The 2026 Rural Health Symposium took place September 17–18 at the Thousand Islands Harbor Hotel in Clayton, New York, set along the scenic St. Lawrence River. The event welcomed 213 registered attendees and featured twenty exhibitor tables, providing sponsors with strong visibility and meaningful access to participants throughout both days.

Sponsorship support was robust, with a number of returning partners Community Financial Systems, Kinney Drugs, GRAIL, Genentech, Binghamton University, and The Compliance Team joined by an impressive slate of first-time sponsors including the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation, Accenture, Real Interact, KPMG, Spacelabs, HIXNY, Excellus, and HRSA. Additional funding was provided through group sponsorships from FQHCs and Rural Health Networks.

The program featured two distinguished keynote speakers: Karen Madden, Director of the Center for Health Care Policy and Resource Development at the NYS Department of Health, and Dr. Diane Hall, Director of the Office of Rural Health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A Health Workforce Policy Panel brought together April Miles (FQHC), Carrie Roseamelia (NYSDOH), Richard Merchant (AHEC), and Tosha Grimmer (WIO), facilitated by NYSARH Membership Chair, Melissa Wendland.

Breakout programming included two blocks of four concurrent sessions each, one on Thursday afternoon and one on Friday morning spanning a range of rural health topics. The Symposium also featured a Poster Session held alongside the Networking Reception, offering an engaging and informal space for participants to connect with presenters and explore emerging work in the field.