Mark your calendars for March 5-6, 2026. You are invited to join the Texas Hospital Association for an in-person Texas hospital communications summit to be held in Austin at THA headquarters.
March 5-6, 2026
THA Headquarters
1108 Lavaca St.
Austin, Texas
Registration Fee: $125
The event is open to THA member hospital communications staff only. In-person attendance is limited to 50 attendees and virtual attendance will not be offered. The deadline to register is Friday, Feb. 27.
Join us in Austin to connect with hospital communicators from across the state. You’ll have a chance to:
- Learn about new tools and industry messaging;
- Strategize for 2026 and beyond;
- Meet your counterparts from other Texas hospitals;
- Learn about industry perception, challenges and opportunities;
- Share best practices and new ideas.
Please Note: The full agenda and additional details are forthcoming.
New This Year: Sunset Boat Cruise
After our first day of educational sessions, we’ll hit the town Thursday evening for a sunset boat cruise on the lake. In the heart of downtown, the sunset cruise will give you views of Austin’s skyline and sightseeing at the famous Austin bat bridge.
AGENDA – Thursday, March 5
| Noon-12:30 p.m. | Check In, Lunch & Networking |
| 12:30-12:45 p.m. | Welcome & Summit Kickoff Carrie Williams, Chief Communications Officer, Texas Hospital Association |
| 12:45-1:30 p.m. | Introductions & Communicators Round Table Kimberly Walton, Director, Media Relations and Issues Management, Texas Health, 2026 THA Communications Council Chair |
| 1:30-2 p.m. | Kerrville Crisis Response Tim Rye, Chief Strategic Development Officer, Peterson Health |
| 2-2:30 p.m. | Communicating Quality: Collaborating with Clinical Teams Nina Costillo, Clinical Projects Manager, Texas Hospital Association & Sheila Dolbow, Project Improvement Manager, Texas Hospital Association |
| 2:30-2:45 p.m. | Break + Sponsor Presentation Eileen Wixted, President, Wixted & Danielle West, Strategic Communication Director, Wixted |
| 2:45-3:30 p.m. | Navigating Hospitals & Politics Carrie Kroll, Senior Vice President, Advocacy, Public Policy, & Political Strategy, Texas Hospital Association, Sara González, Vice President, Advocacy & Public Policy, Texas Hospital Association, & Julia Mann, Senior Manager, Communications and Content Strategy, Texas Hospital Association |
| 3:30-4:30 p.m. | AI, Innovation & Automation Facilitated Discussion: Amy Eskew, Chief Operating Officer, Texas Hospital Association |
| 4:30 p.m. | Group Photo & Adjourn |
| 6-8 p.m. | Sunset Communications Cruise Capital Cruises Dock, 208 Barton Springs Road |
AGENDA – Friday, March 6
| 8-8:30 a.m. | Breakfast & Networking |
| 8:30-8:45 a.m. | Day Two Welcome John Hawkins, President/CEO, Texas Hospital Association |
| 8:45-9:15 a.m. | Marketing One-Stop-Shop Carolyn Connolly, Chief Marketing Officer, Austin PBS & Austin City Limits® |
| 9:15-10:15 a.m. | Rising Leaders & Digital Natives: A Fresh Look at Digital Influence Panel Discussion Madi Hawkins, Legislative Director, Texas House of Representatives Jared Shult, Digital Content Creator Brooke Thadeus, Health Care Influencer & Delivery Manager, Mayo Clinic Jordann Thomas, MBA, MPH, Associate Integration Manager, The Resource Group Moderated by Alex Ratcliff, Senior Director, Marketing Communications, Texas Hospital Association |
| 10:15-10:30 a.m. | Break + Sponsor Presentation Emily Burke, CEO, BBR Creative |
| 10:30-11:15 a.m. | Health Communication and AI: Promise, Pitfalls and Practice Michael Mackert, PhD, Director, Center for Health Communication, University of Texas at Austin |
| 11:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m. | Scroll, Stream, Subscribe: News Media’s Digital-First Era Panel Discussion Asher Price, Axios Austin Joel Gross, Austin Current Bradley Swail, Texas Talks Podcast Moderated by Carrie Williams, Chief Communications Officer, Texas Hospital Association |
| 12:30 p.m. | Adjourn & Grab-and-Go Lunch |
Timing, Travel & Logistics
For travel purposes, sessions will begin at noon Thursday, March 5, and will conclude at 1 p.m. on Friday, March 6. There are a number of hotel options nearby. We suggest booking at your earliest convenience. Hotels with discounted corporate rates for THA members include:
- Hilton For Business
- DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Austin Downtown Capitol: 303 W. 15th Street
- Hampton by Hilton Inn & Suites University/Capitol: 1701 Lavaca Street
- Hilton Garden Inn Austin University Capitol District: 301 W. 17th Street
Other convenient hotels nearby include:
- DoubleTree Suites Hotel Austin, 303 W. 15th St.
- JW Marriott Austin, 110 E. 2nd St
- Stephen F. Austin Royal Sonesta Hotel, Congress Ave.
- The Otis Hotel, Autograph Collection, San Antonio St.
Thank you to our sponsors:
Interested in sponsoring this event? Contact Chris Felton at [email protected] for sponsorship details.