Overview
A national health care advisory and innovation company that works closely with hospitals and health systems wanted deeper and more candid engagement with senior executives. Its focus was agentic AI, an emerging area where many leaders are interested but still working through how it applies to their organizations and what risk and readiness look like in practice.
The company partnered with the American Hospital Association (AHA) to host an invitation-only Virtual Knowledge Exchange designed specifically to support candid discussion among executives including CEOs and Chief Digital Officers from some of the nation's leading health systems.
The Challenge
The sponsoring organization was seeking a way to engage senior hospital leaders in an honest, serious conversation about agentic AI. The goal was to listen, learn and build credibility with executives who are shaping long-term strategy inside their organizations.
They wanted to:
- Engage senior hospital and health system executives in meaningful two-way conversation.
- Build credibility around a complex emerging topic.
- Hear directly how leaders are thinking about opportunity, risk and readiness.
- Create space for open dialogue without a sales dynamic.
- Build relationships with executives who influence strategy and investment decisions.
Achieving these goals required both access to senior leaders and a setting where those leaders felt comfortable speaking openly, which is why the company turned to the AHA to leverage its credibility and relationships.
The Solution: An AHA Virtual Knowledge Exchange
The AHA worked with the sponsor to design and execute a 60-minute Virtual Knowledge Exchange focused on agentic AI. The session was intentionally small and discussion-based to support active participation from every attendee.
The AHA Provided:
- Highly curated executive recruitment: The AHA identified and invited senior leaders from large health systems and academic medical centers with a focus on C-suite, clinical, digital and innovation roles.
- Personalized executive outreach: Invitations were sent directly to executives to signal that the session was designed for senior leaders and peer discussion.
- Topic and discussion design: The AHA worked with the sponsor to define the key questions the group would explore based on current challenges hospitals are facing related to agentic AI.
- Trusted moderation: The discussion was moderated by AHA executive leadership, which helped establish credibility and encouraged open participation.
- Full program management: The AHA handled preparation, registration, facilitation and post-session follow-up with the sponsor.
The Audience
The AHA convened an exceptional group of senior hospital and health system leaders for this Virtual Knowledge Exchange. Participants included CEOs, presidents and COOs from major health systems, along with chief medical, digital, information and AI officers and executive leaders from nationally recognized academic medical centers and integrated delivery systems. The sponsor was particularly impressed by the level of executive participation and the depth of leadership represented in the discussion.
Attendees
| Title | Organization |
|---|---|
| EVP & COO | Allina Health |
| CMO | Ardent Health Services |
| President & CEO | Carle Health |
| System President, Acute & Ambulatory Operations | Endeavor Health |
| SVP Operations | Johns Hopkins Health System |
| Chief Information and Digital Officer | LifeBridge Health |
| Chief AI Implementation Officer | Mayo Clinic |
| CAO | Mayo Clinic |
| SVP | Multicare Health System |
| Pulse Heart Institute CMO | Multicare Health System |
| President & CEO | Northwell Health |
| President & COO | Ochsner Health System |
| CEO | Rochester Regional Health |
| VP, Innovation & AI | Rochester Regional Health |
| Chief Digital Information Officer | Rochester Regional Health |
| EVP & COO | Trinity Health |
| CMO, CIO | UC Health |
| Chief Operations Integration Officer | University of Michigan Health |
The Discussion
The Knowledge Exchange was structured as a peer roundtable, not a presentation. Executives actively engaged in discussion around:
- Where agentic AI is generating interest and caution
- Potential impacts on care delivery, operations and the workforce
- Organizational readiness, governance and change management needs
- Regulatory, operational and cultural barriers
- Areas where hospitals are seeking education, guidance and support
Because the conversation took place in an executive-only setting convened through the trust and credibility of the AHA, participants spoke candidly about challenges, uncertainties and lessons learned in an environment free from sales pressure.
Results & Business Impact
- Direct access to senior leaders: The sponsor gained direct access to senior leaders who influence strategy, investment and adoption decisions inside their organizations.
- Insights on AI adoption: The discussion helped the sponsor better understand how hospital executives are thinking about agentic AI today, including where interest is high and where hesitation remains.
- Education and engagement opportunities: The conversation surfaced specific areas where hospitals and health systems are looking for education and guidance, helping the sponsor refine how they engage hospitals on AI and plan future advisory offerings.
Interested in Hosting an AHA Virtual Knowledge Exchange?
The American Hospital Association works with organizations seeking to partner with hospitals and health systems to convene senior executives for focused conversations on the issues shaping the field. These intimate settings offer a powerful way to build relationships and position your organization as a trusted thought leader.