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2026 Joy in Medicine Initiative (JIMI) Symposium - Forging New Paths: Strategies to Sustain Joy in Medicine - October 2, 2026
2026 Joy in Medicine Initiative (JIMI) Symposium Photos
Photos from the October 2, 2026 symposium are available to view and download here: 2026 JIMI Symposium Photos (Dropbox)
Overview
Join healthcare leaders from across Houston Methodist and organizations throughout the country on October 2, 2026, at Thompson Houston to learn from nationally recognized speakers, explore innovative approaches to leadership and professional fulfillment, and connect with colleagues shaping the future of healthcare.
Why Attend?
Clinicians and health care leaders continue to face well‑documented challenges related to well‑being, leadership behaviors, practice environment design, and the responsible use of innovation and technology. Building on the momentum of the 2024 & 2025 symposiums, this year’s program is intentionally designed so that every session is not only engaging and meaningful, but also specific, practical, and directly applicable to everyday clinical and leadership work.
Through plenary conversations, applied strategy spotlights, role‑based interactive labs, and interprofessional discussion, participants will explore evidence‑informed approaches and leave with concrete tools and strategies they can use immediately within their own teams, roles, and practice environments.
The symposium emphasizes translation from ideas to action—equipping participants with clear frameworks, tested practices, and leadership behaviors that can be implemented within real‑world clinical, operational, and organizational constraints.
Registration Fees
REGISTRATION TYPE | FEE |
|---|---|
Physician (Houston Methodist) (HM PCG, SPG, MPAQ and ACO PCPs) | $50 |
Physician (Private physician located within the Greater Houston Area) | $185 |
Physician (Private physician located outside the Greater Houston Area) | $150 |
Advanced Practice Provider (NP, PA, Nurse Midwife, CRNA) (Houston Methodist) | $50 |
Advanced Practice Provider (NP, PA, Nurse Midwife, CRNA) (Non-Houston Methodist) | $125 |
Resident / Fellow / Student (Houston Methodist) | $50 |
Resident / Fellow / Student (Non-Houston Methodist) | $75 |
Healthcare Leader/Administrator/All Others (Houston Methodist) | $50 |
Healthcare Leader/Administrator/All Others (Non-Houston Methodist) | $75 |
* In compliance with HM’s policy on Physician Non-Monetary Compensation regarding “Stark Law,” private physicians who reside and/or practice medicine within the Greater Houston Area are required to pay the full Fair Market Value registration fee.
Target Audience
This symposium is designed for physicians, APPs, PhD clinicians, clinical and administrative leaders, students and trainees.
Learning Objectives
- Apply evidence‑informed strategies—such as workflow redesign, team‑based practices, and leadership behaviors—to reduce friction and support professional fulfillment within their own clinical environments.
- Evaluate the potential benefits and unintended burdens of innovation and emerging technologies on clinical practice and identify principles for responsible implementation that support clinician well‑being.
- Formulate at least one actionable, role‑appropriate next step that can be implemented within 30 days to support sustaining joy in practice.
Course summary
- 5.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
Houston Methodist is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
Houston Methodist designates this Live activity for a maximum of 5.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
- 5.25 Attendance
Speaker Presentations
Slides from the 2026 JIMI Symposium, October 2, 2026, in program order. Select View slides to open a presentation as a PDF.
Morning: Grounding & Context
Keynote · 9 a.m.
Therefore, Let us Rejoice: Sustaining Joy in Medicine
Albert Wu, MD, MPH
Johns Hopkins Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality
The JIMI Journey · 10 a.m.
The JIMI Journey: What We’ve Learned and What Comes Next
Shlomit Schaal, MD, PhD, MHCM, FACHE
Houston Methodist
Midday: Leadership & Innovation
Practical Moves · 10:45 a.m.
The Science of Bite-sized Well-being: Evidence, Practice and Resources to Share
J. Bryan Sexton, PhD
Duke Health Integrated Practice
Practical Moves · 10:45 a.m.
Feel-good or Fundamental? Psychological Safety, Clinical Performance, and Well-Being
Gregory Wallingford, MD, MBA
Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin
Practical Moves · 10:45 a.m.
Lost in Translation: What We Say, What We Hear, and What We Lose in the Gaps
Sapna Singh, MD
Texas Children’s Pediatrics
Trailblazers · Noon
Trailblazers: What Meaningful Change Looks Like in Practice
Brooke Schweitzer, DMSc, MSPA, PA-C
University of Chicago Medicine
Trailblazers · Noon
Access = Quality: Lessons from the Front Door of Care
Tesha Montgomery, MHA, RN, FACHE
Houston Methodist
Faculty Biographies
Scan the QR code on your phone, open the biographies as a PDF, or scroll through them below.
Available Credit
- 5.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
Houston Methodist is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
Houston Methodist designates this Live activity for a maximum of 5.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
- 5.25 Attendance
2026 Poster Award Winners
Congratulations to this year’s poster award recipients. Select View poster to open each poster in the showcase.
Overall Winner & Runner-Up
Forging New Paths Excellence Award Overall Winner
Reimagining Medical Education: A Self-Compassion Elective Cultivating Connection and Shame Resilience
Jennifer Li-Wang, BA
Co-authors: Jessica Tabary, BA, BS; Peggy Hsieh, MD; Andrew J. Revell, PhD; Rex Marco, MD; Gioconda Mojica, MD
McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston
View poster (PDF) Poster 12
Joy in Medicine Impact Award Overall Runner-Up
Finding Joy Together: Evaluating the Impact of a Faculty Wellness Initiative
Rupa Mahadevan, MD, FAAP, ABOIM
Co-authors: Michelle Barratt, MD, MPH; Monica Kodakandla, MD
UTHealth Houston Department of Pediatrics
View poster (PDF) Poster 3
Category Awards
Leadership Award
The One-Stop-Shop of Analytics for HMPO Department Chairs
Nitant Chakranarayan; Asha Serah Thomas; Margaret Xu, MHA; Georgia Joice
Houston Methodist Physician Organization
View poster (PDF) Poster 5
Cultivating Connection Award
Caregiver Oasis: Creating Moments of Joy, Connection, and Support for Families in Long-Term Acute Care
Lalita Rambrich, RN
Co-author: Tara Dacus, BSN, RN
Houston Methodist Continuing Care Hospital
View poster (PDF) Poster 9
Innovation Excellence Award
Reimagining Access to Improve Patient and Clinician Experience Through Technology and Innovation
Erica Simon, MBA, CMCS
Co-authors: Kola Ogunrinde, MHA; Pooja Sheth, MBA
Houston Methodist
View poster (PDF) Poster 16
Inspirational Impact Award
Becoming & Belonging: A Guided Journaling Experience to Support Professional Identity, Reflection, and Connection Among Faculty
Ruchi Gaba, MD
Co-authors: Stacey Rose, MD; Andrew Childress, MD; Kelley Arredondo, MD; Ricardo Nuila, MD
Baylor College of Medicine
View poster (PDF) Poster 11
Poster Showcase
Every poster presented at the 2026 JIMI Symposium. Scan the QR code on your phone, open the PDF, or scroll through the showcase below.
Price
FEES
REGISTRATION TYPE | FEE |
|---|---|
Physician (Houston Methodist) (HM PCG, SPG, MPAQ and ACO PCPs) | $50 |
Physician (Private physician located within the Greater Houston Area) | $185 |
Physician (Private physician located outside the Greater Houston Area) | $150 |
Advanced Practice Provider (NP, PA, Nurse Midwife, CRNA) (Houston Methodist) | $50 |
Advanced Practice Provider (NP, PA, Nurse Midwife, CRNA) (Non-Houston Methodist) | $125 |
Resident / Fellow / Student (Houston Methodist) | $50 |
Resident / Fellow / Student (Non-Houston Methodist) | $75 |
Healthcare Leader/Administrator/All Others (Houston Methodist) | $50 |
Healthcare Leader/Administrator/All Others (Non-Houston Methodist) | $75 |
* In compliance with HM’s policy on Physician Non-Monetary Compensation regarding “Stark Law,” private physicians who reside and/or practice medicine within the Greater Houston Area are required to pay the full Fair Market Value registration fee.