July 2026 Briefs
Slowing Down and Making Space
In the June Briefs, I talked about my upcoming vacation to Australia and my hope that I would return feeling refreshed and recharged, with photos of wildlife. It was all that and more, with lots of photos to remind me of this wonderful adventure. However, the photos are unable to capture one important benefit: the free time and space to focus away from work emails and Zoom calls, meal prep and dog care. The trip was a reminder to slow down and make space – for relationships and new experiences – and that can happen without flying to the other side of the world.
On our last day, our gracious hosts made time for an impromptu trip to find kangaroos. After multiple stops and failed attempts, we came upon a field full of kangaroos — a mob! The pictured doe & joey were our greeters. Our Australian guides commented how rare this was; they had never seen a doe & joey in the wild. I believed them, but I also wonder if they were able to see the ordinary (kangaroos beside a parking lot) in a new light, with fresh eyes, because they, too, were slowing down and making space in this break from their daily routine.
My out-of-office email reply referenced my quest for “the kind of perspective shift that only comes from being very far from home.” I love to travel and hope to have many more opportunities in the future, but I now realize that the shift in perspective can also occur simply by slowing down and making space.
I hope you will take a few minutes to catch up on our plans for Fall convenings and consider responding to the Healthcare Summit call for proposals and Fellowship call for applications, or forward this to someone who might be a good fit.
Together,
Karen
Member Updates
HERO Events
HERO University Summit
Navigating Institutional Changes. Communicating the value of well-being to leaders.
October 21, 2026 | A virtual convening
The University Summit brings together university well-being practitioners to explore how teams can sustain momentum, rebuild trust, and demonstrate the value of well-being during leadership transitions and institutional change.
With support from
HERO Chief Medical Officer Summit
Lifestyle Medicine as a Strategic Lever for Better Brain Health
November 8, 2026 | Orlando, FL
Learn how Chief Medical Officers can use lifestyle medicine to advance brain health, improve workforce outcomes, and drive organizational performance. For corporate medical directors and professionals in similar roles.
With support from
HERO Fall Think Tank
Is Nature the Missing Ingredient in Your Workforce Well-Being Strategy?
November 9, 2026 | Winter Park, FL
Explore the science behind nature and workplace well-being. Learn practical, evidence-based strategies to incorporate biophilic design and nature connections that support healthier, more engaged employees.
With support from
HERO Healthcare Summit
November 10, 2026 | Winter Park, FL
The HERO Healthcare Summit brings healthcare leaders together to share insights, tackle workforce challenges, and explore practical, real-world strategies that improve employee well-being.
More Information Coming Soon!
With support from:
Interested in sponsoring? Take a look at the 2026 Sponsor Prospectus.
Member Updates
CALL FOR PROPOSALS
HERO Healthcare Summit
From burnout to thriving: Rebuilding Systems to Enhance Belonging and Improve Mental Health Across Healthcare Teams
November 10, 2026 | Winter Park, FL
Submissions due by August 30. Notifications will be sent by September 15.
The HERO Healthcare Summit invites healthcare leaders, well-being professionals, and researchers to submit proposals to support this year’s Summit on November 10 in Winter Park, FL.
The 2026 HERO Healthcare Summit will explore how healthcare organizations can move from burnout to belonging by equipping leaders, strengthening psychological safety, supporting mental health, and fostering the conditions that allow care teams to thrive. This year’s Summit will focus on practical, real-world approaches that help leaders support their teams while also recognizing that leaders themselves need time, tools, peer support, and organizational backing to lead effectively under pressure.
The planning committee is seeking dynamic speakers to deliver high impact learning and practical application. We invite proposals for the following:
Keynote Presentation
- The keynote presentation will kick off our discussion around the impact of mental health in the healthcare environment.
- Proposals should highlight not only research, data, and benchmarks, but also putting research into practice to provide strong takeaways for participants.
- The keynote presentation will be 45 minutes with a Q&A for the audience.
Panel Discussions
- Selected presenters will deliver a brief (8-10 minutes), high-impact spotlight followed by facilitated panel discussion designed to maximize shared learning and practical application of concepts.
- Proposed Panel Topics:
- Panel 1: Case Studies on how systems are supporting burnout within their organizations
- Panel 2: Using technology or AI to support leader well-being
- Panel 3: Belonging and relationships as a core pillar of employee well-being.
- Shared Learning Outcomes Across Panels. Participants will leave with:
- Practical approaches to demonstrate the institutional value of well‑being.
- Tools to align well‑being with executive priorities and KPIs.
- Strategies to sustain and advance well‑being through ongoing institutional change.
Experiential Learning and Collaboration
- A dedicated session will focus on hands-on, experiential learning, and collaboration.
- Collaboration session will be approximately 45 minutes.
- Proposals should focus on hands-on approaches, storytelling, and/or activities that allow participants the opportunity to practice new concepts and explore new thinking patterns.
With support from:
Well-Being Fellowship
Accepting Applications
The Dexter Shurney, MD Well-Being Fellowship supports research and innovation focused on advancing health equity through lifestyle medicine, healthcare access, affordability, and community-centered well-being initiatives.
The fellowship seeks applicants committed to advancing health equity through research. This fellowship would particularly welcome applicants with strong analytical skills, a commitment to social justice, and a vision for translating research into actionable policy and practice change.
The inaugural fellow will be recognized during the CMO Summit this November.
HERO Members
The recording and slides from the Summer Think Tank on “Financial Well-Being at Work: Are we solving the right problems?” are now available.
Log in to the HERO Hub and check it out!
HERO RECOMMENDS
Resources and Readings
Recommended Resources
AI and Mental Health Conference Monday, October 5, 2026, 9:00 AM-5:00 PM University of Michigan, Michigan Union, Rogel Ballroom, 530 S State St., Ann Arbor
The AI and Mental Health Conference at the University of Michigan will bring together communities with leaders from academia, healthcare, industry, and government to explore critical challenges and opportunities at the intersection of AI and mental health. Hosted by the Michigan Institute for Data and AI in Society (MIDAS) and University of Michigan partners, this event is more than a conference—it is a call to action designed to foster meaningful dialogue, spark new collaborations, and accelerate responsible, human-centered AI innovation. The ideas, perspectives, and recommendations generated throughout the event will help shape future research directions, community engagement strategies, and policy considerations, creating a lasting resource for researchers, practitioners, decision-makers, and communities alike. The conference is free and open to the public. Learn more and register by visiting the conference website.
Broaden Your Expertise with A Total Worker Health® Certificate
This 9-credit online certificate from UNC Chapel Hill equips you with a holistic lens for advancing worker safety, health and well-being. You’ll work on team-based projects alongside students and working professionals from environmental health, nursing, business, engineering, health behavior, and more. Along the way, network with guest speakers in leading industry, nonprofit, and government roles. Full scholarships available. Application deadline is August 3, 2026 for Fall 2026. To learn more, visit go.unc.edu/TWHCert or hear from students and faculty in our program video.
The American Heart Association Health Care by Food(TM) initiative provides tools and insights to help employers design, implement and scale Food Is Medicine strategies.
Research: Julie Y. A. Cachia, Xuan Zhao, John Hunter, Delancey Wu, Eta Lin & Julian De Freitas (July 22, 2026): AI for Proactive Mental Health: A Multi-Institutional, Longitudinal, Randomized Controlled Trial, DOI: 10.1056/AIoa2501293.
HBR: Design AI Systems That Actually Strengthen Human Reasoning (July 20, 2026). As organizations continue to grapple with best use cases and guardrails for AI, this article delivers promising approaches that preserve human agency.
Newsletter: Stop Thinking About AI as a Tool. It’s Talent. (July 21, 2026) HERO Senior Fellow Wendy Lynch offers insights on how to manage AI.
SHRM: Benefits Under Pressure (Summer 2026). Latest data reveals how employers are responding to rising healthcare costs and tighter budgets, including bright spots such as increase in paid parental leave.
Podcast: Dan Buettner interviews Drs. Dean and Ayesha Sherzai on the role of lifestyle behaviors in Alzheimer’s Disease. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ciSxGfOy0E
Issue Brief: Caregivers and Retirement: Findings from the 2026 Retirement Confidence Survey (July 22, 2026). This EBRI issue brief offers an important new perspective on caregiving and financial well-being.
Research: Amy L. Kenworthy, Jessica McManus Warnell & Sofiya Opatska (18 May 2026): Hope as educational infrastructure within war in Ukraine: A future created, not just awaited, Teaching in Higher Education, DOI: 10.1080/13562517.2026.2673383.
