We are excited to invite abstract submissions for the 2026 National Society of Allied Health (NSAH) Annual Conference. Given NSAH’s mission and its role in elevating allied health professionals from HBCUs, this conference offers a timely and necessary platform to interrogate how political forces shape the educational pathways and health outcomes of communities historically marginalized in health care.

The theme, “Impact of the Political Climate on Healthcare Education and Patient Care” reflects a pressing reality. Health policy decisions made at federal, state, and local levels directly influence funding, curriculum design, student access, regulatory oversight, and patient care quality and equity. Moreover, research underscores how political economy exerts structural influence on population health. McCartney et al. (2019) argue that political decisions shape social determinants, resource allocation, and health disparities.

Meanwhile, the interplay between political ideology and health behaviors is increasingly documented. For instance, Geana et al. (2021) note that partisan identities correlate with preventive health behaviors, reinforcing how political polarization may exacerbate health inequities.

In education, the “hidden curriculum” of political values shapes professional formation. Reinhart (2023) highlights how US medical training embeds political ideologies through implicit norms about individual responsibility and broader structural constraints. Similarly, the need to equip health educators with political literacy is evident in literature examining e-learning and institutional constraints (e.g. Walsh et al., 2019) and the political skill needed for health systems change (Clarke et al., 2021).

By convening discourse around this theme, the NSAH seeks to deepen understanding of how political forces influence (and can be leveraged to improve) allied health education, health equity, and patient care outcomes, especially in underserved and African American communities.

This conference will provide a platform for scholars, practitioners, and students to share research, strategies, and perspectives on how the political climate shapes health care access, allied health education, and the broader well-being of diverse populations.

We invite submissions that explore solutions and research on expanding access to allied health education, improving recruitment and retention of minority professionals, and developing policies that promote health and wellness for everyone.

Topics may include, but are not limited to: