The American Public Health Association (APHA) Annual Meeting is almost here! This year, we’ll gather in San Antonio, Texas, from November 1–4, 2026. The meeting’s theme, Together We Thrive: Health Across the Lifespan, reflects many of the Medical Care Section’s longstanding priorities.
Since 1948, the Medical Care section has brought together researchers, clinicians, policymakers, advocates, and public health professionals. Our shared goal is to improve the organization, delivery, quality, and equity of medical care. This year’s program offers several special opportunities to connect with colleagues, celebrate emerging researchers, and recognize leaders who shaped our field.
We hope you’ll join us for these highlights!
Join Our Medical Care Section Business Meetings
Our annual business meetings offer opportunities to learn about Section activities, meet colleagues, and help shape our priorities.
Monday, November 2, at 7:00 AM: General Business Meeting
Join Section leaders and fellow members for updates on our activities, ongoing work, and opportunities to become more involved. The Medical Care Section depends on its members to advance research, inform APHA policy, and support the next generation of public health professionals. Whether you’ve participated for decades or recently joined, we welcome your involvement.
Tuesday, November 3, at 7:00 AM: Meet the Medical Care Journal Leadership
Tuesday’s meeting offers a special opportunity to connect with the publisher and new Editors-in-Chief of our Section’s flagship journal, Medical Care. Drs. Amresh Hanchate and Deepak Palakshappa became the journal’s new Editors-in-Chief earlier this year. Both bring substantial experience in health services research, care delivery, and health equity.
In a May 2026 Medical Care Blog interview, they shared their vision for the journal. Their priorities include interdisciplinary research, implementation science, emerging methods, and new opportunities for early-career scholars. This meeting is an opportunity to hear from the journal leadership directly and strengthen connections between the Section and its journal. We encourage authors, reviewers, students, and longtime readers to attend.
Celebrate the Next Generation: Student Paper Awards
Session 4228.0: Student Paper Awards
Tuesday, November 3, 2026 | 4:30–6:00 PM
One of our favorite annual traditions is recognizing outstanding student research. The Medical Care Section’s Student Paper Awards highlight promising scholars tackling important questions in health services research. The competition recognizes original student work with clear implications for research, practice, and policy. This year’s session features four presentations covering health care costs, hospital services, dementia care, and geographic variation in Medicaid services. Katherine Virgo, PhD, MBA, FASCO, will lead the session. The presentations include:
- 4:30 PM: Seojin Kim, Seoul National University. Financial Burden and Health Investment Decisions: Panel Evidence from U.S. Households. This presentation examines household financial pressures and decisions about investing in health.
- 4:45 PM: Bianca Chiu, University of California, Berkeley. The Effect of Health System Ownership on the Availability of General Pediatric Inpatient Services, 2010–2023. This research examines health system ownership and the availability of pediatric hospital services.
- 5:00 PM: Jason Joseph, MD, MPH, Texas A&M School of Public Health. Care Satisfaction and Self-Reported Health Status Among Medicare Beneficiaries With and Without Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias. The study compares Medicare Advantage and Traditional Medicare beneficiaries.
- 5:15 PM: Zackery Allen, MPH, Oregon State University. Geographic Variation in Chronic Care Management Services Use Among Medicaid-Enrolled Persons With Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias. This presentation explores geographic differences in services for Medicaid beneficiaries.
Together, these presentations reflect the range of questions that define modern health services research. The Student Paper Awards also create opportunities for new investigators to engage with senior scholars and Section leadership. Even more exciting, selected finalists may have opportunities to publish their work in Medical Care or The Medical Care Blog. Please come support these outstanding students and help welcome them into our research community.
An Evening With… Memories of David Rosner
Tuesday, November 3, 2026 | 6:00–8:30 PM
Saltgrass Steak House, 502 Riverwalk Street, San Antonio, Texas
Our annual An Evening With… program has long been a special Medical Care Section tradition. Each year, the event brings members together for conversation with individuals who have made lasting contributions to public health. This year’s gathering takes on special meaning as we remember two remarkable members of our public health community.
Remembering Julie Zito
Following dinner and opening remarks, Linda Green, MD, will share memories of Julie M. Zito, PhD, beginning at 7:15 PM. Dr. Zito, who passed away in December 2025, was a former Medical Care Section chair and dedicated public health advocate. Her work shaped pharmaceutical policy research, particularly around medication use and quality of care among children. She also played an important role in supporting the Section’s student awards and mentoring emerging scholars. We look forward to celebrating her many contributions to the Section and the field.
Honoring David Rosner’s Legacy
At 7:30 PM, we will turn to the life and work of David Rosner, PhD, MPH. Dr. Rosner, who passed away in May 2026, was a distinguished historian of public health and professor emeritus at Columbia University. His scholarship illuminated the relationships between science, industry, occupational health, environmental hazards, and public policy. His work also demonstrated how historical research can inform contemporary decisions about health protections and accountability.
In partnership with Columbia University’s Center for the History and Ethics of Public Health, we will host a panel of colleagues who knew his work and legacy. The panel will feature Kavita Sivaramakrishnan, PhD, of Columbia University, and Amy Fairchild, PhD, of the University of Minnesota. They will be joined by Theodore (Ted) Brown, PhD, professor emeritus at the University of Rochester, and Marion Moser Jones, PhD, of the University of Maryland School of Public Health. The discussion will explore Dr. Rosner’s contributions to public health history and the continuing relevance of his scholarship.
Evening Program
Dinner and a cash bar will be available from 6:00 to 7:00 PM. At 7:00 PM, Oliver Fein, MD, and Medical Care Section Chair Ben King, PhD, will offer introductions and welcome remarks. Linda Green’s remembrance of Julie Zito will follow at 7:15 PM. The David Rosner panel will begin at 7:30 PM. The evening concludes with audience questions and discussion from 8:15 to 8:30 PM. We hope colleagues from across APHA will join us for this meaningful evening of remembrance and connection.
Recognizing Excellence Across the Medical Care Section
Our Student Paper Awards and An Evening With… are only part of how we celebrate the people who advance our field. The Medical Care Section also presents several other awards during the Annual Meeting. The Medical Care Section Award recognizes exceptional leadership, service, and dedication to the Section.
These awards recognize the research, service, mentorship, and scholarship that sustain our professional community. Visit the Section’s awards page to learn more about each award and watch for updates on this year’s honorees.
Stay Connected With the Medical Care Section
The APHA Annual Meeting is one of our best opportunities to reconnect with longtime colleagues and welcome new members.
Whether your interests lie in health policy, clinical care, quality improvement, population health, or health equity, there’s a place for you in our Section.
We encourage everyone to attend the business meetings, support the student presenters, and join us for An Evening With….
You can also find opportunities to participate through Section committees, leadership positions, conference programming, and policy activities.
For updates, contacts, award announcements, and information about membership, visit the APHA Medical Care Section website.
We look forward to seeing you in San Antonio, celebrating our community, and continuing the work of improving medical care for everyone.
To donate to the Medical Care section of APHA, the sponsor society of The Medical Care Blog and the Medical Care journal, you can visit our fundraising page here:
