Join the WSU Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine for the seventh annual Conference for Health Equity and Public Good to connect with community leaders, educators, and researchers who are working to achieve a healthier Washington and beyond.
The free virtual gathering on Feb. 4–5, 2026, will include nationally recognized plenary speakers and a series of community-rooted breakout sessions designed to spark dialogue, deepen understanding, and drive action toward building a better health care system for all.
“This year’s conference is an intentionally curated space for people to come together to strategize, imagine, and share resources toward realizing thriving communities,” said David Garcia, MEd, associate dean for health equity and community engagement at the WSU College of Medicine. “We hope participants will leave with new and strengthened relationships, relevant information, and tools to thrive. Our goal is to bring people together to collectively imagine what thriving looks like and continue to work towards it.”
The theme of the 2026 conference is Beyond Surviving to Thriving, building on last year’s theme of The Path Forward.
“Beyond Surviving to Thriving is a reminder of the importance of cultivating and sustaining hope and imagination in times of uncertainty. It is a call to reimagine and recalibrate our systems, policies, and procedures to allow for all people to achieve optimal health and well-being.” Garcia said. “Beyond Surviving to Thriving is focused on moving beyond just fixing what is broken to what society could look like at its highest and best for our communities.”
The conference is free and open to all thanks to the contributions of WSU College of Medicine supporters. Visit the Conference for Health Equity and Public Good website to register and view more information about the conference schedule.
Featured speakers include Aisha Fukushima, an award-winning artist and TEDx speaker; Jonathan Metzl, MD, PhD, an internationally recognized psychiatrist and author; Claudine Richardson, PhD,community engagement strategist at the Washington State Department of Health, and more.
The conference will also feature WSU faculty and staff speaking on their efforts to promote health equity through education, research, and community outreach initiatives.
“We hope that students, staff, and faculty from across WSU will attend the conference, and we welcome attendees from communities and organizations across the state and beyond,” Garcia said, noting last year’s conference drew an international audience and set attendance records. “If you are interested in optimal health and well-being, including co-creating efforts to move from surviving to thriving, this conference is for you.”
Washington health care professionals can fulfill state requirements for health equity continuing education training by attending, and physicians nationwide can earn continuing education credit. The WSU College of Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) and designates this live activity for a maximum of 10 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™.
