2026 North Country Leadership Summit

September 30 and October 1, 2026
About this Event

We are excited for the 2026 North Country Leadership Summit, a collaboration between Adirondack Health Institute (AHI) and the North Country Telehealth Partnership, a joint effort between AHI and Fort Drum Regional Health Planning Organization (FDRHPO).

Ticket price structure

Register by 9/10/2026:

• 1 day ticket (either 9/30 OR 10/1): $80
• 2 day ticket (9/30-10/1): $135

Registration will close after September 10, 2026. Following this date, if you are interested in registering for the Summit, a waitlist may be available. To inquire about the waitlist, please email [email protected].

Registration and Ticket Pricing Information

Tickets include access to the conference agenda as permitted by your ticket type(to be released prior to the event) that will include keynote addresses, plenary sessions, breakout sessions, exhibitor hall, and networking breaks. Breakfast, lunch, and break snacks are included in the cost of registration. If you have any dietary restrictions, please email [email protected] by September 17th.

Day-of registration may be available, pending final headcount and venue capacity. If we are able to accept walk in registrations, space will be limited, registration will incur a $10 additional fee and must be completed upon arrival via check. We cannot accommodate any post-event billing requests.

Hotel Accommodations

A room block has been set up at the The Golden Arrow Lakeside Resort. Each person must make their individual reservations by August 15, 2026. Please call 800-582-5540 to make a reservation and mention the group name "North Country Leadership Summit".

Room Types and Rates (Single/Double)

• Lakeside room with 2 queens or King: Weekday (Sunday to Thursday) = $199 per night
• Villageside room with 2 queens or King: Weekday (Sunday to Thursday) = $169 per night

Triple occupancy = +$10

Quad occupancy= +$20

• *Age 13 and over
• Cancelation/Change policy: 7 Days Prior to arrival. That means that if a room night is to be dropped or a reservation is to be canceled it must be done 7 days prior to the arrival date. Inside of the 7 days that person will still be charged for the dropped night or entire canceled reservation.

*Travel expenses are not reimbursable.

Parking Information

We are happy to offer complimentary parking passes for individuals parking in the Lake Placid Municipal Lot. Passes are limited so if you are staying at the Golden Arrow or another nearby hotel, or if you do not plan to park in the municipal lot, please do not select a parking pass with your registration.

On the day of the event, park your vehicle in the municipal lot and check in at the registration desk to receive your parking pass. You will then need to return to your vehicle and place the pass on your dashboard or windshield so it is clearly visible.

*We do not offer any parking reimbursement outside of the municipal lot passes.

Group ticket sales

If you are looking to register 10 or more individuals from your organization, an invoice can be provided for payment. Email [email protected] by September 16th to inquire about group registration.

Cancellation/ Substitution Policy

If you register for the 2026 North Country Leadership Summit but cannot attend, you may transfer your registration to another person or cancel your ticket.

All transfer requests must be submitted in writing and sent to [email protected] no later than September 23rd.

Refund Policy

Any cancellations after September 28th cannot be refunded.

Consent to Use Photographic Images

By registering and attending the 2026 North Country Leadership Summit, you grant Adirondack Health Institute (AHI) and Fort Drum Regional Health Planning Organization (FDRHPO), and those acting with AHI’s permission, to include and identify you in any publication, photograph and audio or visual recordings of any kind and in whatever medium it may use for educational, publicity, and/or fundraising purposes. You also give permission to use your name, story, and any direct quotes for education, publicity and/or fundraising purposes in any medium. By registering and attending the 2026 North Country Leadership Summit, you understand and agree that AHI retains all rights to the photographs, moving images, sound recordings, and other media, and that you will not be compensated for any AHI use of same. You waive any right you may have to inspect or approve media that contains your name, image, sound recordings, story, and/or biographical data. Exceptions to this consent must be made in writing to: [email protected] by September 28th.

September 30, 2026

🕑: 08:00 AM - 09:00 AM
Registration and Networking Breakfast
🕑: 09:00 AM - 09:00 AM
Welcome and Opening Remarks
Host: Karen Ashline, AHI, CEO
🕑: 09:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Deep Roots & Strong Partnerships: A Framework for Strengthening Communities
🕑: 10:30 AM - 11:00 AM
Awards Ceremony
🕑: 11:00 AM - 11:15 AM
Networking Break
🕑: 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM
From Risk to Reward: Navigating the High-Risk Journey with Hixny
Host: RuthAnn Craven, Hixny
🕑: 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM
Building Stronger Rural Healthcare Teams
Host: Dr. Chris Thomas, Elite 9 Talent Solutions
🕑: 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM
Expanding Rural Care: Innovation, Access & Empowering Patients to Age Well
Host: Hannah Pelletieri, Mercy Care for the Adirondacks, Inc.
🕑: 12:15 PM - 12:45 PM
Networking Break and Poster Sessions
🕑: 12:45 PM - 01:45 PM
Lunch and Exhibitor Hall
🕑: 01:45 PM - 02:45 PM
Breaking the Ward Walls: Leading Multidisciplinary Collaboration in Care
Host: Catherine LaPier, CVPH
🕑: 01:45 PM - 02:45 PM
Transforming Rural Healthcare through TeleICU and Partnerships
Host: Sarah Howard, Dartmouth Hitchcock Connected Care
🕑: 01:45 PM - 02:45 PM
Humans Dont Hibernate: Building a Data-Driven Community Wellness Movement
Host: Jean Sloan, St. Lawrence County Public Health Department
🕑: 02:45 PM - 03:15 PM
Networking Break and Poster Sessions
🕑: 03:15 PM - 03:40 PM
Intro to Zero Balancing and Zero Balancing First Aid for Trauma Resiliency
Host: Dan Sullivan, Adirondack Massage Therapy
🕑: 03:40 PM - 04:40 PM
Strengthening the Rural Healthcare Workforce Plenary Panel
Host: Jesse Byers, AHI
🕑: 04:40 PM - 05:00 PM
Closing Remarks and Prizes
October 1, 2026

🕑: 07:00 AM - 08:00 AM
Registration and Networking Breakfast
🕑: 08:00 AM - 08:00 AM
Welcome Remarks
🕑: 08:15 AM - 09:15 AM
State Leadership Panel: Updates, Resources & Opportunities to Connect
🕑: 09:15 AM - 09:45 AM
Networking Break and Exhibitor Hall
🕑: 09:45 AM - 10:45 AM
Collaborative Action in Complex Systems
Host: Elisabeth Panighetti & Randi Heitzman, MVP Health Care
🕑: 09:45 AM - 10:45 AM
Closing the Capture-Rate Gap: Making Remote Patient Monitoring Actually Work
Host: Chris Gaur, Vital Care Services (VCS)
🕑: 09:45 AM - 10:45 AM
Building an Alternate Level of Care Unit
Host: Andrea Lamora, CVPH
🕑: 10:45 AM - 11:00 AM
Networking Break and Exhibitor Hall
🕑: 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Burnout Plenary Session
Host: Benita Zahn
🕑: 12:00 PM - 01:00 PM
Lunch and Exhibitor Hall
🕑: 01:00 PM - 02:00 PM
Nothing About Us Without Us: Disability-Led Collaboration in Rural Communities
Host: Tyler Whitney, SAIL
🕑: 01:00 PM - 02:00 PM
Following the Yellow Brick Road: A Pathway to Reducing Loneliness & Isolation
Host: Arriana Patraw, Get Healthy North Country
🕑: 01:00 PM - 02:00 PM
Connecting Care: Real-World Solutions for Rural Health from HealtheConnections
Host: Karen Gonyea, HealtheConnections
🕑: 02:00 PM - 02:15 PM
Closing Remarks and Prizes