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View the full list— with a few more surprises to come!
John Moon
Pioneering Paramedic
Freedom House Ambulance Service
Jim Withers, MD
Founder
Street Medicine Institute
Emily Silverman, MD
Host and Creator
The Nocturnists
Jessi Gold, MD, MS
Chief Wellness Officer
University of Tennessee System
Darrell Kirch, MD
President Emeritus
Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC)
Mill Etienne, MD, MPH
Vice Chancellor
New York Medical College
Sandra Gold, EdD
Co-Founder & Trustee
The Arnold P. Gold Foundation
Deborah Trautman, PhD, RN
President & CEO
American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN)
Join fellow leaders of humanism in healthcare Sept. 16-18!
Inspiring Keynotes | 40+ Breakout Sessions | Poster Hall | Art Gallery
Exhibit Hall | Pittsburgh Marketplace | Musical Performances
Welcome Reception at The Andy Warhol Museum
... and always a few surprises!
Enjoy creative expressions at the Art Gallery
The Gold Foundation is excited to immerse ourselves in the vibrant culture of Pittsburgh. Join us for a Welcome Reception at the Andy Warhol Museum on Sept. 16, 6:00-9:00 p.m. in the heart of the city as we kick off the Summit together.
Is the Arnold P. Gold Foundation's national conference for you?
This energizing interprofessional gathering is designed for physicians, nurses, students, therapists, pharmacists, social workers, dentists, researchers, all healthcare professionals, deans, educators, patients, corporate executives, and all leaders of humanism in healthcare.
If you are devoted to humanism in healthcare — clinically excellent care that is kind, safe, and trustworthy — this event is for you.
Enjoy creative expressions at the Art Gallery
The Art Gallery is a central component of the Gold Humanism Summit — a space where creative expression helps illuminate, process, and honor the profound interactions in healthcare.
The creativity on display can include visual art, written narrative, music, video, poetry, dance, or any creative medium that reflects the human experience in healthcare.
The submission period is closed. Look for the release of the 2026 Art Gallery online this September, as well as select pieces on display in Pittsburgh at the Summit.
Along with morning and afternoon plenaries, the 2026 Gold Humanism Summit will feature 40+ sessions across the themes of Human-Centered Technology in Healthcare, Humanistic Healthcare Access for All, Collaboration & Communication, and more. Learn about the Summit Themes & Aims. Here is a sampling of confirmed sessions:
TalkVermont: Fostering Essential Conversations
Nurse Kacey Boyle and Physician Stephen Berns, the 2025 AACN-Gold Interprofessional Humanism in Healthcare Award honorees, will be presenting on TalkVermont, an initiative they created to foster meaningful and critical conversations with patients and their families around their goals of care.
Tell Me More®: The Human Connection in Action
This session will showcase the Gold Foundation's communications tool Tell Me More®, a simple and powerful way to ensure a patient is seen as a person beyond their diagnosis.
Building Bridges: The Power of Advocacy
Recipients of the Pearl Birnbaum Hurwitz Humanism in Medicine Award — Dr. Mardge Cohen, Dr. Veda Johnson, Dr. Dinali Fernando, Dr. Nancy Oriol, Hoonani (Nani) Cuadrado, Dr. Ruby Mendenhall, Dr. Thuy “Twee” D. Buim, Dr. Shira Shavit, and Dr. Liz Gaufberg — will be sharing their vast experience helping to transform communities.
Pittsburgh at the Summit
The Gold Humanism Summit always celebrates its home city. In 2026, we're excited to bring the Steel City into the Summit in multiple ways — and we encourage you to extend your stay to explore more! BONUS: The Gold Foundation is going to the ballpark! Buy your tickets to the Sept. 18 game.
The Andy Warhol House
The Welcome Reception on the evening of Wednesday, Sept. 16, will be held at The Andy Warhol Museum, which includes nearly 13,000 artworks by legendary artist and filmmaker Andy Warhol, such as 1960s pop art paintings of Campbell’s Soup Cans and celebrities portraits of Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley. Learn more about the Welcome Reception.
Freedom House Ambulance Service
Today's modern EMS was born in Pittsburgh in the Freedom House Ambulance Service, staffed by African American paramedics who delivered groundbreaking medical care outside of the hospital and in transit. Former Freedom House paramedic John Moon will be speaking at the Summit.
PalPITTations
a cappella group
Music is always a feature of the Gold Humanism Summit, and in 2026, we are delighted to welcome to the stage PalPITTations, an a cappella group made up of students from the Schools of Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Public Health and Physician Assistant at the University of Pittsburgh. (More musical surprises are in the works!)
Pittsburgh Pirates baseball
The Major League Baseball team Pittsburgh Pirates play at the beautiful PNC Park just a short walk across the river from the conference site, the Westin Pittsburgh. The Gold Foundation has planned a special outing on Friday, Sept. 18, to see the Pirates play the Kansas City Royals at 6:40 p.m. with fireworks to follow.