Highlights from the NHC’s 105th Annual Membership Meeting and Luncheon
On December 9, the National Health Council (NHC) welcomed 160 members and partners to the Willard InterContinental Hotel in Washington, DC, for the 105th Annual Membership Meeting and Luncheon. The annual gathering brought together leaders from across the patient community for an afternoon of connection and reflection, to close the year and begin looking ahead to 2026.
The program opened with a keynote address from Dr. Bobby Mukkamala, President of the American Medical Association (AMA), who spoke on “A Physician’s Perspective on the Patient Experience.” Drawing from his own journey as a brain cancer survivor, Dr. Mukkamala reflected on how becoming a patient reshaped the way he practices medicine and approaches leadership. He shared how that experience now informs the way he uses his platform as AMA president, grounding advocacy and decision-making in empathy, trust, and lived experience.
Dr. Mukkamala also discussed his long-standing work in Flint, Michigan, where he works within his community to address the social and economic factors that contribute to poor health outcomes. He also spoke about his commitment to lifestyle medicine, an evidence-based approach that equips patients with tools to treat, reverse, and prevent chronic disease through therapeutic lifestyle interventions. Against the backdrop of rising rates of chronic conditions, he emphasized the importance of empowering patients with practical, science-backed strategies to improve their health and quality of life.
His remarks placed these experiences within the broader challenges facing the US health care system, including the impact of chronic disease on health, productivity, and well-being; high health care spending paired with low performance; and mounting pressures on clinicians. Dr. Mukkamala outlined the AMA’s top advocacy priorities, including reforming Medicare payments, tackling prior authorization, reducing burnout and improving physician well-being, and advancing digital health innovations such as telehealth.
Following the keynote, NHC CEO Randy Rutta delivered his annual update, reflecting on the organization’s work in 2025 and calling for dynamic reinvention in 2026. He highlighted how the NHC and its members continue to advance patient-centered policy, elevate patient voices, and strengthen collaboration across the health ecosystem. Randy also shared the NHC’s 2025 accomplishments video, offering a snapshot of the progress made over the past year and the collective impact of the patient community.
The meeting also included important updates on the NHC’s leadership and governance. During the luncheon, designated voting delegates cast ballots for the 2026 NHC Board of Directors. Jeff Todd, President and CEO of Prevent Blindness and Chair of the NHC Nominating Committee, announced the results of the vote, including that Michael Osso, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, will continue to serve as Chair of the NHC Board of Directors for 2026. A full summary of the election results is available here.
The Annual Membership Meeting and Luncheon reinforced the strength of the NHC’s member community and the shared commitment to advancing patient-centered health care. As the NHC looks ahead to 2026, the work will continue to focus on collaboration, adaptability, and ensuring that patients remain at the center of policy, innovation, and care. The NHC is grateful to its members for an outstanding year and looks forward to building on this momentum together.
Save the date: The Annual Membership Meeting and Luncheon will return to the Willard InterContinental Hotel on December 15, 2026.
