October 15, 2026 | Doré Commons, Baker Institute for Public Policy, Rice University

Innovation in Digital Health for Access, Affordability, Equity and Global Scale

As artificial intelligence technologies accelerate scientific discovery and medical innovation, they also amplify long standing challenges in health care delivery.

The Fall 2026 Digital Health Symposium will convene leaders across medicine, engineering, public health, policy, health economics and industry to examine the broader ecosystem that shapes how innovation reaches patients and communities. 

Four critical dimensions of meaningful health care delivery — access, affordability, equity and global scale — will serve as the key themes of the symposium, framing a focus on digital health tools and care models that improve outcomes, lower cost, earn trust and reach underserved populations. 

The symposium reflects the broader mission of the Houston Methodist Rice Digital Health Institute to connect clinical insight, engineering and data science with implementation, policy and real-world care delivery.

Beyond gathering ideas, the symposium is designed as a catalyst for action. The program will create opportunities to define priorities, build partnerships and lay the groundwork for joint research, grants, white papers and scalable health initiatives that improve care locally and globally.