Join us for the
2026 Colloquium!
AIDPH will convene our annual colloquium
virtually May 12 & 13, 2026. Register now!
The 2026 AIDPH Colloquium
Sustaining Public Health Resiliency through Power, Strength, and Collective Action
We’re excited to announce that the 2026 AIDPH Colloquium will take place in a fully virtual format on May 12 and 13, 2026, as AIDPH continues to prioritize accessible, flexible, and inclusive programming. Hosted by the AIDPH Academy, oral health and public health stakeholders will participate in highly interactive keynote sessions and conversations focused on building resiliency, joy, and collective power within our communities. AIDPH invites oral health and public health professionals into a space of restoration, reflection, and renewed purpose. At a time when the public health landscape is shifting rapidly, this Colloquium invites participants to ask: How do we sustain ourselves while sustaining the communities we serve?
The 2026 Colloquium intends to reframe resiliency as a practice of collective care, shared responsibility, and intentional joy. We believe that the well-being of the workforce is inseparable from the well-being of our communities. When public health professionals are grounded, supported, and connected, they are better equipped to lead, advocate, and innovate. This Colloquium will create space to explore the mental, emotional, and structural dimensions of resiliency. Together, we will examine how to cultivate joy in our work, how to build systems that protect rather than exhaust the workforce, and how collective action strengthens both individual and community health.
Registration for this virtual event is $35. AIDPH can accommodate group registrations and offer a 20% discount to organizations registering 10 or more participants. Check back frequently as we update the agenda with confirmed speakers!
Detailed Colloquium Agenda – Day One
May 12, 2026 |
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| Time (CST) | Session Description |
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11:00 am – 12:00 pm |
Keynote Session: Rethinking Care and Rebuilding the Public Health Workforce The future of the public health workforce is already being shaped on the front lines. In this keynote, Dr. Jerry P. Abraham shares insights from his work leading street medicine and public health integration efforts in South Los Angeles, where care extends beyond traditional systems and into the communities that need it most. Through his experience working across mental health, homelessness, climate health, and community-based care, Dr. Abraham will challenge conventional approaches to workforce design and highlight what it takes to build a workforce that is resilient, responsive, and rooted in community. His leadership across local, state, and national organizations offers a unique lens on how policy, practice, and advocacy can come together to support both the workforce and the populations it serves. |
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12:00 pm – 1:30 pm |
National Roundtables Part One: Building Better Public Health Systems
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1:30 pm – 2:30 pm |
Idea Incubator Day One: Creating Joy and Curating Self-Care During this Idea Incubator session, we’ll focus on restoration and self-care as public health professionals. This interactive session will guide attendees through a restorative practice and invite solutions for sustainable self-care via the Idea Incubator platform. This session on Mindfulness and Meditation is led by Dr. David Lee |
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2:30 pm – 3:30 pm |
Workshop: Building Powerful Coalitions through Strategic Engagement Coalitions are often at the center of meaningful change in public health, but building and sustaining them is complex work. This interactive workshop invites participants into a hands-on exploration of what it takes to create coalitions that are both effective and durable. Together, AIDPH and ANOHC will unpack the foundations of successful coalitions, from aligning around shared goals to fostering trust, value, and collective power. This session will help attendees test new approaches to engagement and consider how to move beyond transactional partnerships toward deeper collaboration. Presenters include Ms. Tanya Dorf Brunner, Ms. Elizabeth Flannery and Dr. Annaliese Cothron |
Detailed Colloquium Agenda – Day Two
| May 13, 2026 | |
| Time (CST) | Session Description |
|
11:00 am – 12:00 pm |
Plenary Panel: Burnout, Resilience, and What Comes Next Burnout continues to shape the public health workforce, impacting not only those delivering care but the systems that depend on them. This plenary panel brings together perspectives from research, clinical practice, and community-based care to explore both the realities of workforce strain and the opportunities to strengthen and support health professionals. Panelists will share insights on oral health provider burnout, workforce training and clinical competency, and innovative care models that extend beyond traditional settings. This session will highlight strategies to sustain the workforce and strengthen care delivery across public health and clinical settings. Panelists include: Dr. Eric Tranby, Dr. Sue Etminan, Dr. Beth Resnick |
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12:00 pm – 1:30 pm |
National Roundtables Part Two: Workforce, Policy, and the Future of Public Health
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1:30 pm – 2:30 pm |
Idea Incubator Day Two: Sustaining Public Health Work Through Funder Partnerships During this Idea Incubator session, participants will explore what it truly takes to sustain public health and oral health work in a shifting funding landscape. Through facilitated discussion and real‑time synthesis, attendees will surface what funders often misunderstand about their work, what supports are most needed beyond funding, and where authentic partnership has made a difference. The session will focus on sense‑making and translation-connecting shared themes to funding priorities, learning agendas, and next steps for strengthening funder engagement and long‑term sustainability. In Collaboration with: CareQuest Institute for Oral Health |
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2:30 pm – 3:30 pm |
Workshop: Empowering the Public Health Workforce to Meet the Moment What does it look like to build a public health workforce that can meet this moment? In this interactive workshop, the de Beaumont Foundation will guide participants through a forward-looking conversation about sustaining and strengthening the workforce. Together, attendees will explore the pressures shaping today’s workforce while also focusing on solutions, innovation, and momentum. Grounded in real-world challenges but focused on what’s possible, this session will leave participants with practical tools, new ideas, and a shared vision for the future of the public health workforce. Presenters include: Ms. Maddy Popalis, Ms. Lindsey Burton-Anderson |
Thank you to our 2026 Colloquium Sponsors!
Student Aide Program
Students can join the aide program for special access from AIDPH and discounted registration
Awards
AIDPH awards three categories of leadership annually during the colloquium
Sponsorships
We offer many different sponsorship opportunities and can customize packages
Abstracts
Showcase your work during a roundtable presentation at the colloquium.
View Conference Materials from Previous Colloqiuia
2025 AIDPH COLLOQUIUM: Dental Care as a Human Right: Advancing Oral Health Justice Through Community Empowerment
Dental Care as a Human Right: Advancing Oral Health Justice Through Community Empowerment invited attendees to a transformative dialogue at the intersection of oral health, human rights, and social justice. Grounded in the principle that health is a fundamental human right, this event challenges inequitable systems and asks attendees to answer the question: What will it take to redefine dental care as an essential component of healthcare? AIDPH believes that health shouldn’t be determined by zip code, identity, or income. Equitable access to affordable, high-quality dental care — rooted in empathy and lived experience — is not a privilege; it is a moral imperative. Without good oral health, good overall health is impossible. The purpose of the 2025 colloquium was to accelerate the inclusion of oral health within the broader framework of healthcare justice and human rights.
2024 AIDPH COLLOQUIUM: Community Collaboration in Oral Health: Advancing Person-Centered Outcomes
The 2024 AIDPH Colloquium, titled “Community Collaboration in Dental Research: Advancing Person-Centered Outcomes,” took place from March 25 to 27 in Chicago, Illinois. This event was dedicated to building skills and learning strategies for engaging in patient-centered outcomes research and comparative clinical effectiveness research (PCOR/CER). At the heart of AIDPH’s colloquia is the exchange of ideas and collaboration. Participants enhanced their knowledge and expertise in community dental research through a blend of networking activities, didactic presentations, panel discussions, and roundtables. The agenda was crafted to foster both personal and professional growth, driving insightful discussions and broadening perspectives by showcasing participant research, outcomes, and frameworks in community-driven oral health.
2022 AIDPH COLLOQUIUM: Transforming Veteran Oral Health: Illuminating Equity and Sustaining Impact
The 2022 AIDPH Colloquium convened national leaders for a virtual gathering focused on advancing justice in dental care for veterans. Participants from nonprofit, clinical, federal, and industry sectors examined systemic barriers and shared innovative approaches to veteran oral health care. Sessions explored a wide range of strategies, including medical-dental integration, expanding the role of rural health clinics, and moving beyond urgent-need models toward preventive, whole-person care. Presenters emphasized the need for trauma-informed clinical practices, centralized data collection, and value-based care tailored to veterans’ unique needs. The event served as a catalyst for coordinated, veteran-centered solutions to improve access, quality, and outcomes in oral health.
2021 AIDPH COLLOQUIUM: Reimagining Dental Public Health Through Resiliency and Community
The 2021 AIDPH Colloquium explored how resiliency and community-centered strategies can transform dental public health. Framed by keynote presentations from national leaders, the event challenged participants to confront the systemic inequities embedded in oral health and overlapping healthcare systems. Speakers emphasized capacity to break down silos, rethink infrastructure, and integrate the social determinants of health into every level of dental public health practice. Interactive breakout discussions enabled participants to reflect on the individual and institutional growth required to dismantle inequities. Panelists discussed innovations across federal, state, and local levels that support marginalized populations and advance health equity. Day two featured Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, who presented a bold vision for sustainable, inclusive dental care, including pathways toward universal coverage. The colloquium underscored the importance of asset-based approaches, collective action, and structural reform in reimagining a just and resilient oral health system.
2020 AIDPH COLLOQUIUM: Confronting Inequity through Oral Health Policy
The 2020 AIDPH Colloquium, Confronting Inequity Through Oral Health Policy, spotlighted the structural forces that drive health disparities and the urgent policy changes needed to advance justice in oral health. Held in San Antonio, Texas, the event brought together public health, policy, and advocacy experts to examine how race, disability, geography, and identity intersect to impact oral health outcomes. Sessions explored the role of the health workforce in promoting equity, the framing of racism as a public health issue, and the use of digital advocacy to drive systemic change. Breakout panels focused on critical populations, including individuals with disabilities, LGBTQ+ communities, and rural residents, underscoring the need for culturally responsive and community-informed policy interventions. Key discussions examined how race, ethnicity, and culture shape oral health access and care, and how global and national policies can be leveraged to confront entrenched inequities. From the evolving landscape of Healthy People 2020 to new directions in health equity, the colloquium served as a clarion call to reimagine oral health policy as a tool for structural change, inclusion, and accountability.
2019 AIDPH COLLOQUIUM: Evolving the Dental Public Health Landscape: Interprofessional Practice and Value-Based Care
The 2019 AIDPH Colloquium, Evolving the Dental Public Health Landscape: Interprofessional Practice and Value-Based Care, brought together national leaders to examine how integration and innovation are reshaping the delivery of oral health. With a focus on shifting from volume to value, the colloquium explored how oral health systems can evolve to prioritize outcomes, efficiency, and whole-person care. Sessions highlighted the critical role of the oral health workforce in advancing value-based models and examined how dental care fits into broader healthcare reforms. Discussions ranged from Medicaid transformation and delivery system redesign to cutting-edge integration efforts led by organizations like Kaiser Permanente. The colloquium strongly emphasised interprofessional collaboration, with speakers showcasing successful models of medical-dental integration and coordinated care. From practical frameworks for collaboration to payment reform strategies, presenters challenged traditional silos and offered a vision for a more connected, equitable healthcare system. As oral health continues to intersect with public health, policy, and clinical care, the 2019 colloquium positioned dental public health as a key driver of transformation in the value-based care movement.
VIEW THE 2019 SESSION RECORDINGS HERE
2018 AIDPH COLLOQUIUM: Advancing Precision Public Health
The 2018 AIDPH Colloquium, Advancing Precision Public Health, explored the intersection of data science, genomics, and emerging technologies to reimagine how public health can more precisely and equitably serve diverse populations. This forward-looking event brought together experts in oral health, bioinformatics, diagnostics, and health systems to examine how big data and biologic tools can target interventions, improve outcomes, and reduce disparities. Sessions highlighted the use of public health genomics and biologic diagnostics in oral health, the promise of pediatric precision health, and the application of deep phenotyping to understand individual and population-level risks. The colloquium also addressed the challenges of applying precision tools in contexts marked by systemic inequities. Presenters emphasized that equity must remain a guiding principle in the development of precision public health strategies. From defining the future landscape to examining the FDI’s role in high-definition healthcare, the event provided a bold vision for integrating innovation with justice in oral health.
2017 AIDPH COLLOQUIUM: The Role of Big Data in Dental Public Health
The 2017 AIDPH Colloquium, The Role of Big Data in Dental Public Health, examined how health informatics and large-scale data systems are transforming public health practice, policy, and clinical decision-making. As the field of dental public health embraces data-driven approaches, this event convened thought leaders from across academia, clinical care, and federal institutions to explore the emerging infrastructure and innovations guiding this shift. Sessions addressed the integration of behavioral health measures into electronic health records (EHRs), the importance of health data standards, and open science initiatives at the National Library of Medicine. The colloquium also spotlighted BigMouth, a pioneering multi-institutional dental data repository, showcasing how collaborative databases can drive discovery and support evidence-based care. Keynotes and panels explored the history and future of clinical informatics, the evolving role of data in scientific decision-making, and the planning of the next generation of EHR systems. Across all discussions, participants emphasized the critical importance of turning big data into actionable knowledge to improve population health, reduce disparities, and support a more responsive and informed oral health system.
2025 Colloquium Sponsors
