2026 IOMC Leadership Awards & Annual Convening
Major Fundraising Goal $350,000
Leadership Awards | Sponsorship | Seated Dinner | Lively Spirits | Networking
June 25 , 2026
5:00 - 8:00 PM CT
Maggiano's Little Italy- Chicago
Grand Ballroom
(Use Grand Avenue Banquet entrance)
Cocktail and Business Attire
Valet parking available. SpotHero for other convenient parking.
The 2026 Leadership Awards & Annual Meeting is a joyful celebration of the Institute’s ongoing dedication to health equity—honoring our journey, our achievements, and our dreams for the future. We invite you to be part of this inspiring moment, as we come together to spark social change and foster a world with fewer healthcare disparities. We will honor the new Board of Governors, express gratitude to the 2025-2026 Board for their dedication, reflect on the past year’s successes, and look ahead with hope and determination.
Together, we will express heartfelt appreciation to Dr. Lorenzo Pence, DO, and the 2025-2026 Board of Governors for their leadership and lasting impact. We are delighted to welcome Dr. Archana Chatterjee, MD, PhD, as our incoming 2026-2027 President, along with the new Board of Governors. Join us as we set a hopeful, collaborative agenda for the year ahead—united in our commitment to advancing health equity and reducing disparities for all.
KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Aron Sousa, MD, FACP
President
Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
Fellow, IOMC
Title: "Universities as Engines for Community Health"
“Universities as Engines for Community Health" links the community based work Aron Sousa, MD did throughout his career in Michigan with the Rosalind Franklin University’s leadership in advancing health through the student-run, free Interprofessional Community Clinic, the university's free Community Care Connection, and Children’s Advocacy Center Medical Clinic, which is the only clinic of its kind in Illinois. This keynote has a particular focus on cash allowance programs designed to improve health focusing on Rx Kids, which has used universal cash for moms and babies to improve maternal and newborn health. This novel intervention exemplifies how collaboration among academic institutions, public health, private philanthropy and state funding can catalyze meaningful, community-centered change.
Bio
Aron Sousa, MD, took office as RFU president on Nov. 10, 2025, bringing with him a distinguished record of academic leadership and a deep commitment to community health. Nationally recognized for his leadership in medical education, he has advanced public health research and strengthened the role of academic medicine in serving society.
Dr. Sousa most recently served as dean of Michigan State University’s College of Human Medicine (MSU CHM) and executive dean of the MSU Health Colleges. A self-described teacher at heart, Dr. Sousa is a strong advocate for students, prioritizing their success and well-being as they prepare to become the next generation of health leaders. He developed CHM’s Shared Discovery Curriculum, where students are exposed to multiple settings, systems and medical professionals from a variety of specialties, including physical therapy, nursing, social work and pharmacy. Dr. Sousa shares Rosalind Franklin University’s enduring commitment to interprofessional education and collaborative practice as a means to improve patient outcomes and provider engagement.
Throughout his 30-year career at MSU, Dr. Sousa established innovation-based partnerships, demonstrating how a university can closely collaborate with local partners to strengthen healthcare delivery and improve community well-being. His most transformative project while at MSU greatly advanced public health initiatives in Flint, Michigan. He was principal investigator on $37 million in grants from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation to establish a downtown campus, expand public health research, and ultimately create the Charles Stewart Mott Department of Public Health. The Flint expansion has advanced critical research on mental health, poverty, nutrition, and the effects of lead exposure in children during the city’s 2014–2016 water crisis.
A general internist and Fellow of the American College of Physicians, Dr. Sousa earned his medical degree from Indiana University School of Medicine, before completing his residency, chief residency and fellowship in primary care internal medicine at MSU.
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TICKETS
Register using the Blue button in the left kiosk.
$200.00 Members - Billings Fellows, Fellows and Associate Fellows *,**,***,****, *****
$250..00 Non-members (Guests) *,**,***,****
$100.00 Residents*,**,***,****,*****,******
Complimentary-ACHIEVE Students- Use Passcode *,**,***,****,*****
ACHIEVE Students - contact IOMC if you need your passcode at contactus@iomc.org.
Tickets can be transferred to a comparable level only. No refunds after June 18, 2026.
If your require special accommodations due to being handicapped or impairment, please contact us in advance of the event at contactus@iomc.org.
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THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS
Meeting Partners
Download Sponsorship Brochure here>
Contact Deborah Hodges, MA-IDS to obtain information on sponsorships, tables and more at sponsorship@iomc.org.
*Tickets are non-refundable as of June 18, 2026.
** By attending this event, you are consenting to photos that may be used in communications.
*** Reservations accepted through June 18, 2026.
****All substitutions must be of comparable level.
*****Copy of ID to validate status.
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