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Chief Operating Officer (COO) Forum - 2025 Healthcare Leadership Conference

November 17-19, 2025

Carlsbad, CA

Engage Directly with Health System Leaders

The Health Management Academy’s (THMA) Chief Operating Officer Forum offers Intimate programming focused on thought leadership and a curated environment for candid conversations not shared beyond the group, enabling selected industry companies and Leading Health System Chief Operating Officers to engage in mutually beneficial idea exchange and relationship-building.

THMA’s COO Forum gathers twice each year - once in Spring and once in Fall - for an immersive, retreat-style event. The COO Forum is opening space for additional industry members in 2025. We are seeking industry members who can bring important thought leadership and ideas to drive health forward.

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A speaker addresses an audience during a fireside chat session hosted by The Health Management Academy.

Health System Forum Members

Providence health system logo featuring a green and blue cross-shaped emblem to the left of the name in blue text.
Northwell Health health system logo featuring a grid of multicolored triangles to the left of the words "Northwell Health" in blue text.
Ochsner Health health system logo with a blue and gold abstract emblem to the left of the name in blue text.
Intermountain Health logo with stylized red and purple symbol and navy text.
Mass General Brigham industry logo with teal icon and blue text.
Novant Health health system logo with a bold purple "N" and two vertical squares, followed by the words "Novant Health" in gray text.
UnityPoint Health logo featuring a white cross within a blue square followed by the name "UnityPoint Health" in black text.
WellSpan Health logo featuring a rising sun graphic above the word “WellSpan” in blue with “HEALTH” in bold blue text below.
Yale New Haven Health logo featuring the words “Yale New Haven Health” in a stacked format with gradient blue tones on a transparent background.
Cedars-Sinai health system logo with two interlocking red rings on the left and gray text on the right.
Cone Health health system logo with a teal abstract figure on the left, followed by the words "CONE HEALTH" and the tagline "The Network for Exceptional Care" beneath.

The THMA Difference Lies in Access, Intentional Design, and a Strict Focus on Community

The COO Forum creates a purpose-built space for executive-level engagement. Every session, social setting, and touchpoint is curated to foster meaningful, candid dialogue between fellow Chief Operating Officers and select industry innovators, most commonly CEOs, Chief Growth Officers, and strategic product leaders.

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Quote from healthcare conference industry attendee

Industry Forum Members

Philips logo in bold blue uppercase letters on a transparent background.
GE Healthcare logo featuring the classic GE monogram inside a circular emblem followed by the text "GE Healthcare" in blue.
Accenture logo featuring the company name in bold black font with a forward-pointing purple greater-than symbol above the "t".
Johnson & Johnson logo in classic red cursive script, representing the global healthcare and pharmaceutical company.
Qventus logo with the company name in dark gray lowercase letters and a red accent mark above the "s."
Microsoft logo featuring a four-colored square icon (red, green, blue, yellow) to the left of the word "Microsoft" in gray text.
KPMG logo with bold blue letters beneath four outlined rectangles, symbolizing the global professional services firm.

Recent topics include:

Aligning People, Processes, and Systems at Scale: Northwell Health shared its integration playbook—from cultural alignment to IT infrastructure—offering an inside look at how a leading system brings operations into harmony across a growing footprint.

Strengthening the Workforce Amid Cost Pressures: With rising labor costs and persistent shortages, this session examined new workforce models, operational innovations, and leadership strategies to improve retention and sustain care delivery.

Executing Strategic Priorities through Change Management Projects: Admin Fellows from top health systems presented live case studies on action-based projects aligned with system-level strategies—offering practical insights into how tomorrow’s leaders are driving enterprise change today.

Policy & Regulatory Trends Impacting COOs: From payment reform to site-neutral policies, our Washington update equipped attendees with timely intelligence and foresight on the policies shaping healthcare operations now and in the future.

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The Chief Operating Officer Forum Experience

Each COO Forum is a 2.5-day member-led experience designed for candid conversations about the most pressing operational challenges and boldest transformation efforts in healthcare. The Health Management Academy’s 2025 COO Forum brought together operational executives and industry partners to explore the evolving landscape and surface replicable strategies that deliver results.

Two attendees engage in an animated conversation at a roundtable during a professional event. Other participants are seated and conversing at nearby tables in a large, well-lit conference room. Notepads, drinks, and name cards are visible on the tables, reflecting a collaborative and interactive setting.

Our Convening Experiences

The Power of Relationships With Jeff Jones

Join us as Jeff Jones shares his personal experience with The Health Management Academy, which spans over two decades.

The Power of Vulnerability and Collaboration

Beth Walker, CEO of Oschner Baptist, shares how the open, trust-filled environment among C-suite executives allows them to candidly discuss their challenges.

How THMA Has Deepened Healthcare Relationships

Todd Cozzens, Founder of Transformation Capital, shares how THMA has helped deepen his industry connections and relationships.

Investing in Tomorrow's Healthcare Leaders

Andy DeLao, CSO & CMKO at Ge HealthCare, shares his insights and experiences working with The Health Management Academy.

Cultivating Connections with Health System CXOs

Nicole Shingler, VP, Enterprise Revenue Cycle for R1 RCM explains just how much THMA stands apart by cultivating connections within the healthcare industry.

Having a Support System is Critical

Nkem Iroegbu, President of Advocate Health, speaks about having the right support system in the healthcare industry.

How a Sense of Ownership Makes All the Difference

Corey Aferiat, VP at THMA, talks about how members feel a very unique sense of ownership over the forums.

Being Honest & Open in Healthcare

Dennis Murphy President & CEO of IU Health shares how coming to THMA events has helped him professionally.

Upcoming COO Forum Event Dates

For over 25 years, The Health Management Academy has convened health system C-suite leaders and select industry executives, curating two-way conversations, collaborative problem solving and thought leadership sharing. Join us at one of our upcoming Forums. You can explore dates, locations, and agendas below.

Promotional graphic for the COO Forum, scheduled for November 17–19, 2025, at the Park Hyatt Aviara in Carlsbad, California. The background shows a luxurious pool area with lounge chairs, palm trees, and a green water slide, overlaid with bold white and blue text and geometric design elements in blue and orange.

November 17-19, 2025

Carlsbad, CA

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About The Health Management Academy

Since 1998, The Health Management Academy has cultivated the premier membership-based community of healthcare’s most influential CXOs from top U.S. health systems, as well as decision makers from innovative industry companies.

We cultivate exceptional peer groups, providing original market insights, world-class leadership development programs, and novel member alliances to more than 2,000 health system senior executives and 200 industry organizations.

2,000+

Health System Executives

600+

Health System C-Suite Members

200+

Exec Industry Members

75%

Of U.S. Physicians

A collage of professional headshots of team members from The Health Management Academy, interspersed with branded graphics. The messages highlight collaboration between health system CXOs and industry, data-driven decision-making, and a commitment to driving health forward.