National Association for Healthcare Quality’s Annual Conference NAHQ next: Healthcare Leaders Address What’s Next in Healthcare Quality

NAHQ next brings together over 150 leading experts to present innovative ideas and solutions in healthcare Quality & Safety

CHICAGO, Sept. 8, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The National Association for Healthcare Quality (NAHQ) will ready the workforce for what’s coming next in healthcare Quality & patient Safety at their renowned virtual event, NAHQ next. This annual event takes place September 8^th-10^th, 2025, and features more than 45 live, on-demand sessions and sessions with over 150 healthcare leaders.

NAHQ next goes beyond discussion by providing healthcare professionals actionable content, real-world strategies, tools, and results to address today’s most pressing challenges in healthcare. Attendees have a unique opportunity to hear from innovative leaders, connect with peers, and contribute to advancing quality care.

This year’s program will kick-off with a bold keynote from NAHQ CEO Stephanie Mercado, CAE, CPHQ revealing groundbreaking new insights from new, proprietary research as well as success stories from our ROI-Q report that demonstrates how quality can serve as a business strategy, not just a compliance measure. 

Attendees will also gain insights from leading voices in healthcare, including:

• Dora Hughes, MD, MPH — Chief Medical Officer and Director of the Center for Clinical Standards and Quality (CCSQ) at CMS, offering critical perspectives on federal quality and safety initiatives
• Jonathan Perlin, MD, PhD, MSHA, MACP, FACMI — President & CEO of Joint Commission participating in a fireside chat with NAHQ CEO Stephanie Mercado on what it takes to lead healthcare at the industry level during unprecedented times of change.
• Paul Keckley, PhD — Acclaimed health industry analyst and Managing Editor of The Keckley Report, sharing insights into trends, policy shifts, and strategic implications shaping healthcare’s future

Additional sessions will feature policy experts, thought leaders, and practitioners who are setting the agenda for quality and safety in healthcare, such as:

• Expert commentary on industry trends and policy shifts from respected leaders at CMS, Joint Commission, Press Ganey, Coalition for Health AI, and leaders for top health systems
• Use cases and actionable strategies on the issues driving healthcare including workforce readiness, AI, and value-based care

“Healthcare is undergoing seismic shifts, and NAHQ next is uniquely designed to help Quality professionals navigate them,” said Jennifer Pitts, Vice President of Programs, Products, and Certification at NAHQ. “Every session delivers practical, applicable strategies that empower participants to improve patient outcomes and drive organizational success.”

To learn more about the event, please visit next.nahq.org.

About NAHQ 
The National Association for Healthcare Quality^® (NAHQ) is at the forefront of elevating the profession and advancing the discipline of quality & safety across the continuum of care. We set the industry standard through our expert-created, twice-validated Healthcare Quality Competency Framework™ and help individuals and organizations achieve it through educational programming, industry leading data-driven intelligence, and the only accredited certification in healthcare quality, Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality^® (CPHQ). NAHQ also serves as a welcoming membership community and a trusted partner to 150+ organizations helping build quality infrastructures, workforce planning and professional development programs and quality cultures. Learn more at NAHQ.org.

Media Contact:
Evelyn Warren 
Director, Public Relations and Communications

National Association for Healthcare Quality 
ewarren@nahq.org 

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SOURCE National Association For Healthcare Quality