AAPL 2025 Fall Institute: A Transformative Week of Leadership Excellence in Scottsdale

The American Association for Physician Leadership (AAPL) hosted its 2025 Fall Institute at The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa in Scottsdale, Arizona, welcoming physician leaders from all specialties, practice settings, and career stages for a week that balanced rigorous educational content with wellness activities and meaningful peer connections.

Day 1: Unveiling AAPL's Bold Vision for the Future

The institute opened with a groundbreaking keynote presentation from AAPL President & CEO Peter B. Angood, MD, FRCS(C), FACS, MCCM, FAAPL(Hon), who unveiled transformative initiatives designed to meet evolving healthcare challenges.

AAPL Helix Technology Platform: Dr. Angood introduced the AAPL Helix, a completely reimagined technology infrastructure featuring a new learning management system, refreshed AAPL APP, updated website, and contemporary e-commerce capabilities — all designed to place user experience at the forefront.

Micro-Credentials and Accelerators: Moving beyond traditional certification models, AAPL now offers targeted micro-credentials allowing members to assemble personalized portfolios of discrete competencies. AAPL Accelerators provide adaptive learning pathways customized based on individual knowledge gaps, learning preferences, and career goals.

AI-Enhanced Learning: In an exciting announcement, Dr. Angood revealed partnerships with industry leaders to design generative AI-based, case-based discussion boards and learning modules.

Global Expansion: Dr. Angood shared AAPL's commitment to international collaboration, noting that the association currently has members from dozens of countries and routinely sees website traffic from 120-150 countries monthly. "The market demand for what we offer is undeniable," he said.

Dr. Angood concluded with an inspiring challenge: "Imagine a world where every hospital, clinic, and health system is shaped by people who understand healing from the inside out. That's not just leadership. That's transformation."

Day 2: Balancing Learning, Wellness, and Community

The second day delivered a rich tapestry of educational content and wellness activities designed to nurture both professional growth and personal well-being.

The morning featured educational sessions on critical competencies including Communications, Essentials of Health Law, Science of High Reliability, Advanced Negotiation Strategies, Managing Physician Performance, and Healthcare Operations Management.

Meet the Authors at AAPL Bookmart: A morning highlight was the official launch of Between Heartbeats and Algorithms: Reclaiming What Matters in Healthcare by Devjit Roy, MD, CPE, with a Foreword by Dr. Angood. The book provides validation and practical guidance for healthcare professionals navigating tensions between efficiency metrics and compassionate care.

Wellness Activities: Recognizing that effective leadership requires personal well-being, the afternoon offered activities including a golf outing at the pristine Westin Kierland Resort & Spa course, spirited pickleball matches that generated laughter and friendly competition across specialties, and a transformative meditative sound bath experience using therapeutic sounds from singing bowls and gongs.

The evening's Sunet Social featured appetizers, beverages, and an awards ceremony, with informal conversations continuing over dinner. The combination created an atmosphere of openness and camaraderie that attendees found invaluable.

Day 3: Celebrating 50+ Years of Excellence

Day 3 showcased AAPL's legacy with intensive programs demonstrating the association's commitment to empowering physicians at every career stage.

CMO Academy: Great excitement surrounding the graduation ceremony for the inaugural class of the AAPL Chief Medical Officer Academy — a milestone achievement guided by experienced, leadership-focused physician faculty.

Chief Medical Officers and aspiring CMOs engaged in deep-dive sessions addressing the unique challenges of the CMO role, including medical staff leadership, quality and safety oversight, physician engagement strategies, and navigating the complex relationship between clinical excellence and financial performance.

Expanded Communities of Practice: The most extensive offering yet featured eleven specialized communities addressing leadership domains, including Healthcare Administration Leadership and Management (HALM) Board Certification, Entrepreneurship, CMO Leadership, ROI of Physician Leadership, Women in Leadership, Leading Change, Learning and Development Leaders, Population Health, Wellness, Value-Based Care, and Artificial Intelligence.

Each Community of Practice fostered psychological safety, enabling participants to share both successes and failures openly, normalize challenges, and collectively problem-solve around complex leadership issues.

Educational Courses: An expanded slate addressed critical competencies including Healthcare Operations Management, Science of High Reliability, Resolving Conflict, and Advanced Managing Physician Performance.

Strategic Partnerships: Throughout the day, attendees engaged with sponsors and academic partners who demonstrated their commitment to physician leadership education, including Arizona State University, Carnegie Mellon University, IU Kelley School of Business, Thomas Jefferson University, UMass Amherst Isenberg School of Management, and Auburn Harbert College of Business.

Busy Exhibit Hall: AAPL was pleased to host the sponsors for this year’s program. Networking and an opening reception in the busy exhibit hall were exciting ways to kick off the conference.

Attendees engaged with sponsors in the exhibit hall. These interactions provided valuable exposure to organizations supporting physician leadership development.

• Aya Healthcare

• Jackson & Coker Locum Tenens

• Jackson Physician Search

• Haslan College of Business, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville

• Churchstreeter and Crosse Talent Technology

• MaxWorth Consulting Group

• My Financial Coach

• Medtech International Group

• Qgenda

• Simpliphy, Beyone Provider Compensation

• Weill Cornell Medicine

• WellSky

Building Momentum, and Honoring Legacy

First-Timer Experience: Throughout the week, the AAPL First Timer's Welcome Breakfast and ongoing support helped newcomers connect with peers, navigate conference offerings, and understand how to maximize their AAPL membership. Many first-timers expressed appreciation for the welcoming atmosphere.

Elite Forums: The Vanguard Group — AAPL's invitation-only community of senior physician executives — convened for strategic discussions on healthcare's future, addressing emerging trends and exploring collaborative opportunities to influence transformation at the highest levels.

MaryBeth Kimball Memorial: The institute honored the legacy of MaryBeth Kimball through a scholarship in her name, celebrating her passion for education, commitment to success, and deep connection to both the Isenberg School of Management at UMass Amherst and AAPL. A memory book was on display for attendees to share memories, stories, and thoughts as a lasting tribute.

A Legacy of Impact

Throughout the institute, there was palpable pride in AAPL's milestone achievement: more than 50 years of shaping healthcare's future — one physician leader at a time. With over 250,000 healthcare leaders trained across 35 countries, AAPL's legacy of excellence was evident in every session, conversation, and connection made.

Attendees from all backgrounds shared a common recognition: effective leadership is learned, not innate, and AAPL provides the premier pathway for physicians committed to personal transformation and organizational impact.

Looking Ahead

As physician leaders departed Scottsdale equipped with new knowledge, expanded networks, and renewed commitment to leading healthcare transformation, AAPL's team is already hard at work planning next year's event.

Save the Date!

2026 AAPL Annual Leadership Conference:

Dates: October 22–25, 2026

Location: The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa, Scottsdale, Arizona

The 2025 institute reinforced AAPL's position not just as an artifact of healthcare's past, but as an architect of its future — training physicians to lead from within, rooted in care for others, and creating the beneficial changes so desperately needed in healthcare.

Leadership is Learned.