2026 October Health System Simulation

A Healthcare Leadership Experience Like No Other

In-Person Saturday and Sunday, October 17–18
Virtual Pre/Post Sessions Thursday, October 15, and Tuesday, October 20

There’s no replacement for firsthand experience. That’s why the Health System Simulation is as realistic as possible, putting you in the driver’s seat as you navigate modern healthcare barriers.

You’ll act as part of a hospital’s senior leadership team alongside three to six other participants, with feedback from a senior faculty consultant, to make all decisions central to long-term organization success.

Strengthen Your Decision-Making

Whether you’re a seasoned executive looking for an outside challenge or an emerging leader seeking hands-on experience in strategic decision-making, the Health System Simulation helps you find new approaches to solve the increasingly difficult problems facing leaders in a modern multi-hospital market.

Lead Through Change With Confidence

A key focus of the simulation is the rapid pace of change in healthcare. Our program prepares you to navigate emerging dilemmas and opportunities, helping you lead an organization to respond to crises and build innovative solutions to the challenges of today and tomorrow.

Earn Credits Toward Your FACHE

Register for this one-of-a-kind healthcare leadership simulation and you can earn up to 21 credits toward your FACHE^® credential: 16 ACHE In-Person Education credits and 5 Virtual Interactive Education credits.

Learning Objectives

Assess the challenges of executive leadership in today’s complex and evolving healthcare environment
Apply data and information to make strategic decisions about the direction of a simulated health system
Analyze outcomes, discover blind spots, and identify opportunities to build lasting and impactful solutions

Agenda

All times below are in Eastern time. Participation in both the virtual and in-person components is essential for the best learning experience and is required to receive full credit.

Thursday, October 15 | Virtual Pre-Session | 11 a.m.–1 p.m.
Saturday, October 17 | In-Person Program First Day | 8:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
Saturday, October 17 | In-Person Welcome Reception | 5:30 p.m.–6:30 p.m.
Sunday, October 18 | In-Person Program Second Day | 8 a.m.–3 p.m.
Tuesday, October 20 | Virtual Post-Session | 11 a.m.–2 p.m.

If you’ll be joining the virtual sessions from a time zone other than Eastern time, please plan to join at the correct time for your location.

Who Attends

The Health System Simulation is designed for both seasoned and emerging healthcare leaders who want to improve their strategic decision-making and other leadership skills in a realistic environment.

Past participants have included CEOs and other C-suite roles, division chairs, directors, managers, trustees, consultants and more. The simulation has been used as a module in leadership development programs and as training for department chairs, hospital management teams and other providers.

Faculty

The simulation is led by current and former senior-level healthcare executives, who are senior members of the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.

View Faculty

Views From Past Participants

“This program is the perfect mix of team building, management strategy and competition. With its high instructor-to-participant ratio and real-world data, the experience is singular in the field. It puts traditional case-study learning to shame. This is how all management education should look.”

“Going into the ACHE/Columbia Health System Simulation Program, I tried to leave my bias as an experienced simulation professional. I was so pleased at the quality of the ACHE participants, Columbia simulation team and teaching faculty. The game soon transitioned into a real-time challenge to maximize value for the community and health system. There was humor, open dialogue, some rigor and many ‘aha’ moments. It is well worth the 21 hours. As I return to the ‘real world’ and our own health system’s sim center training, I will be keeping key lessons from the ACHE/Columbia program front of mind.”

“This simulation is a ‘Mini MBA’ in compressed format. We learned about strategy, mission, vision, values, leadership, team building, decision making, supply chain, finance, people management, crisis management … and so many topics that generally take up a full-time MBA program to cover.”

“This simulation training exercise is as close to real life as I’ve ever seen. It replicates the implications and complexities associated with managing a complex hospital environment. In addition to the intricate lessons of decision-making and resource allocation, participants are enveloped into the competitiveness and team interaction aspects of human behavior that are also essential elements of success in this ever-changing and dynamic system of healthcare delivery.”

“The complex decision making was probably the best part of the simulation for me. In the past, I have engaged in problem solving by looking at each issue in isolation instead of thinking about factor analysis—analyzing how each decision will impact all the other areas of operation.”

Location and Hotel Information

The Health System Simulation takes place at the Columbia University/NY Presbyterian Hospital campus:

Mailman School of Public Health
722 W. 168th St.
New York, NY 10032

Rooms are available at a discounted rate for participants at The Lucerne Hotel.

The Lucerne Hotel
201 W. 79^th St.
New York, NY 10024

Discounted Rate: Rates begin at $320 a night for single/double occupancy plus tax and will be available until rooms are sold out or until Wednesday, September 9, 2026.

Book Hotel

Please note: The Lucerne Hotel is recommended by Columbia and is located on the upper west side. Transportation will not be provided between the Lucerne Hotel and Columbia campus, but is accessible by subway (estimated 35 minute ride) or taxi/ride share (estimated 13 minute ride). More information about the location will be provided closer to the program.

Continuing Education Credits

ACHE In-Person Education Credit

This activity is eligible for up to 16 ACHE In-Person Education credits toward earning or maintaining your FACHE credential.

ACHE Virtual Interactive Education Credit

This activity is eligible for up to 5 ACHE Virtual Interactive Education credits toward earning or maintaining your FACHE credential.

Interprofessional Continuing Education Credit

In support of improving patient care, the American College of Healthcare Executives is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and the American Academy of PAs (AAPA) to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

View Credit Information

This activity was planned by and for the healthcare team, and learners will receive a maximum of 21 Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) credits for learning and change. For further information about Joint Accreditation credits and certificates, please click here.

Additional Information

Cancellation Policy

To cancel your registration, please email the Customer Service Center at contact@ache.org no later than October 1, 2026. Please note that all cancellations are subject to a $400 nonrefundable processing fee.

Cancellations received after October 1, 2026, will result in forfeiture of all payments.

If you are unable to attend, you may send a qualified substitute in your place. We understand that emergencies and unforeseen medical issues may occur. In such cases, please include appropriate documentation with your cancellation request. This will allow us to review your situation and determine any eligibility for a refund.

Printed Registration Form

Click here to download a printed registration form. If you have any questions, please contact the Customer Service Center at contact@ache.org or (312) 424-9400, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central time.

More Information

To qualify for ACHE In-Person Education or ACHE Virtual Interactive Education credits, you must attend the in-person and virtual components in their entirety.

Tuition includes all program materials, the reception Saturday evening, and breakfast and lunch on Saturday and Sunday. If you have dietary restrictions and require special meal requests, please submit them on your registration or call the Customer Service Center prior to attending the program.

The attire for the program is business casual. Bring a sweater or jacket, as room temperatures may vary.

ACHE programs are educational in nature. Self-promotion and selling are not permitted.

Accessibility

We strive to host an inclusive, accessible event that enables all individuals to participate fully.

To best accommodate attendees, you will be asked to note requests or inquiries about accessibility during the registration process. Once you provide the information as part of our registration process, we may need to contact you to discuss your needs.

Breakfast and Lunch

Any meals included in your registration are served buffet-style with vegetarian options. All dishes are labeled with ingredients. If you have other dietary restrictions, please indicate them during the registration process and we’ll do our best to accommodate. Please contact us if you require any further assistance.

If you have specials needs that we can assist you with, please contact the Customer Service Center at contact@ache.org or (312) 424-9400 prior to the program.