The 2026 ATRN Annual Health Summit is scheduled to take place in Columbus, Ohio, from Monday, October 12th – Tuesday, October 13, 2026. The Summit is hosted by The Ohio State University and will take place at the Nationwide & Ohio Farm Bureau 4-H Center (2201 Fred Taylor Drive Columbus, OH 43210)
Theme: Listening, Learning, and Leading: Translating Research to Strengthen Health for Appalachia
Join us as we delve into crucial discussions surrounding the dynamic and evolving health landscape in the Appalachian region. With a focus on innovative strategies and collaborative approaches, this summit aims to address pressing challenges and explore opportunities for enhancing healthcare delivery and outcomes.
Registration will be open soon!
Key Topics Include:
- Behavioral Science and Health Behaviors (Substance Use, Nutrition, Exercise, Smoking, etc.)
- Clinical and Translational Research
- Clinical Conditions/Diseases (Cancer, Mental Health, Diabetes, etc.)
- Data Access for Community Decision Making
- Disease Prevention and Treatment (Drug Development, Mental Health, Pain Management, etc.)
- Dissemination and Implementation Science
- Environmental Health
- Evidence-Based Practice
- Access to Quality Care for All
- Health Literacy, Health Misinformation, Health Communication, Trust in Science
- Health Related Policy Implementation and Enforcement
- Impact of Bidirectional Learning Between Communities and Their Academic Partners
- Impact of Consolidated/Closed Health Organizations in Appalachia
- Program Development and Evaluation
- Training, Education, and Workforce Development
- Translational Health, Informatics, Telemedicine, and Data-Driven Technologies
Rural Summit is riding into Lexington! Join us October 14–15 at the Virginia Horse Center for the 2026 Governor’s Summit on Rural Prosperity — one of Virginia’s most influential annual gatherings of rural leaders, policymakers, and stakeholders ready to shape what’s next for rural Virginia. Registration also includes a welcome reception on Wednesday evening. Stay tuned for more details!
Who Should Attend?
- Administration Officials
- Members of the Virginia General Assembly
- Policy Makers
- Local Government Officials
- Business Leaders
- Other Rural Stakeholders
Free event for primary care/hospitalist physicians, nurse practitioners, and medical residents working in Southwest Virginia’s 13 counties.
2026 SESSIONS:
Loneliness Epidemic
Obesity/Weight Loss
Vaccine Hesitancy
Pelvic Floor Therapy
Tick Borne Diseases
Provider/Caregiver Communication
Maternal Health
Pain Management
Pediatric Sessions
Provided by the Virginia Mental Health Access Program
Autism
Perinatal Substance Use
Secondary Substance Exposure
The Rural Health Voice Conference is an occasion to recognize that health in rural areas is not the sole responsibility of doctors and nurses. Education, economic development, transportation, the built environment, and even social opportunities play a role in the health of individuals and communities. All aspects of the community are providers or barriers to health.
For over twenty years, the Virginia Rural Health Association has served as “The Voice for Rural Health in Virginia.” Rural Health is DIFFERENT. Rural Americans face a unique combination of factors that create disparities in health care not found in urban areas. Economic factors, cultural and social differences, educational differences, lack of recognition by legislators and the isolation of living in remote rural areas all conspire to impede rural Americans in their struggle to lead a normal, healthy life.
At this event, we focus on finding solutions within our communities. We know what the problems are – how do we work together to solve them?
Bringing the people who care about rural Virginia together provides an opportunity to discuss how we can ensure the sustainability of rural Virginia through policy, access, economics, education and more.