Registration Is Now Open
Join us for the 5th annual Health Equity Summit — in person or virtually. Your registration includes on-demand access to every session recording for 90 days after the Summit. Revisit the sessions you missed and rewatch the conversations that mattered most.
If you don't see the registration form, use this link to register:
2026 Health Equity Summit Registration
Summit Overview
The Health Equity Summit is a collaborative space for health and health care professionals, community leaders, researchers, advocates and other change-makers to learn from one another and build partnerships in pursuit of a more just and equitable future. The Summit is designed 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 share real-world approaches to change. Together, we advance equity — the fair and just opportunity for everyone to achieve their highest level of health — across clinical care, policy, education and community systems.
Want to stay in the loop on future Health Equity Summit updates?
Keynote Speakers
Opening Keynote | Dr. Mona Hanna
Pediatrician, director of Rx Kids, and associate dean of Public Health at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine.
Moderated by Jenn Jarecki, Vermont Public
Dr. Mona Hanna (commonly known as Dr. Mona and formerly known as Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha) is the Associate Dean for Public Health and C. S. Mott Endowed Professor of Public Health at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine.
She is the founding director of the Pediatric Public Health Initiative, an innovative partnership of MSU and Hurley Children’s Hospital in Flint, Michigan. She is reimaging how society can come together to eliminate infant poverty with a first-in-the-nation program, Rx Kids.
A pediatrician, scientist, activist and author, Dr. Hanna-Attisha was named one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in the World and recognized as one of USA Today’s Women of the Century for her role in uncovering the Flint water crisis and leading recovery efforts.
Dr. Hanna-Attisha is the author of the widely acclaimed and New York Times 100 most notable book, What the Eyes Don’t See: A Story of Crisis, Resistance, and Hope in an American City.
Moderator | Jenn Jarecki
Jenn Jarecki is the local host and producer of NPR’s Morning Edition on Vermont Public. Before taking on that role in 2023, she co-hosted All Things Considered. In her eight years with the station, she has worked across development, news and programming.
Closing Keynote | Eli Clare
Join disability activist and author Eli Clare for an interactive keynote that explores how ableism (a system of oppression and marginalization targeting disabled and chronically ill people) shows up in health care. Through storytelling, thinking grounded in disability communities and politics, and small group discussion, we will dig into both the damage ableism creates and anti-ableist action steps providers, teachers, researchers, policy makers, advocates, and allies can take to begin to dismantle those harms.
White, disabled and transgender, Eli Clare is a poet, storyteller and social justice educator. He is the author of four books, including the award-winning Brilliant Imperfection: Grappling with Cure and Exile and Pride: Disability, Queerness, and Liberation.
Since 2008, he has spoken and trained at more than 200 conferences, community events and colleges across the United States and Canada, including hundreds of doctors, nurses, social workers and medical students. He currently serves on the Community Advisory Board for the Disability Project at the Transgender Law Center.
Film Screening
Come See Me in the Good Light
Join us on September 24, 5:00 pm, for a special screening of Come See Me in the Good Light, the acclaimed documentary about poet Andrea Gibson and their partner, Megan Falley, as they navigate a terminal cancer diagnosis with humor, love and an unshakable partnership.
At its heart, the film is a story about living fully, finding meaning in uncertainty and the connections that sustain us through life’s most difficult moments. It offers a powerful perspective on the human experience behind health care, highlighting the importance of compassionate, person-centered care, the role of caregivers, and the ways identity, belonging and support systems shape health and well-being.
Open to all 2026 Health Equity Summit registrants.
No-Charge Event | Open to All
Everyone is welcome. Registration is required to participate, and there is no charge to attendees. We look forward to learning, connecting, and advancing health equity together.
To make a conference contribution to help cover your cost of attending, please consider donating to this event.
Volunteer at the Summit
Help make the 2026 Health Equity Summit a welcoming, accessible and engaging experience for all.
We’re looking for volunteers to support registration, wayfinding, event logistics, poster presentations, session moderation and technical needs on Thursday, September 24, and Friday, September 25. Opportunities range from a single session to several hours, so you can choose a role that works for your schedule.
No prior experience is needed. We’ll provide onboarding and role-specific guidance based on your interests and availability.
2026 Health Equity Summit Volunteer Sign-Up
Topics We’ve Explored in Previous Years
From policy shifts to frontline initiatives, past Summits have highlighted creative, practical solutions to advancing health equity, including:
- Closing racial disparities in health care: what’s working and what’s next
- Inclusive, affirming care for LGBTQIA+ communities
- Educating the next generation of health care professionals through cultural humility and bias-aware practice
- Housing and food insecurity as key drivers of health outcomes
- Making care environments more accessible and affirming for neurodivergent patients and families
- Supporting care team wellbeing, resilience and retention
- Using data to drive equitable policy and practice change
…and many more critical conversations. Each year, the Summit evolves to reflect emerging needs and the most pressing issues in health equity. Bring what you’re working on now — join us to shape this year's discussions!
Thank You to Our Sponsors
We’re grateful to the following organizations for their generous support of the Health Equity Summit:
University of Vermont Medical Center Auxiliary
Venue Details
The Dudley H. Davis Center | University of Vermont | 590 Main St | Burlington, VT 05401
Parking
Paid parking is available on a first-come, first-served basis for all Summit attendees in the following lots:
- Lot 2 & 4: Jeffords Parking Lot – Closest to the Davis Center’s 2nd floor entrance.
- Lot 3: Gutterson Parking Lot – Adjacent to the athletic facilities.
- Lot 1: Davis Center Oval – Limited availability near the 3rd floor entrance.
All accessible parking areas are clearly marked and located near entrances with automatic door openers and elevator access.
Please note: Spaces near the Davis Center are limited. We encourage you to arrive early or consider carpooling.
Committed to Accessibility
We are committed to hosting an inclusive and accessible summit that allows everyone to participate. Our focus on accessibility includes the ability to attend in-person or virtually. The summit provides the following services in the venue:
- American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation: Available at all plenary sessions and upon request for breakout sessions.
- Interpretive services: The summit will be presented in multiple languages. Presenters are welcome to present in their preferred language. Interpretation services are available to both presenters and attendees upon request.
- Captioning: Live and closed captioning will be provided at the plenary session and enabled on the Summit virtual platform. Additional captioning will be available upon request.
- Reserved seating: Seats can be reserved for better visibility of American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters and Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART).
- Wheelchair accessibility: The Davis Center venue is wheelchair accessible, with reserved wheelchair spaces available upon request.
- Accessible digital content: Digital versions of presentations and documents will be accessible via the summit virtual platform.
- Sensory/quiet, prayer and meditation, and lactation rooms: These Davis Center designated spaces are available to all attendees.
- Gender-inclusive bathrooms: All bathrooms in the conference area will be gender-neutral during the summit.
- Specific requests: Please share your needs or preferences in the proposal form (Additional Considerations) or email HESummit@uvmhealth.org at any time.
- Environmentally friendly venue: Our venue Davis Center is committed to upholding environmental equity in logistics and event planning.
For questions or to request additional accommodations, please contact hesummit@uvmhealth.org.
Language Translation
For assistance in another language, please reach out using the interpreted call-in numbers provided:
- Bosnian: 844-447-1270
- French: 844-447-1265
- Mandarin: 844-447-1269
- Nepali: 844-447-1261
- Somali: 844-447-1262
- Spanish: 844-447-1264
- Swahili: 844-447-1263
- Vietnamese: 844-447-1268