HUB26 Breakout Sessions Preview: Where Healthcare Experience Becomes Action

Healthcare leaders need clear direction. Patient expectations are rising, and teams face pressure to improve care quality, staff engagement, and performance at the same time. 

NRC Health’s Human Understanding Beyond | HUB26 brings these priorities together in one place. Over September 2–4 in Nashville, Tennessee, the event will feature a wide range of breakout sessions that focus on real work happening inside health systems today. 

This year’s sessions highlight what matters most now. They offer a high-level view of the trends shaping healthcare experience, along with practical examples from organizations currently leading this work. 

Register today to save your spot! 

The breakout sessions at HUB26 focus on applied learning. HUB26 speakers will share real programs, measured outcomes, and lessons learned. 

Attendees will hear from leaders across health systems including Sanford Health, UC San Diego Health, Summit Health, Advocate Health, and LifeBridge Health.  

These speakers bring direct experience. Many lead patient experience, quality, healthcare marketing, and operational strategy inside large organizations. Their sessions reflect the realities of healthcare today. 

Across all breakout sessions, three consistent themes stand out: 

• Clear connection between data and action 
• Real examples with measurable results 
• Practical steps attendees can adapt in their own organizations

Healthcare Leadership and Culture Sessions Focus on Trust, Safety, and Alignment 

Culture shapes every outcome in healthcare, and this idea drives the Leadership & Culture track at HUB26. 

Sessions in this track will explore how organizations build safer environments for patients and staff. Sanford Health will share how it identified gaps in culture and introduced structured education around high-reliability skills.  

Other sessions will focus on interdisciplinary collaboration. Leaders will show how improved communication between physicians, nurses, and operational teams leads to better patient flow and clearer care plans. 

The theme is direct: culture is not separate from performance—it drives safety, experience, and retention. 

Listening and Understanding Sessions Move Beyond Surveys to Human Insight 

Patient feedback is evolving. Many organizations no longer rely on surveys alone. 

The Listening & Understanding track highlights new methods to capture deeper insight. One session will focus on identifying and addressing concerns tied to civil rights and equitable care. It will help teams recognize patterns and respond with structured plans.  

Another session will introduce the “3 About Me” communication tool. This method encourages patients to share personal details that help care teams connect on a human level, demonstrating how listening is becoming an active process that shapes care delivery in real time. 

Experience Operations Sessions Will Show How Data Drives Daily Decisions 

Experience work depends on clear systems. The Experience Operations track will focus on how organizations use data to guide action. 

UC San Diego Health will present its approach to leader dashboards. These tools give leaders a real-time view of performance and help them act at the unit level.  

Summit Health will show how real-time patient feedback can improve CAHPS scores and support Medicare Advantage performance. 

These sessions highlight a key trend: data must move quickly from collection to action, and leaders need tools that simplify decisions rather than adding complexity. 

Clinical Strategy Sessions Connect Patient Experience to Care Delivery 

Clinical teams drive patient experience every day. The Clinical Strategies track will focus on practical methods that support these teams. 

A featured fireside chat will explore how patient experience data affects physicians. The session will create space for open discussion and shared learning. 

Other sessions will focus on nurse-led governance and rounding programs. These sessions are designed to show how frontline staff shape care processes and improve outcomes. 

Overall, these sessions will make clear that patient experience improves when care teams have the right tools and support at the point of care. 

Marketing Sessions Will Address Trust, Misinformation, and Engagement 

Healthcare organizations face growing challenges around trust. Patients receive information from many sources, and not all of it is accurate. 

The Marketing track addresses this issue directly, with one session set to explore how misinformation affects patient decisions and engagement.  

Another session will focus on storytelling. In this session, University of Utah Health will share how it built an internal campaign centered on employee stories, strengthening engagement and helping staff feel seen and valued.  

These sessions will show how communication teams can play a larger role in shaping trust and connection. 

NRC Health User Forum Highlights the Real-World Application of Tools and Programs 

The NRC Health User Forum track focuses on the practical use of tools and data platforms. 

Sessions will cover patient rounding programs, healthcare employee experience measurement, and ways to connect data across teams. Speakers will show how organizations translate tools into daily workflows. 

This track is designed for teams who want to improve current programs and expand their impact. 

Key Themes Across All HUB26 Breakout Sessions 

A few themes appear across nearly every track: 

Trust and transparency
Healthcare leaders must build trust through consistent action and clear communication. 

Real-time feedback
Faster patient feedback data helps teams respond quickly and improve outcomes. 

Workforce experience
Staff engagement plays a direct role in patient experience and retention. 

Human connection
Simple actions such as listening and clear communication improve patient relationships. 

These themes reflect the current state of healthcare. They also show where organizations are increasingly focusing their efforts.

A High-Caliber Speaker Lineup with Practical Experience 

HUB26 speakers come from a wide range of organizations and roles, holding titles such as Chief Experience Officer, Director of Patient Experience, and Physician Advisor. Speakers also include clinical leaders, improvement strategists, and marketing executives.  

Their sessions focus on real programs already in use. They share both successes and challenges, which helps attendees understand what it takes to apply similar ideas.

HUB26 offers more than ideas. It brings together real examples, measurable results, and shared learning across disciplines. 

The breakout sessions are designed to reflect today’s priorities. They connect patient experience, employee engagement, operational performance, and trust. 

Attendees will gain a clear view of how leading organizations approach these challenges. They’ll also gain practical ways to apply what they learn. 

Join HUB26 in Nashville 

The breakout sessions provide a high-level view of where healthcare experience is headed, along with practical examples that support action. 

Registration is now open. Nashville will host three days of focused learning, peer connection, and forward-looking discussion, and now’s the time to be part of the conversation. Save your spot today!