Becker's Rural Healthcare Leadership SummitBecker's Rural Healthcare Leadership Summit
The Gathering Place for Rural Hospital CEOs, CFOs and Health System Leaders Charting a Path Forward
April 21-22, 2027
Hyatt Regency Chicago
250+
Executive attendees
80+
Rural hospital and health system speakers
30+
Sessions
Rural hospitals are under more financial and workforce pressure than at any point in recent memory. The leaders steering through it deserve more than another conference. Get ready for two days of candid strategy sessions, peer benchmarking and hard conversations about what it takes to keep rural care alive.
About the event
Where rural leaders shape the future of healthcare
There are many places to hear about the future of payer strategy. Becker’s 2nd Annual Rural Healthcare Leadership Summit is where rural healthcare leaders actually convene. This 2-day event is built specifically for rural health system executives and rural health plan leaders. The sessions examine financial instability, workforce shortages, and specialty care access. Becker’s is where candid discussions flourish and new ideas thrive.
When someone on stage says; “here’s what we tried and what actually worked,” you’re hearing it from someone living the same reality you are.
Who's in the room
80+ Speakers
Who Attends
Built for the executives keeping rural hospitals financially and operationally sound
Many of the executives at this event hold decision-making authority and years of experience navigating rural-specific constraints. Whether you're managing margins at a critical access hospital or leading strategy across a rural health system, this is your peer group.
These are the people you'll be in the room with:
- Chief Executive Officer / President
- Chief Financial Officer / Chief Operating Officer
- Chief Nursing Officer / Chief Medical Officer
- VP / Director, Rural Health & Strategy
Why attend
5 reasons to be in this room
Go to conferences like this with your colleagues and peers from other organizations. People still reference specific Becker's sessions years later, when it's time to make the decisions that matter.
Agenda
80+ speakers, primarily rural hospital and health system leaders
Step into the conversations keeping rural hospitals open. Across three open tracks, hear how CEOs, CFOs and operations leaders are stabilizing margins, rebuilding workforce pipelines and forging new partnerships to sustain rural care.
This is where rural executives compare notes on the decisions shaping their organizations' futures, trading specifics instead of talking points. Every track is open, so you can build the two days around what matters most to your role.
That's why people come back.
Leadership, Finances + More
CEO and CFO strategy, financial sustainability, board governance, capital planning
Workforce, Tech + More
Recruitment, retention, telehealth, digital tools, staffing models
Partnerships, Quality + Strategy
Affiliations, M&A, quality metrics, patient access, care redesign
Rural Policy & Advocacy
Legislative outlook, reimbursement policy, the Rural Health Transformation Fund
Community Access & Patient Experience
Service line expansion, population health, equity, community partnerships
Complimentary participation
Apply for a complimentary reviewer badge
Becker’s Rural Health Summit offers complimentary registration for qualified executives from rural hospitals and health systems. We review every application to ensure a high-quality group of attendees. Apply in under two minutes. If approved, you’ll receive your registration link directly.
C-suite, VP, or senior director-level leader
Employed by a rural hospital or health system
Responsible for hospital leadership, finance, or operations
April 21–22, 2027 · Hyatt Regency Chicago
The Most Valuable Event You'll Go to This Year
The leaders at Becker's Rural Health Summit aren't waiting for policy or reimbursement changes to save their hospitals, they're making decisions now. Come with a plan for what you want to learn. Leave with the peers, the ideas and the relationships to act on it.
“When you're out in the rural areas, you're not seeing the latest and greatest. Coming here to Chicago, for me is a great week of learning and hearing perspectives from the urban landscape, other critical access to rural hospitals across the region and some across the world. It's just so invaluable for me.”