Plenary Sessions

The Medicine of Music

Vijay Gupta will kick off the AHA’s 2027 Healthier Together Conference with a keynote presentation exploring the connection between music and mental health. Drawing from his work as founder and director of Street Symphony, a nationally recognized musical engagement nonprofit, Gupta will explain why music’s redemptive power may hold more potential than we realize, with the ability to help bring people back from the brink of their darkest times.

Gupta is a violinist, speaker and writer whose work weaves together music, neuroscience and lived experience to explore how people learn, adapt and find meaning under pressure. A recipient of the MacArthur Fellowship, Gupta’s work through Street Symphony brings music into shelters, clinics, county jails, state hospitals and reentry programs across Los Angeles.

During his opening plenary session, Gupta will shed light on how music helps build dignity, trust and mutual understanding. Stay tuned for more updates on this session.

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Thank you to the Catholic Health Association of the United States for sponsoring this session.

Advancing Whole Health and Whole Person Care: Translating Evidence to Practice

Hospitals and health systems are increasingly focused on whole person care approaches to improve health and address disparities in health outcomes. The whole health system is the healthcare delivery model that empowers individuals, families and communities to support health and well-being across the lifespan. A growing body of evidence is demonstrating the return on systemic, whole person approaches to care delivery and community health.

This plenary will highlight how this evidence is being translated to improve health for patients and families, including successes from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, pediatric, and lifespan systems focused on military- and veteran-connected populations and how these strategies can be translated to other populations. Stay tuned for more updates on this session.

Speakers:

• Alexander Garza, M.D., MPH — Chief Community Health Officer, SSM Health
• Allison Gertel-Rosenberg, MS — Vice President and Chief Policy and Prevention Officer, Nemours Children’s Health
• Kavitha Reddy, M.D., FAAEM — Acting Director of Veterans Health Administration’s (VHA) Population Health Care and Coordination Component and the Patient-Centered Care and Cultural Transformation (OPCC & CT) subcomponent.

From Innovation to Impact: AI-Powered Strategies for Better Health Outcomes

Artificial Intelligence is creating new opportunities for hospitals and health systems to better connect patients, clinicians and care teams across the continuum. From AI-enabled population health workflows to technology-driven patient outreach, leading organizations are using technology and AI to actively engage patients and communities, transform how care is delivered and ultimately improve health outcomes for all.

During this plenary session, attendees will hear how healthcare leaders are using agentic AI, advanced data capabilities and innovative care models to improve patient engagement, connect individuals with services beyond the hospital and extend access to care in rural communities. Stay tuned for more updates on this session.

Speakers:

• Mark Boucot — CEO, Garrett Regional Medical Center and Potomac Valley Hospital, WVU Medicine
• Amish Desai, M.D. — CMO of Population Health, Northwestern Medicine
• Jennifer Snow — VP Population Health, Advocate

Moderator:

Kristin Preihs, MPH, CHES — Vice President of HRET Strategy & Operations