ACU 2026 Annual Conference
Riding the Wave of Transformation: All Hands on Deck
July 26-29
Deadline: February 16, 2026
Call for Abstracts
ACU is now accepting workshop and poster abstracts for its 2026 Annual Conference, Riding the Wave of Transformation: All Hands on Deck. The conference will be held in person at The Watergate Hotel in Washington, DC, from July 26th to 29th, 2026.
The ACU Annual Conference brings together hundreds of healthcare clinicians, administrators, and public health and industry leaders from across the country, all with an interest in expanding access to care and improving healthcare delivery for medically underserved populations. The meeting is a special opportunity for clinicians, administrators, researchers, students, and advocates to network, learn, and share strategies to support our collective work.
In the midst of a shifting environment, health centers can seize the opportunity to be disruptors and to center accessible and affordable care for underserved communities in a transforming healthcare landscape. To support these initiatives, ACU’s 2026 Annual Conference will highlight innovative payment arrangements, care models, technology, policy strategies, and partnerships that increase access to care, support a thriving workforce, improve patient outcomes, and enhance sustainability, while underlining the critical role teamwork plays in achieving the common goal – increasing access to quality care for all.
This year’s conference includes preconference sessions, educational sessions – both 60-minute workshops and 15-minute panel presentations, poster presentations, networking opportunities, and more. Continuing Education credits will be available for educational sessions. The full conference agenda, including workshop sessions, will be posted in May 2026.
- Preconference sessions are scheduled for 2 to 6-hour blocks on July 26th.
- Educational sessions are scheduled for 60-minute blocks on July 27th and 28th. Presenters will have a choice of submitting an abstract for either a 60-minute workshop or a 15-minute panel.
- Poster presentations will be held on July 27th and 28th, during two 60-minute blocks.
- Round table discussions covering emerging issues and hot topics will be offered during one 60-minute block on July 28th.
Presenter Registration and Travel
All presenters must register for the Annual Conference and attend in person. There are no virtual options for presenters. All workshop and poster presenters are eligible for discounted conference registration. Please keep in mind ACU is not able to cover any travel or hotel expenses. Registration rates and maximum number of presenters per presentation type are as follows:
- Preconference Sessions:
- Rates: $465 for professionals, $0 for students*
- Max Number of Presenters per Abstract: 6
- Education Sessions:
- Rates: $465 for professionals, $0 for students*
- Max Number of Presenters per Abstract: 4 for 60-minute sessions, 2 for panel discussions.
- Round Table Sessions:
- Rates: $465 for professionals, $0 for students*
- Max Number of Presenters per Abstract: 2
- Poster Presentations
- Rates: $465 for professionals, $0 for students*
- Max Number of Presenters per Abstract: 2
* To receive the student rate, presenters must be actively enrolled in a degree or training program. However, residents and fellows are NOT eligible to receive the student rate. ACU will confirm your student status after the selection of your abstract.
Presenter Timeline and Deadlines
- February 16, 2026 – Deadline to submit abstracts
- April 17, 2026 – Selection notifications sent out
Accepted Content Types
Preconference Sessions
Preconference sessions are scheduled for 2 to 6-hour blocks on July 26th. LCD projectors, computers, and microphones are included in each room. Videos shown as part of preconference sessions should be captioned to improve accessibility for people who are deaf or hard of hearing.
Educational Sessions
Educational sessions are scheduled for 60-minute blocks on July 27th and 28th. LCD projectors, computers, and microphones are included in each educational session room. Videos shown as part of educational sessions should be captioned to improve accessibility for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Education sessions will be offered in single abstract and panel formats, and each abstract should address a specific track and audience outlined below. Single abstract sessions will devote the entire hour to a selected abstract. Panel format sessions will select 2-3 abstracts on the topic. Each abstract team will have approximately 15 minutes to present and the session will end in a discussion between all participants.
Poster Presentations
There will be two poster sessions at this year’s conference, and they will be held during 60-minute blocks on July 27th and 28th. Research Posters should be displayed on a board measuring 4ft x 6ft. Presenters must be available to discuss their posters during a dedicated poster session on their scheduled date. Poster presenters will also be required to pre-record a 5-minute video via Zoom to be shared via the conference app.
Faculty and staff from the Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved and ACU will review and judge conference posters. One poster will be selected and the presenter given an opportunity to meet with faculty and staff from the Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved to discuss recommendations for developing the poster into a manuscript to submit for review.
Round Table Sessions
Round table sessions are an engaging format allowing you to converse with peers working in the same area. During this 60-minute session, roundtable presenters will have the opportunity to engage attendees in small-group discussions. No A/V equipment will be available.
The session will flow as follows:
- A brief introduction of the session will be prepared by a moderator
- Presenters should be prepared to share an overview of their work in 10-15 minutes.
- The rest of the time should be dedicated to discussion with the table or any interactive activities that presenters would like to include.
- Attendees are free to move from table to table during this hour to engage in any topics of interest to them.
Tracks and Sample Topics
All preconference, educational, and round table sessions will be asked to select a related track from the list below. The list below also includes details on the desired focus and suggested audiences.
Track 1 – Improving Clinical Care:
- Track Focus: Sessions in this track should focus on any of the following: interdisciplinary medical education; innovative care models that improve patient outcomes, communication, efficiency, and staff satisfaction; or individual skills necessary for delivering healthcare in underserved communities.
- Audience(s): The extended care team, clinical leaders, quality improvement professionals, health professionals in training, and primary care association clinical staff.
Track 2 – Supporting a Thriving Workforce
- Track Focus: Sessions should focus on any of the following: recruitment and retention strategies, disseminating research findings or evidenced tools/resources related to advancing workforce well-being, or workforce skill development.
- Audience(s): HR, administrators, organizational leaders, and primary care association workforce staff.
Track 3 – Policy, Advocacy, Partnership, and Transformation
- Track Focus: Sessions in this track should focus on any of the following areas: raising awareness of current policy and advocacy priorities, developing advocacy skills, building partnerships or coalitions, or moving to value based care/alternative payment arrangements.
- Audience(s): Advocates, clinical and non-clinical staff, organizational leaders, and academics.
Sample Topics (Click to View)
Track 1 – Improving Clinical Care:
- What are examples of sustainable models health centers have created for new/emerging roles or service expansion?
- What are innovative and sustainable care coordination & care management models?
- How do health centers address gaps in ancillary services or allied health professions?
- Beyond clinical skills, what other skills are necessary for delivering effective care or for working in underserved communities?
- How do you use QI tools (e.g. PDSA Cycles) to identify and address workforce challenges within the clinical setting?
Track 2 – Supporting a Thriving Workforce
- How have health centers launched well-being or burnout assessment tools to identify workforce challenges?
- What are innovative or evidence-based tools or resources HR professionals can use to improve recruitment and retention?
- How have health centers or PCAs implemented turnover calculator tools or measured the cost of turnover?
- What is the ROI on workforce initiatives, and how is it measured?
- How do evidence-based care models or care transformation positively influence recruitment, retention, or well-being (e.g., medical legal partnerships, lifestyle medicine, patient centered medical home, value based care models, etc.)?
- What are strategies for identifying and addressing burnout?
- How can the patient perspective be leveraged to improve workforce well-being (e.g., patient testimonials)?
- What are examples of health center volunteer programs that fulfill Medicaid work requirements?
- How do health centers or PCAs train board members on recruitment and retention, common workforce issues, and well-being, and what was the impact?
- How can a multigenerational workforce be leveraged for fostering a sense of learning culture, transferring knowledge and skills, and promoting more representative patient communities which CHC employees serve?
Track 3 – Policy, Advocacy, Partnership, and Transformation
- How do you partner with your health plans for demonstration projects, rolling out new services, etc.?
- How have states/PCAs/health centers successfully advocated for Medicaid reimbursement for new/emerging roles (e.g., doulas, health coaches, etc.)?
- What workforce tools are state or national-level organizations using to advocate for workforce policy changes?
- How are health centers, PCAs, or other organizations advocating for workforce changes?
- How can FQHCs better leverage community or academic partnerships to address workforce challenges, improve recruitment and retention, or obtain professional development opportunities for staff?
Selection Criteria
All submissions will be reviewed by a panel of experts and scored using the criteria below. Abstracts should attempt to meet at least 4 of the 6 criteria below:
- Addresses a current issue, important problem, or a barrier to accessing care
- Makes a lasting change or recommends a sustainable practice
- Is well-supported by evidence or presents the results of well-designed, innovative research
- Recommends an effective, innovative option for addressing an issue
- Can be implemented by other organizations/providers
- Aligns with the conference theme
Continuing Education: Speaker/Presenter Form
All speakers/presenters will be required to disclose any relevant financial disclosures via this form.
