COAHEC Biennial

Networking, Education, and Research (NEAR) Conference

Healthy Aging for all Coloradans

April 29-30, 2027

Abstract Submission General Information

The COAHEC Networking, Education, And Research (NEAR) Conference is requesting proposals for abstracts. The 2027 theme, “Healthy Aging for All Coloradans,” will promote interprofessional collaboration, provide continuing education on the latest issues affecting older adults, and engage healthcare professionals, students, preceptors, researchers, and community members statewide.

General Information

Conference Goals: The goals of the Colorado Area Health Education (COAHEC) NEAR conference are:

• Provide high-quality, affordable, and convenient interprofessional CE Credits;
• Deliver up-to-date learning sessions on geriatric medicine, structural determinants of health as regards aging, and innovative research on health and aging; and
• Produce statewide networking events, one per COAHEC region on the evening of Thursday, April 29, 2027.

Location: COAHEC NEAR 2027 will be delivered in a hybrid format. Participants will view daily sessions, plenaries, speakers, and poster sessions synchronously online. On the evening of April 29^th, participants will attend live networking banquets hosted in each of 6 Colorado AHEC regions to include providers, students, community members, partners, and health care stakeholders in each region. This approach allows the conference to bring Coloradans together around shared learning while recognizing and strengthening the local partnerships that are essential to improving health outcomes for older Coloradans in communities across the state.

Audience: The COAHEC NEAR Conference is designed for a diverse statewide audience, including practicing healthcare professionals, residents and graduate health professions trainees, other interdisciplinary health professions students, Colorado AHEC Scholars, including the COAHEC National Underserved Scholars from the CU School of Medicine, researchers, educators, community members, and other professionals who improve the health of aging Coloradans.

Conference Areas of Interest for Abstracts

These principles and content priorities should guide the presenter’s topic and outline in any combination.  Presentation topics outside these areas, but aligning with the conference goals, are welcome.

Abstract Submission Eligibility

COAHEC invites anyone engaged in medical/scientific research, education, clinical practice, or community-based work related to healthy aging, including, practicing medical professionals, researcher scientists, medical residents, graduate health professions' students, AHEC Scholars, COAHEC National Underserved Scholars,  undergraduate students, and high school students to submit abstracts for consideration. We welcome submissions from individuals at all stages of their education, training, and professional careers.

Guidelines and Submission Information

Presentation topics and posters must align with the COAHEC NEAR Conference goals, principles, and priorities. Sessions may address geriatric medicine, health equity, structural determinants of health, aging-related research, education and workforce development, community engagement, or innovative approaches to improving health and well-being in geriatric people.

Posters are particularly encouraged to highlight work addressing health equity, medically underserved communities, rural and frontier populations, structural determinants of health in the aging population, aging-related research, or innovative approaches to improving health outcomes for older adults.

How and when to submit

• Deadline to submit abstracts is Friday, November 20, 2026.
• Abstracts must be submitted online through the designated web form.
• Abstracts should be limited to five hundred words.
• There is no fee to submit an abstract.
• COAHEC will not accept emailed or late submissions.
• The COAHEC NEAR  Advisory Committee will review submissions and notify applicants of their submission status no later than December 15, 2026.

Presentation Types

Note: All presentations will be recorded and offered post-conference for a period of 12 months for continued education opportunities for Colorado’s providers

General Sessions:

• This is a wonderful opportunity to share your experiences, inspire healthcare professionals across Colorado, and make a meaningful impact on the future of healthcare.

• The keynote will be presented virtually to an audience of preceptors and practitioners from across Colorado.
• The Student Keynote will be virtual on the morning of April 30, 2027.

General sessions provide an opportunity for presenters to share knowledge, research, best practices, innovative programs, and practical approaches related to 'Healthy Aging for all Coloradans.’

• General sessions may be offered live virtually or prerecorded for asynchronous viewing by attendees in the mornings and evenings before and after synchronous sessions.
• Presenters should plan a 50-minute session followed by a 10-minute Q&A.
• If a session is selected for asynchronous viewing, the presenter will be responsible for providing a recording by the designated presenter materials deadline.
  

Plenary and Panel Presentations: Plenary and panel presentations will address topics of broad statewide interest and significance related to healthy aging for all Coloradans. These sessions are intended to bring together diverse perspectives, disciplines, and experiences and may highlight emerging research, innovative practices, policy, and system-level issues, workforce development, health equity, or community-based approaches to aging.

• Presentations may be offered live, virtually, or recorded for asynchronous viewing by attendees in the mornings and evenings before and after synchronous sessions.
• Panels may include up to five participants, not including the moderator.
• Presenters should plan a 60-minute presentation, including any Q&A.
  

Poster Presentations: Poster presentations offer an opportunity to showcase completed research studies or research in progress, student and practicum projects, quality improvement initiatives, educational or curriculum projects, innovative programs, and community-based work related to healthy aging. The poster format is designed to encourage one-on-one and small-group discussion, networking, and collaboration among presenters and attendees.

• Multiple presenters per poster are welcome.
• Presenters are responsible for preparing their poster and any accompanying handout materials.
• Presenters selected for the poster session must attend a virtual poster session and are encouraged to present their posters at the regional networking events in their COAHEC Region on the evening of April 29, 2027.

Lightning Round Presentations: The Lightning Round provides selected poster presenters with an opportunity to briefly share their work, findings, experiences, or innovations with the broader conference audience as a virtual afternoon session on April 29. 2027. This fast-paced format is intended to highlight a diverse range of projects and encourage attendees to connect with presenters for additional discussion during the virtual poster session.

• Each presentation will be 5 minutes, followed by a 2-minute Q&A.
• Presenters must indicate that they would like their poster to be considered for a Lightning Round presentation when submitting the abstract.
• Submission of a poster does not guarantee selection for the Lightning Round.
• Lightning Round presentations will be selected based on the quality of the submission, relevance to the conference theme, alignment with conference goals and priorities, and the value of the project to a statewide audience.
• Preference may be given to presentations that represent diverse disciplines, communities, populations, and approaches to healthy aging.