Learn to Thrive 2026 Recap
ACCME’s Learn to Thrive 2026 this month welcomed close to 600 attendees representing more than 350 organizations. Mark your calendars for next year’s Learn to Thrive, May 25-27, 2027, at the Hyatt Regency Chicago.
Dr. Graham McMahon (far left) and Dr. Annette Donawa (far right) were honored to present the inaugural ACCME Pinnacle Awards.
Congratulations to the 2026 ACCME Pinnacle Award winners, who were honored at Learn to Thrive on May 8:
CME Administrator of the Year: Kurt Snyder, JD, MBA
CME Mentor of the Year: Kristin Jensen, MD
CME Impact of the Year: ADOPT Program, Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES). Erin Schwarz, CHCP, accepted the award on behalf of SAGES.
The ACCME is now accepting nominations for the 2027 awards.
2026 ACCME Research and Scholarship Award
ACCME is pleased to recognize the winner of the 2026 Research and Scholarship Award, which was presented during Learn to Thrive 2026 on May 8. The winning project is “Bridging Clinical Insight and Community: Advancing Learner Change Through Palliative Bus Rounds” by The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Recipients: Kristi English, BA CHCP, Anne Perch, MBA CHCP, and Eduardo Bruera, MD FAAHPM.
New Strategic Goals for the ACCME
At Learn to Thrive on May 8, ACCME President and CEO Graham McMahon, MD, MMSc, and Annette Donawa, PhD, MSEd, Chair of the ACCME Board of Directors, presented ACCME’s new Strategic Goals for 2026–2029, Leading Through Learning: Advancing Skills for Better Care. Building on progress from ACCME’s prior strategic framework, these goals set a clear direction for how we will strengthen trust, expand the reach and value of accredited continuing education (CE), and advance learning as a force for better care—supporting healthcare professionals, teams, and the systems in which they work.
Committed To Campaign
At Learn to Thrive, we launched the Committed To campaign—an invitation to the accredited continuing education (CE) community to say clearly what we stand for, and to make the integrity of accredited education visible. In a moment when trust in science and evidence is being tested, accredited CE plays an essential role: helping clinicians and healthcare professionals make decisions grounded in the best available evidence—supported by education that is independent from commercial bias, valid, and designed to improve care. Learn more about the Committed To campaign and download your social media toolkit today!
Read the Message from Dr. Graham McMahon
Working Group Resources/Toolkits
Working Groups are a longitudinal learning opportunity that leverages the convening power of the ACCME’s Learn to Thrive annual meeting to facilitate the collaboration of CE professionals in producing resources for the accredited education community. The following Working Group resources/toolkits were launched at Learn to Thrive 2026.
- Building the CPD Workforce of the Future: Defining Roles, Expectations, and Resources
- Curriculum Implementation for the Professional Development and Professional Identity Formation of the Frontline Continuing Education Educator
- Enhancing Learner Access in Accredited Continuing Medical Education: A Practical Resource Guide for CE Providers
- Joint Providership Toolkit: An Essential Guide for Fruitful Joint Providership
- RSS Coordinator Best Practices: Quick Reference Guide
New Working Groups
Your CE colleagues have done it again: the newest Learn to Thrive Working Groups conducted focus groups at the 2026 Learn to Thrive meeting and now, they are ready to start their work bringing accredited education professionals together to create practical tools for the CE community.
Join the upcoming June 15 kick-off webinar to learn more about the 2026-2027 and discover how you can get involved in this collaborative work.
- Simulation Sandbox: A Hands-On Guide to Maximize Impact and Outcomes in CE
- Governing AI in Continuing Education: Model Policies for Responsible Innovation for CE/CPD Providers
- A Blueprint for CE Leaders: Competency-Based Support for Early-Career Physicians
Education and Resources
When the Algorithm Teaches: New JAMA Viewpoint on AI’s Promise—and Peril—for Physician Learning
ACCME President and CEO Graham T. McMahon, MD, MMSc, is the author of a new JAMA Viewpoint, “When the Algorithm Teaches—Promise and Peril of AI in Physician Learning,” published online May 21, 2026.
Additional AI Resources:
Register Now for the 2026 ACCME Accreditation Workshop
August 25–26
Westin Chicago River North
Registration is now open for the ACCME Accreditation Workshop. The workshop is an essential professional development opportunity for those who are new to accredited continuing medical education (CME). Together we will explore the ACCME’s requirements and expectations for accreditation as well as how accredited CE can be a strategic tool for healthcare improvement.
ACCME Certificate Programs – Summer 2026 Cohort Registration Open Through May 29
Don’t miss your chance to elevate your expertise, whether in PARS/JA-PARS data management or the Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited CE. The programs begin Monday, June 8, promising engaging, real-world learning designed to support your continued growth in accredited continuing education.
NIH Planning Integration of Nutrition Training into Health Care Education Challenge
NIH’s Office of Nutrition Research is planning to launch the Integration of Nutrition Training into Health Care Education Challenge. One goal of the challenge is to identify and reward exemplary curricula for integrating effective and scalable nutrition training into medical and nursing education across the nation.
The other goal is to identify and reward the development of nutrition curricula in medical and nursing education programs that demonstrate strong capability for dissemination. The total prize purse from NIH for Phase 1 of this challenge is expected to be up to $2,100,000. Additional information about the Challenge will be announced online.
