2026 Healthcare Communicators Northwest Conference

Join us for a day of learning, connection, and inspiration at the University of Oregon Concordia Campus in Portland. Welcome to the 2026 Healthcare Communicators Northwest Conference! Join us for a day of learning, connection, and inspiration at the University of Oregon Concordia Campus in Portland. This in-person event brings together healthcare communicators from across the Northwest region for a full day of expert insights, peer conversation, and practical takeaways you can put to work immediately. Theme: Leading Through Change: Communicate with Confidence and Purpose The ground is shifting beneath healthcare communicators everywhere – politically, demographically, and technologically. At HCNW's 2026 fall conference, we'll help you find your footing. From understanding the sweeping forces reshaping our industry to mastering the tools and strategies that cut through noise and build trust, this day is designed to send you back to your organization with clarity, confidence, and a concrete plan. Sessions and speakers include: • Everything Is Changing: The Landscape Every Health Care Communicator Needs to Understand – DJ Wilson of the new Health Policy Commons sets the stage with a grounding keynote on the political, demographic, and workforce forces shaping healthcare today • How People Interact with Healthcare Information – Muckrack explores the rise of Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) and what it means for getting your stories found and trusted • How You Can Help Reporters Tell the Story of Change – A panel of Oregon and Washington healthcare journalists shares what they're looking for and how communicators can help them navigate complexity, featuring reporters from The Lund Report, Willamette Week and more. • Trust and Health: An Update – Erin Schwille, EVP at Edelman, returns with the latest findings from the Trust Barometer Special Report: Trust and Health, including strategies for breaking through in an era of misinformation and AI-generated content • Making It Work: Communicators Managing Change in Their Organizations – A practical case study session featuring communicators sharing real-world approaches to leading through organizational change Event details Date: Friday, Nov. 13, 2026 Location: University of Oregon, Concordia Campus Confluence Community Room 2800 NE Liberty St., Portland Parking: Free. Park anywhere on campus. Light breakfast and lunch provided. Check out our full conference program schedule for detailed session descriptions, start times, and speaker information. We can't wait to see you in Portland! Event ticket pricing: • Members: FREE with 12-month membership: Memberships are $125 per person. Note: Membership must be active on the day of the conference. If you’re not sure whether your membership is/will be active, email [email protected]. If you need to renew your membership, you can do so by registering for the conference on Eventbrite. • Non-Members: One-step conference registration + become/renew your HCNW membership is available on Eventbrite. The cost per person is our standard membership rate of $125, plus fee. Group member sign up + registration can be done through this option. *New HCNW Grow & Guide Packages: Build team skills & be a thought-leader! Includes staff memberships with fall conference tickets! Explore our new Grow & Guide Packages, designed to help your organization invest in professional development, showcase thought leadership and increase brand visibility across the healthcare communications community. View Gold, Silver and Bronze package options. Contact Rachel Peters ([email protected]) or Kelly Bantle ([email protected]) for more information.