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ATA 2026 LEADERSHIP AWARDS 

Honoring the Leaders and Organizations Advancing Digital Health

The ATA Annual Awards program recognizes individuals and organizations that have accelerated innovations and solutions to advance the adoption of digital health and have been instrumental in expanding access to care to individuals when and where they need it. Through their groundbreaking work, these leaders help to set new standards in care delivery through the implementation of digital health and virtual care solutions.

Award recipients will be honored on the mainstage at NEXUS 2026 on Thursday, May 14, between 9:00 AM and 12:00 PM ET.

Nomination Deadline: Tuesday, March 17, 2026

AWARD CATEGORIES

Nominating Process  
Nominations will be accepted from ATA members or non-members individuals and organizations. All required materials to support a nomination must be submitted using the online nomination platform. Nominations must be received by

Selection Process
The ATA Awards Committee, comprised of recognized thought leaders from across the industry, will review all nominations and select the recipients in each category. Nominations must include no more than three letters of recommendation that highlight how a nominee meets or exceeds the designated criteria for an award, including nominee’s impact and how they have contributed to the substantial development, advancement or deployment of telehealth and virtual care. The selection of award recipients will be based on the information provided in these letters. Final awardees will be notified in advance and must be able to attend NEXUS in person for the awards program on Thursday, May 14, between 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM (final timing TBD).

Nomination Checklist
To prepare a nomination submission, please provide the following information:

  • Name of nominator, title, organization
  • Name of nominee (can be self), title, organization
  • Nominee’s bio and/or LinkedIn profile
  • Up to three letters of recommendation that outline how the nominee has met or exceeded the criteria for a specific award
  • Contact information for both the nominator and nominee

AWARD CATEGORIES

Leadership in Care Transformation

Recognizes an individual and/or healthcare organization that has demonstrated success in systemic implementation of telehealth and virtual care. This award recognizes truly outstanding teams or individuals that have vastly improved quality, reduced cost of care, increased efficiencies, improved clinical outcomes, increased patient and provider satisfaction, and/or delivered care to a large cohort of patients including underserved or vulnerable patient populations via digital health solutions. Examples of initiatives include: 

  • Expanding access to underserved and vulnerable populations

  • Addressing the healthcare needs of individuals including older patients and those with chronic conditions or disabilities

  • Demonstrating a successful business case or model, including increased efficiencies, cost savings, provider satisfaction, patient engagement, etc.

  • Actioning effective internal or external partnerships and collaborations that supported the transformation

    • In 2025, we awarded:

      • Two individuals: Brandi Clark, OSF OnCall; Kristen Valdes, b.well Connected Health

      • Two systems: CommonSpirit Health, Capital Blue Cross 

Virtual Care Champions: Virtual Nursing Leadership Award 

Recognizes an individual and/or a healthcare organization that has demonstrated exceptional leadership in implementing, scaling, and advancing virtual nursing programs that improve patient outcomes, enhance nurse satisfaction, and contribute to healthcare delivery transformation. 

This award honors leaders who have successfully deployed virtual nursing solutions that demonstrate measurable impact on care quality, operational efficiency, and workforce sustainability. Examples of initiatives include: 

  • Innovative program design: Developing scalable virtual nursing models that integrate seamlessly with bedside care delivery

  • Measurable outcomes: Demonstrating improvements in patient safety metrics (falls, hospital-acquired infections, pressure injuries), nurse retention, or operational efficiency

  • Workforce impact: Creating virtual nursing roles that enhance job satisfaction, reduce burnout, and attract nurses back to the bedside or keep experienced nurses in clinical practice

  • System-wide transformation: Successfully scaling virtual nursing across multiple units, facilities, or health systems

  • Technology integration: Effective implementation of technology platforms that enable virtual nursing workflows

  • Care model innovation: Pioneering new applications of virtual nursing (virtual discharge nurses, virtual admission support, specialty virtual nursing roles)

Virtual Care Champions: Rural Health Innovation Award 

Recognizes an individual and/or a healthcare organization that has demonstrated exceptional commitment to expanding access to high-quality healthcare for rural and underserved communities through innovative digital health solutions. 

This award honors leaders who have addressed the unique challenges facing rural healthcare delivery, including workforce shortages, infrastructure barriers, and geographic isolation, through creative, sustainable telehealth and digital health programs. Examples of initiatives include: 

  • Expanding specialty access: Bringing subspecialty care (cardiology, neurology, psychiatry, etc.) to rural communities that would otherwise lack access 

  • Infrastructure solutions: Addressing broadband, device distribution, or digital literacy barriers that prevent rural populations from accessing virtual care 

  • Sustainable business models: Developing financially viable digital health programs that work within rural healthcare economics 

  • Community partnerships: Building collaborations with critical access hospitals, rural health clinics, FQHCs, schools, or community organizations to extend reach 

  • Workforce solutions: Using digital health to address rural provider shortages or support rural clinicians through virtual consultation models 

  • Health equity impact: Measurably improving health outcomes for rural populations through digital health interventions 

  • Policy advocacy: Working to address regulatory or reimbursement barriers that limit rural digital health access  

ATA SIG Leadership Award 

Recognizes leadership (Chair or Co-chairs) of an ATA Special Interest Group (SIG) who has provided exemplary service and contributions to advancing the goals of the SIG, expanding its scope, and engaged other ATA members. This individual continuously demonstrates a strong commitment to the ATA’s mission and goals of the SIG, encouraging member engagement and demonstrating thought leadership in the individual’s area of expertise.