Background
Launched in 2011, the Patient Access Symposium was the result of leaders in academic ambulatory care wanting to network with one another about access. While performing research for “Mastering Patient Flow: 4th Edition,” the author – Elizabeth Woodcock – reached out to colleagues for their perspective. These interviews became the source of the original Patient Access Report, and the colleagues were the first participants in the community of access leaders.
The inaugural Patient Access Symposium was held on May 19, 2011, drawing attendance from nearly 20 academic health systems. Participants appreciated the ability to be in a discussion-based forum, basing the moderation of the event off of the interviews that had been conducted in the fall. Elizabeth recognized that the key to success was not only to create a series of speakers to lecture on relevant topics, but to truly understand the initiatives at each institution and encourage participants to share that information in an open format. An annual learning event was held each spring, with a separate program for children's hospital access leaders launching in 2017 held annually in September. In the fall of 2018, the Patient Access Symposium changed its name to the Patient Access Collaborative, reflecting who we had truly become. Over the years, the community has grown, however, we still appreciate the opportunity to engage in person for our annual symposium.
The Patient Access Collaborative has had the great fortune of having incredible host institutions year after year. They bring passion for improvement to each event and provide unparalleled knowledge and expertise. Our hosts include:
2026
Host Institution: Ohio State University (OSU) Physicians and OSU Wexner Medical Center
2025
Location: Houston with partners MD Anderson Cancer Center, Texas Children's Hospital & Houston Methodist
2024
Host Institution: Emory Healthcare
2023
Host Institution: Michigan State University Health Care
2022
Host Institutions: University of Colorado Health and University of Colorado School of Medicine
2019
Host Institutions: University of Kentucky HealthCare & Texas Children's Hospital
2018
Host institutions: Indiana University Health & Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
2017
Host institutions: The Mayo Clinic & Boston Children's Hospital
2016
Host institution: University of Washington Medicine
2015
Host institution: University of Alabama Birmingham Medicine
2014
Host institution: The University of Utah Health Care
2013
Host Institution: Vanderbilt University Medical Center
2012
Host Institution: The Emory Clinic
2011
Host Institution: Duke University Medical Center