Academic medical centers are being asked to do more in an era that rarely pauses for recovery. Policy shocks, rapid technology shifts , and a stretched workforce have created what many leaders describe as “sustained crisis conditions” — the kind that test not only budgets and staffing plans, but judgment, trust, and institutional resilience.
On January 21, 2026, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health will host a new installment of Pressure Points, a webinar series that brings audiences inside the business of health care and the realities of leadership when the stakes are highest.
Event details:
Date: January 21, 2026
Time: 1:00 pm – 1:45 pm
Format: Hybrid (The Studio & Online)
Session type: Lecture / Seminar / Forum
The conversation is designed to be practical and candid: how leaders steer large, mission-driven institutions through compounding pressures, and what “crisis leadership” looks like when the crisis is not a short chapter — but the operating environment.
Registration is free, and attendees can submit questions in advance. If you can’t join live, an on-demand recording will be posted after the session.
Speakers:
Tiffany Moore Simas (MPH ’06, MHCM ’25) — Chair, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, UMass Memorial Health; Professor, UMass Chan Medical School
Thoralf Sundt — Chief, Division of Cardiac Surgery; Director, Corrigan Minehan Heart Center; Co-director, Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy Program, Massachusetts General Hospital
Ted Witherell — Lecturer on Health Management, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
Moderator:
Rifat Atun — Vice Dean for Non-Degree Education and Innovation, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
About the series: Pressure Points is co-hosted by The Studio and Executive and Continuing Education at Harvard Chan. The Studio convenes in-person and live-streamed events with leaders across health policy, advocacy, industry, and research, while Executive and Continuing Education delivers targeted programs for professionals looking to deepen leadership and technical capability in health and public health.
How to register: Visit the official listing and sign up to attend live and submit questions: Harvard Chan events listing.
Note: Harvard Chan School hosts a diverse array of speakers invited to share scholarly research and personal perspectives. Hosting a speaker does not imply endorsement of their views, organizations, or employers.
