Registration is now open for the Healthcare Surfaces Summit 2026 taking place May 5 to 6 at the ISSA global headquarters in Rosemont, Illinois.

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 teams in healthcare environments think about surface selection, cleaning, and infection prevention. Not just a buzzword, surface intelligence represents a growing awareness that surfaces play a critical role in patient safety, and that the traditional approach to surface care needs thoughtful reevaluation.

“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. 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.

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.”

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.

With limited space and early-bird pricing available online, spots are expected to fill quickly. Get more info and register at the event website: issa.com/surfaces.

A growing share of older Americans are delaying retirement or returning to work, according to a new ResumeBuilder.com survey of U.S. seniors ages 65 and older. The survey, conducted in December 2025, follows ResumeBuilder’s 2023 and 2024 studies on seniors rejoining the workforce and shows the trend is continuing into 2026.

Key findings include:

• One in 10 seniors don’t plan to retire until 2030 or later.
• Nearly 1 in 8 seniors have already returned to work or plan to rejoin the workforce in 2026, including 16% who say they never retired.
• More than half of seniors say financial concerns are influencing their decision to work.
• Most seniors who plan to keep working expect to do so part-time.

Among those who reentered the workforce, most did so before 2024 (74%), while 13% returned in 2024 and another 13% returned in 2025. Additionally, 4% of seniors report that they are currently applying for jobs with plans to reenter the workforce. Meanwhile, 16% said they have never retired, indicating that a notable share of seniors have continued working without ever fully leaving the labor force.

When asked why they are continuing to work or returning to work, seniors most cited enjoying work (54%) and the high cost of living (54%). Financial insecurity also played a role as 37% said they have not saved enough for retirement. Other reasons included combating boredom (34%), concerns about potential changes to Social Security (26%), and worries about changes to Medicare (19%).

“For many seniors, retirement has become more flexible than final,” said Stacie Haller, ResumeBuilder.com’s chief career advisor. “…Today’s workplace offers far more flexible opportunities for older professionals. Remote and hybrid roles, part-time work, and project-based positions make it easier for seniors to stay engaged on their own terms. For many, continuing to work isn’t about necessity, it’s about purpose, connection, and simply enjoying the work itself.”

One in three seniors also won’t retire this decade. While 6% said they plan to retire by the end of 2025, 15% expected to retire in 2026, and 23% in 2027. Another 13% said they do not plan to retire until 2028, and 9% until 2029. The largest share, 34%, said they do not plan to retire until 2030 or later.

Among those planning to continue working, 58% expected to work part-time, while 42% plan to work full-time, suggesting many seniors prefer a gradual transition rather than a full-time return to work.

“For many, this stage of life becomes an opportunity to finally pursue work they’ve always been interested in, launch a long-considered business, or shift into more meaningful projects,” Haller said.

She also added that many seniors want to stay mentally and socially engaged, as well as maintain financial security. She noted that retirement today is less about stepping away and more about working with intention and choice.