ACMI 2026 Retreat

The ACMI Annual Retreat is the premier gathering of the nation's most distinguished medical informatics leaders, scholars, and innovators. Each year, approximately 65–75 elected ACMI Fellows convene to engage in forward-looking dialogue, exchange insights, and collaborate on shaping the future of biomedical and health informatics. The Retreat is designed as an intimate, high-level forum that fosters collaboration, thought leadership, and candid discussion of the most pressing challenges and transformative opportunities in healthcare. Programming features panel discussions, presentations, interactive sessions, and strategic discussions aligned with ACMI's mission to advance informatics for the improvement of health and healthcare delivery. The theme of the 2026 Retreat is Exploring and Improving Academia-Industry Relationships, and in particular, how the academic informatics world might adapt and thrive in a world increasingly craving innovation from the health IT industry – AI and otherwise. Preliminary topics may include: understanding academic/industry priorities, procedures, and needs – perception and reality; how do academic informatics and the health IT industry work together to help the world?; academic-industry collaboration: models of engagement, collaboration, funding, and support – contracts, innovation centers, grants, employment, and more; how academic informatics training can best serve students and fellows who might want careers in industry; what areas of excellence in the academic informatics community are most valuable for industry and its customers (health systems, health plans, governments, etc.), and how to share them. Additional topic areas may include: Novel Industry Informatics Partnership Models; Translational Research & Innovation Driving Health System Transformation; AI Revolution Impact on Biomedical and Health Data Technologies; Workforce Development, Training, and Career Pathways; Regulatory, Ethical, and Policy Considerations; Responsive Funding Models & Sustainability; Real-World Evidence Improving Healthcare Outcomes; Digital Health Usability and Burden Reduction.