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2026 Joy in Medicine Initiative (JIMI) Symposium - Forging New Paths: Strategies to Sustain Joy in Medicine - October 2, 2026
CALL FOR POSTER ABSTRACTS
Submit Your Poster Abstract Proposal Here - Deadline to Submit: June 14, 2026
Overview
The 2026 JIMI Symposium is a full‑day, in‑person educational experience focused on the practical work of sustaining joy and professional fulfillment in today’s clinical and leadership environments.
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.
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. The 2026 JIMI Symposium addresses these gaps by moving beyond high‑level inspiration to focus on how change actually happens in real clinical and health system settings.
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 insight to action—equipping participants with clear frameworks, tested practices, and leadership behaviors that can be implemented within real‑world clinical, operational, and organizational constraints.
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.
Note: The agenda below will be updated as additional details are confirmed.
| Houston Methodist's 2026 Joy in Medicine Initiative (JIMI) Symposium Forging New Paths: Leadership, Connection & Innovation to Sustain Joy in Medicine October 2, 2026 | Thompson Houston Agenda | |||||
| Time | Format | Session Title | Purpose | Focus | Speakers |
| 7:30 to 8:30 AM | Check In, Breakfast, Poster Session | Start Here: Connection, Curiosity, and What Is Working in Practice | Arrival, connection across roles, and exposure to practical work already underway | Self | — |
| 8:30 to 8:45 AM | Welcome and Framing | Forging New Paths: Why This Matters Now | Set shared purpose for clinicians and leaders and orient the day | Self | Emcee & Marc Boom, MD & Shlomit Schaal, MD, PhD, MHCM |
| 8:45 to 9:30 AM | Keynote Plenary | The Clinician and Leader Experience Today: What Sustains Us and What Gets in the Way | Session grounded in lived experience across clinical and leadership roles | Self | Albert Wu, MD, MPH |
| 9:30 to 10:30 AM | Innovation Spotlights | Innovation Spotlights: What It Took, What Changed, and What It Cost | Practical examples that reduce friction and support daily work | Self | TBD |
| 10:30 to 10:45 AM | Break | Fika Break | Energy reset and informal reflection | Self | — |
| 10:45 to 11:30 AM | Plenary | Leading Where You Stand: Behaviors That Sustain Team Capacity | Leadership behaviors that shape team capacity and daily work experience | Team | TBD |
| 11:30 AM to 12:00 PM | Strategy Update | Our Path Forward: Connecting System Direction with Local Action | Connection between system strategy and local practice | Team | Shlomit Schaal, MD, PhD, MHCM |
| 12:00 to 12:45 PM | Lunch, Networking, Poster Session | Connection Lab Lunch: Cross Role Networking and Poster Exploration | Intentional cross role conversation and poster engagement | Team | — |
| 12:45 to 1:30 PM | Interactive Breakouts | Role Labs: Turning Ideas Into 30 Day Tests Within Your Role | Role based application and identification of feasible next steps | Team | TBD |
| 1:30 to 1:45 PM | Break | Fika Break | Energy reset before synthesis work | Team | — |
| 1:45 to 2:45 PM | Cross Role Synthesis | System Studio: What Clinicians and Leaders Need From Each Other to Sustain Joy | Alignment across roles and identification of shared dependencies | System | J Bryan Sexton, PhD & Breakout Session Facilitators |
| 2:45 to 3:15 PM | Guided Reflection | Commit to One Next Step: Action, Metric, Accountability | Individual commitment to one realistic and measurable action | System | J Bryan Sexton, PhD & Breakout Session Facilitators |
| 3:15 to 3:30 PM | Closing Reflection | Close the Loop: Recognition and What I Am Carrying Forward | Integration and closure without overload | System | Emcee |
| 3:30 to 4:30 PM | Networking | Forge Connections: Networking Happy Hour | Informal relationship building and continued dialogue | System | — |
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
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.