The Alliance Almanac team is on the ground at #Alliance26, capturing the education, connection, and mentorship happening this week at the Hyatt Regency in Atlanta. Monday kicked off with preconference sessions, from the CHCP Preparation Course to career pathway basics, setting the tone for a week of learning and collaboration. 

Following these morning sessions, hundreds of Alliance professionals gathered for the Awards Ceremony. The Alliance President Audrie Tornow, CHCP, FACEHP, welcomed attendees back to the city that hosted the Alliance’s first conference 50 years ago, reflecting on the long arc of the organization’s growth and encouraging everyone to consider: “How can you grow to become the best version of yourself this week?” 

Celebrating Our Award Winners Together 

Dr. Katie Lucero of Medscape, chair of the Alliance Awards Committee, took the stage to present the competitive awards, celebrating the creativity, rigor, and meaningful impact demonstrated across this year’s awards. Make sure to send your congratulations to the winners if you run into them either at the conference or in the workplace! 

Notably, our own Almanac Editor-in-Chief Katie Robinson, PhD, CHCP, took the stage to present the Almanac Author of the Year Award, presented to Heather Ranels, MA, MS, CHCP, FACEhp — recognized for the widely read (360 views and growing!) and high-impact article “Integrating Patient Advocates Into Continuing Professional Development: Overcoming Barriers and Enhancing Impact.” Katie praised this piece, selected by the Almanac Editorial Board, and celebrated the Almanac’s role in advancing thought leadership within the Alliance. 

Other memorable moments included: 

• President Audrie Tornow, recognizing her selected President’s Award recipients, noting anecdotes and moments of mentorship from her time spent with each of the recipients;
• The late Ron Murray, EdD, CHCP, FACEHP, MRSB, PGCE, is being recognized with remembrance for his decades of contributions and his unwavering enthusiasm for the Alliance community;
• Dr. Doyle-Scharff, winner of the Miller-Wentz Lifetime Achievement Award, reflecting on her early days in the field and the mentors, peers, and friends who shaped her journey, noting that she didn’t feel “old enough” for a lifetime award! 

Finally, the ceremony concluded with one of its most meaningful recognitions and speeches, the Mentorship Lecture & Award in Honor of Frances M. Maitland, by Jerri Davis, CHCP. Davis honored Frances Maitland’s legacy of collaboration and spoke about the profound impact of mentorship as integral to the daily fabric of professional life. She encouraged attendees to be intentional about inclusion, recognize who isn’t being seen and remember that every act of encouragement helps shape the future of the profession. 

After the awards ceremony, attendees headed to the Exhibit Hall for dinner, drinks, and conversation, while dedicating time to exploring 50 poster presentations.  

Takeaways From Selected Poster Presentations 

Almanac Editorial Board member Beth Townsend, CHCP, selected a few key posters that stood out, and she and the Almanac team heard first-hand the insight these sessions offer.  

Explore all session poster details and abstract write-ups online, or registered attendees can visit the Alliance 2026 app for an interactive experience.  

Beyond the Numbers: Elevating Clinician Education by Targeting the Right Learners 

Presenters: Gregory Salinas, PhD, FACEHP; Samantha Scalici, MBA, Emma Shillman 

This case study underscored how large learner numbers can obscure whether education is reaching the intended audience. When data was filtered from 13,000 total learners down to the true U.S. target treaters, outcomes shifted significantly.  

View the poster 

Aligning a Growing CME Program to Meet Its Mission and Improve Outcomes 

Presenters: Jane Grube, MBA; Elizabeth Adams-Leeson, MPH 

As their CME program rapidly expanded, the St. Luke’s team rebuilt their mission and developed a strategic plan centered on patient safety, community health and professional satisfaction. Embedding organizational priorities — including social determinants of health — directly into the CME application helped drive more targeted education.  

View the poster 

Enhancing Compliance and Efficiency in Disclosure Review With Customized Artificial Intelligence 

Presenter: Kimberly Bentley, CHCP 

This poster highlighted an AI-supported workflow designed to streamline disclosure review. By automating key checks and surfacing inconsistencies early, the system reduced manual workload while improving accuracy.  

View the poster 

Asking the Best Faculty Presenter Evaluation Questions: A Key Driver Study 

Presenter: Carrie Bowler, EdD 

Using recorded lectures and a validated evaluation tool, the team conducted a key driver analysis to identify which questions most meaningfully differentiate faculty performance. The resulting evaluation redesign streamlines low-value items and elevates those that offer actionable feedback for faculty development.  

View the poster 

A Much-needed Night Cap: The Inaugural BIPOC Meet-Up, Hosted by the Alliance DEI Committee 

The night ended with a gathering of the Alliance Committee on diversity, equity, inclusion — a final event filled with networking, encouragement and (yes) a tater tot bar!  

Stay tuned for the next daily summary — and if you’re enjoying the conference, share your favorite moment on LinkedIn #Alliance26. 

Disclosure: Artificial intelligence was used in the development of this article.