider wellness and resilience—How do we care for the caregivers?
  • Using data to drive health care policy—How do we turn numbers into action?

…and many more critical conversations. Each year, the Summit evolves to reflect the most pressing issues in health equity. Join us to shape this year's discussions!

Presented By

UVM Health Network Color Logo
University of Vermont, Larner College of Medicine, College of Nursing and Health Sciences logo.

Open to All | Donations Welcome

The Health Equity Summit is open to everyone committed to advancing equity in health care. While hosting this event requires significant resources, we are committed to ensuring that cost is not a barrier to participation. That is why we offer the Summit at no charge to attendees.

Past participants have included:

  • Community members
  • Nonprofit organizations
  • Students
  • Medical staff, clinicians and health care professionals
  • Clinicians
  • Health and health care professionals
  • Policymakers
  • Academic faculty and staff

By creating a space that is open and accessible, we aim to foster connection, learning, and collaboration across all sectors. Donations and sponsorships help cover essential costs such as accessibility services, speaker honoraria, and community participation support. These contributions ensure that the Summit can continue to be offered at no cost to all participants in the future.

If you or your organization is interested in supporting this effort, please contact us at HESummit [at] uvmhealth.org (HESummit[at]uvmhealth[dot]org) to learn more about sponsoring this year's or future Summits.

Candid of Health Equity Summit presenter in the foreground with ASL interpreter in the background.

Committed to Accessibility

We are striving to host an inclusive and accessible Summit that enables all individuals —presenters and participants alike—to engage fully. Our goal is to create an event with a strong focus on accessibility, supporting not only individuals with visible or known disabilities, but also those with non-apparent disabilities, ensuring everyone can fully participate in the program.

The Summit will provide the following services:

  • ASL Interpretation: ASL interpretation will be provided during all main sessions. Interpreters will also be available for breakout sessions upon request by participants or speakers.
  • Captioning: Live captioning and closed captioning will be available during plenary sessions. Closed captioning will also be enabled on the Zoom platform. Additional captioning services will be provided for breakout sessions as requested, depending on space and technical capability.
  • Reserved Seating: Front-row seating can be reserved upon request to ensure optimal visibility of ASL interpreters and/or CART services.
  • Wheelchair Accessibility: The Davis Center venue is fully wheelchair accessible. Wheelchair spaces can be reserved in advance upon request.
  • Accessible Digital Content: Accessible versions of presentations and documents will be made available through the Summit’s virtual platform.
  • Sensory/Quiet and Lactation Rooms: Both sensory/quiet rooms and lactation rooms will be available to all attendees.
  • Gender-Inclusive Bathrooms: All restrooms in the conference area will be designated as gender-neutral for the duration of the Summit.

For questions or to request additional accommodations, please contact hesummit [at] uvmhealth.org (hesummit[at]uvmhealth[dot]org).

If you are interested in submitting proposals and presenting in any other languages, please contact us through interpreted call-in numbers.

BOSNIAN

Ako želite da podnesete prijedlog ili prezentaciju na drugom jeziku, kontaktirajte nas putem namjenskog broja telefona za prijevod na taj jezik.  Bosanski: 844-447-1270

FRENCH

Si vous souhaitez soumettre des propositions et des soumissions dans d'autres langues, veuillez nous contacter via nos numéros traduits spécifiques à chaque langue. Français: 844-447-1265

MANDARIN (Chinese)

如果您想用其他语言提交提案或演示文稿,请通过该语言的专用翻译电话号码与我们联系。普通话:844-447-1269

NEPALI

यदि तपाईं अन्य कुनै भाषामा प्रस्ताव र प्रस्तुतीकरणहरू पेश गर्न चाहनुहुन्छ भने, कृपया हाम्रो अनुवादित भाषा-विशिष्ट नम्बरहरू मार्फत हामीलाई सम्पर्क गर्नुहोस्। नेपाली: 844-447-1261

SOMALI

Haddii aad jeclaan lahayd inaad soo gudbiso soo jeedin ama bandhig luqad kale, fadlan nagala soo xiriir lambarka taleefanka ee u heellan turjumaadda luqaddaas.  Soomaali: 844-447-1262

SPANISH

Si está interesado en enviar propuestas y realizar presentaciones en otros idiomas, comuníquese con nosotros a través de los números de teléfono con interpretación. Español: 844-447-1264

SWAHILI

Ikiwa ungependa kuwasilisha mapendekezo na mawasilisho katika lugha nyingine, tafadhali wasiliana nasi kupitia nambari zetu zilizotafsiriwa za lugha mahususi. Kiswahili: 844-447-1263

VIETNAMESE

Nếu bạn muốn gửi đề xuất và bài dự thi của mình bằng ngôn ngữ khác, vui lòng liên hệ với chúng tôi qua số điện thoại dịch thuật chuyên dụng cho ngôn ngữ đó.  Tiếng Việt: 844-447-1268