It’s Time for an Extreme Makeover — Rural Healthcare Edition
In today’s healthcare landscape, “Extreme Makeover” isn’t just a catchy phrase — it’s a necessity. With unprecedented regulatory requirements, mounting financial pressures, and a host of other obstacles, rural healthcare leaders are facing greater challenges than ever before. The question isn’t whether to transform, it’s how.
Join your peers at WHAAS 2026: Extreme Makeover WHA Edition to celebrate our shared successes, exchange hard-won wisdom, and build the future of rural healthcare together.
Keynote
Wednesday, July 23rd | 12:00-1:00pm
Fragile Systems: Repairing Our Approach to Community Health
Zachary Benedict, AIA
President of MKM architecture + design
Join us to learn a new approach for healthcare leaders to economic development aimed at creating lifelong communities whose effectiveness is measured by their ability to provide robust social interaction and a sense of communal belonging. It’s a bold vision for the future of healthcare that will require dynamic leadership at the local level to overhaul the industry’s approach to health.
We’ve Been Renovating Rural Healthcare Since 1989
WHA members have spent over three decades leading community-driven healthcare, and we’ve got the toolbox to prove it. Guided by member expertise, WHA has developed powerful resources to help navigate an ever-changing environment, and we’re not afraid to remodel when the blueprint demands it.
What’s in Our Toolbox?
- Nineteen Peer Network groups where collaboration translates to solutions and sustainability.
- Member-owned revenue cycle company, Healthcare Management, proudly serving 125 healthcare customers and 75 business community clients.
- In-house Leadership Academy, serving over 5,000 participants since its creation.
- Statewide rural Clinically Integrated Network, supporting over 30,000 lives across Medicare, commercial, and employer populations.
- CCA Rx, a member-owned PBA, delivering 50% savings directly to 36 employer groups, representing 9,000 lives.
- Fourteen Corporate Partner programs delivering real, money-saving solutions. 2025 savings exceeded $11m!
- And much more!
2026 Member Contests!
WHAAS 2025 shattered attendance records — and YOU made it happen! Our member contests were a huge hit, so we’re raising the stakes in 2026. Bragging rights are on the line. Is your organization up for the challenge?
Supreme Member
Which member organization will send the most staff to WHAAS 2026? Rally your team, pack your bags, and show up strong! The organization with the highest staff attendance will be crowned Supreme Member and announced on July 23rd.
The prize: A commemorative plaque plus five complimentary registrations to WHAAS 2027.
Supreme Peer Network
Which Peer Network will dominate the attendance leaderboard? Mobilize your group and make your presence known! The winning Peer Network will be revealed on July 23rd.
The prize: Each attending member of the winning group receives a $10 gift card.
Grab Your Tool Belt & Join Us at WHAAS 2026!
WHAAS 2026 will feature member presentations spotlighting how rural hospitals and health systems are keeping care local, accessible, and financially sustainable. Regional healthcare experts and legislative representatives will share the trends shaping our industry, and what’s coming next. WHA’s Corporate Partners will be on the exhibit floor and ready to connect throughout the event.
Most importantly, you’ll have plenty of time to network with peers who get it — swapping stories, lessons learned, and reasons for optimism. Because the best renovation projects are never done alone.
Registration closes July 6th, so register today!
WHAAS 2026 | Collaborating to Renovate Rural Healthcare
Let’s build a better tomorrow — together.
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