Trust, Tech and Connection: Thoughts from the Conference Floor

By Artrese Morrison, Executive Director, West Region

Earlier this month, I presented and connected with a range of colleagues at the AcademyHealth Annual Research Meeting, and I’ve been sitting with so many thoughts about what I experienced and heard over those few days. Now that I’ve recovered from the miles of skywalk at the Minneapolis Convention Center and days of extended “on-time,” here are three takeaways that stuck with me the most:

1. Trust is really the technology

I wasn’t surprised by the buzz about artificial intelligence (AI) – how it’s being used, what it could become, and where it’s already starting to affect healthcare. But what stood out to me is that while the tools are becoming more advanced and widely used, the conversation about AI’s impact is circling back to something very human: trust.

I was pleased to hear people ask powerful questions about how we make sure AI doesn’t reinforce harm, how communities can see themselves in the design of these tools, and how we build accountability and equity into systems that have often operated with very little of it. In more than one session, someone asked, “How do we know these tools are working for the people they’re supposed to help?” and that question alone tells you where our energy and focus needs to be.

We are having the same conversation in our work in the Bay Area focused on building a platform for local data sharing and governance. We know that for all its potential benefits, AI and any technology will only go as far as the trust created through an implementation process that’s built by, not for, its community of users. And that innovation without clear intention could have harmful effects. 

2. Public and community health is ready to act on trust building in real ways

I was also pleased to see the conversation about equity work – with trust at the core – has deepened and moved from theoretical to application. My session with Beth Johnson and Paul Sorenson on “Building Trust and Shifting Mindsets: Community-Engaged Partnership in Research and Analytics” was deeply affirming. The room was full, people were leaning in, and the questions we received made it clear that this work is resonating.

Some of the questions we received:

• How do you build trust with communities that have historically been harmed by research institutions?
• What does true shared power look like in community partnered data work?
• How can researchers ensure AI tools reflect community values and priorities?
• What strategies have worked best to maintain engagement when funding or priorities shift?
• Who is still funding this kind of work?

People didn’t just ask and leave. They stayed after, kept talking, swapped contact info. It felt like people are ready to do things differently. Ready to listen more. Ready to share power. I was honored and excited.

And across the conference, this theme of trust and how to act on it differently and apply new tools kept showing up in real ways, whether we were talking about AI or policy or careers in research. The Data Equity Framework created by Health Leads and 211 San Diego was shouted out in another session, as an important example of how building trust within communities is essential to ethical and effective data sharing. One of the biggest policy conversations centered around Medicaid, where presenters warned that millions could lose coverage if proposed budget changes go through. That’s not just a number – that’s a signal of how urgently we need to stay in this fight, grounded in community wisdom and driven by solidarity. I’m deeply concerned about the erosion of hard earned trust in our communities if and when people are left without the support they need

3. In a time when learning together is harder than ever, forging strong connections is not optional, it’s essential.

Like so many other shifts over the last six months, I could feel a shift in the audience this year. Between tighter travel budgets , increased restrictions, and changing priorities, the conference drew about 1,000 fewer people. And yet, the people who did show up were hungry for real conversation.

I saw this everywhere, hallway chats turning into spontaneous strategy sessions, people swapping emails after panels, and long lines to keep talking after the official Q&A ended. These gatherings are still incredibly valuable, especially for people doing community-centered research who need places to find their people and share what’s working (and what’s not). It was a reminder that even when fewer folks can attend, those who do show up bring such depth. And as we continue pushing for equity-centered systems change, we need these spaces to keep learning, pushing, and building with one another.

But it also left me wondering – how do we stay connected when these moments don’t happen? How can people across geographies and sectors continue building relationships without the unplanned hallway conversations or impromptu coffee/snack chats? Is Zoom enough? And how do you meet new people, especially those outside your usual orbit, without spaces like these?

I also noticed something else that felt different this year. Many presenters seemed to be distancing their presentations from their organizations, often clarifying that their views were personal and not official. And there were noticeably fewer federal employees in attendance than last year. I can only assume that this is a result of more restrictive policies from the current administration, a sobering reminder of how the broader political climate can influence the flow of ideas and the openness of dialogue in spaces like this.

At Health Leads, we believe the people closest to the challenge hold the most powerful solutions. What I saw at AcademyHealth confirmed that others are trying to lean into this belief too. And if we stay focused on building real relationships, sharing decision-making, and centering those most affected, we’ll keep moving this work forward in the direction it needs to go despite political and environmental challenges

I left the conference feeling tired but encouraged, challenged, and more committed than ever.