Jul 7, 2026
VCU convenes leading health care management scholars to advance research that improves health care organizations
Virginia Commonwealth University's College of Health Professions recently welcomed leading health care management scholars from across the country for the annual conference of the Organization Theory in Health Care Association (OTHC), a national organization dedicated to advancing research on how health care organizations can improve quality, workforce well-being, patient care, and organizational performance.
Hosted by VCU's Department of Health Administration, the conference brought together faculty, researchers, and doctoral students from leading universities across the country to present new research, exchange ideas, and foster collaborations focused on some of health care's most pressing organizational challenges.
The conference marked the third time VCU has hosted OTHC and the first since the College of Health Professions moved into its current building.
"We are proud to welcome such a distinguished group of nationally-recognized scholars, thought leaders, and emerging researchers to an environment where collaboration leads to innovative ideas, and research impacts meaningful change," said Amy R. Darragh, Ph.D., dean of the VCU College of Health Professions. "Hosting the Organization Theory in Health Care Association conference for the third time reflects the college’s ongoing commitment to strengthening patient care and striving to achieve better outcomes for health care organizations and the communities we serve.”
Laura McClelland, Ph.D., chair of VCU's Department of Health Administration and conference co-chair, said hosting OTHC is a natural extension of the department's broader mission to advance health care management research and develop future scholars.
"Hosting OTHC speaks to our department's commitment to advancing management and organizational scholarship,” said McClelland. That commitment is reflected in our HSOR Ph.D. program, the scholarship of our faculty, and our belief that theory-informed research plays an essential role in improving health care organizations and the care they provide.”
John McHugh, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Health Administration and conference co-chair, said hosting the conference highlighted both the department's growth and the value of bringing together leading scholars in healthcare management.
"This is our third time hosting, and the first time we've hosted the conference in our new building, so it's a great opportunity to showcase who we are, where we are, and the work we're doing as a department," McHugh said. "It also gives us a chance to hear about the exciting research being conducted by scholars across the country."
Advancing research that improves health care
The Organization Theory in Health Care Association (OTHC) brings together national scholars who analyze how modern health care organizations are designed, led, and managed. Their research informs health care leaders on issues ranging from workforce resilience and patient safety to organizational innovation, quality improvement, and health system performance.
Throughout the conference, scholars presented research examining many of the organizational challenges facing health care today, including care team effectiveness, implementation of electronic health records, patient narratives and workforce well-being, health care innovation, sepsis diagnosis, organizational learning, hospital competition, and strategies for supporting frontline health care workers.
Presenters represented institutions including Stanford University, the University of Pennsylvania, UCLA, New York University, Columbia, Johns Hopkins University, Wake Forest University, the University of Minnesota, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, the University of Kansas, the University of Maryland, Rush University, Florida State University and many others.
A poster session showcased emerging research from faculty members and early-career scholars, providing additional opportunities for discussion, collaboration, and mentorship.
By bringing together scholars studying healthcare organizations from diverse disciplinary perspectives, OTHC helps generate new ideas and collaborations that ultimately improve how healthcare is organized, managed, and experienced by patients, families, and the health care workforce.
Leadership perspective on healthcare's future
Sean T. Connaughton, president and CEO of the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association (VHHA), delivered the keynote address this year, providing an executive outlook on the rapid transformation of the health care industry.
Drawing on his extensive background in public service and health care leadership, Connaughton discussed the financial, workforce, technological, and policy challenges facing hospitals today, including artificial intelligence, GLP-1 medications, rural health care, workforce shortages, and the evolving health care policy environment. He also emphasized the importance of rigorous research in helping health care leaders and policymakers navigate an increasingly complex healthcare system.
Learn More
A complete conference program, including presentation abstracts and poster presentations, is available on the Organization Theory in Health Care Association website.