For professionals dedicated to safer health care environments, the word conference doesn’t always capture the full picture. But the Healthcare Surfaces Institute Annual Summit—a two-day gathering May 5-6, 2026, at the ISSA global headquarters in Rosemont, Illinois—lives up to its billing as something far more collaborative, more strategic, and more impactful than your typical industry event.
It’s where the science of surface safety meets real-world problem solving, with the goal of reducing health care-associated infections through better decisions on materials, testing, education, and application.
Hosted by the Healthcare Surfaces Institute (HSI)—a division of ISSA Healthcare—the summit brings together a unique mix of experts: clinicians, manufacturers, distributors, scientists, infection prevention specialists, and regulatory voices all working toward one common purpose. Registration is limited to just 120 participants, emphasizing the intimate and action-oriented nature of the meeting.
At its core, the summit focuses on surface intelligence—a concept that has emerged as a central theme in how health care environments think about surface selection, cleaning, and infection prevention. It’s not just a buzzword; it represents a growing awareness that surfaces play a critical role in patient safety, and that the traditional approach to surface care needs thoughtful re-evaluation.
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“One of the big issues we have right now are the instructions for use, the gaps between the innovation manufacturers bring to market and how health care professionals are actually using these products,” said Linda Lybert, founder and executive director of the Healthcare Surfaces Institute, in a conversation ahead of the event. She explained that in many cases, manufacturers design products and draft instructions without a deep understanding of real-world clinical contexts—leading to mismatches between intent and application that can cost facilities significant time and money. This summit aims to close those gaps by fostering open dialogue and shared understanding across sectors.
That emphasis on collaboration is what distinguishes the summit from a traditional conference. Instead of passive one-way presentations, this event is structured around interaction and problem-solving. The program kicks off with sessions that showcase innovation from manufacturers and supply chain partners, followed by clinician panels that offer grounded perspectives on the day-to-day challenges of surface care. The agenda then shifts into working task forces that participants form on site to identify practical goals for the coming year.
“These aren’t sessions where you just sit and listen,” Lybert said. “You come with questions, you work shoulder-to-shoulder with people you don’t normally get to sit with—environmental services, infection prevention, product designers—and you walk away with action plans.” One of the summit’s ongoing strengths is precisely those aha moments that only occur when professionals with different backgrounds talk through their realities together. According to Lybert, the process has repeatedly exposed gaps in understanding and communication that neither side fully appreciated before engaging. This cross-professional insight drives initiatives that continue long after the event ends.
The summit is meticulously designed to ensure momentum continues beyond the meeting rooms. Task forces created during the event are given one-year objectives—whether to craft guidelines, conduct new research, or develop tools that stakeholders can use to improve surface safety in their facilities.
And while the summit’s intellectual rigor and practical outcomes are central, organizers haven’t overlooked the human side of networking. Longer breaks, shared meals, and social receptions are woven into the agenda to give attendees ample opportunity to connect informally—a feature that participants from previous years consistently praise.
Lybert stressed the importance of engagement: “You get your education at other professional conferences, but here you see people from many areas of expertise in the same room, communicating, and frequently discovering gaps they didn’t even know existed.” That collaborative spirit, she says, is what turns insight into measurable impact.
For those considering attendance, she offered clear advice: register soon. With limited space and early-bird pricing available online, spots are expected to fill quickly.
The Healthcare Surfaces Institute Annual Summit is more than another calendar entry. It’s a catalyst for change—a place where innovation, experience, science, and action intersect to improve patient safety and surface intelligence in health care environments.
Get more info and register at the event website: issa.com/surfaces.
