Staff serving indigenous and rural communities are invited to participate in a multi-day gathering April 27th through April 30th, 2026 in Portland, Oregon (both in-person and virtual options for joining are available) to empower healthcare professionals to not only provide excellence in emergency medical care, but to do so in a manner that honors and respects the historical and cultural context of the communities they serve. CE will be available.
The theme for 2026:
Rising to the Call: Community, Collaboration, and Continuity of Care
Every day, emergency medicine providers in rural and Indigenous communities rise to the call—often in challenging environments, always with deep commitment to those they serve. This year’s theme honors the resilience and responsiveness of clinicians, community members, and partners who work together to ensure care reaches every corner of our regions.
Rising to the Call reflects the courage to act, adapt, and innovate in the face of evolving needs. Community reminds us that healing begins with relationships, trust, and shared responsibility. Collaboration highlights the strength found in teamwork across distances, disciplines, and cultures. And Continuity of Care underscores the ongoing commitment to patients and communities long after the immediate crisis has passed.
The 2026 emRIC Gathering invites all who serve in rural and Indigenous emergency medicine to connect, learn, and share stories of how we rise—together—to build systems of care that are compassionate, sustainable, and grounded in community.
SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS ARE NOW OPEN!
The Emergency Medicine with Rural and Indigenous Communities (emRIC) Conference Scholarship provides support to attend the emRIC conference for 2026. This need-based scholarship is for Indigenous students contributing to emergency care for rural and Indigenous communities and who would otherwise be unable to attend emRIC. Priority will be given to applicants who are medical or dental students and pre-med or pre-dental students. Due to a limited amount of funds, travel expenses will be based on amount of travel required and may not cover all expenses. If selected, applicants will be asked to provide a report on their experience at emRIC and how they have incorporated what they have learned. Thank you for your interest!
The scholarship includes:
- Registration for emRIC conference 2026 (no pre or post conference activities)
- Travel stipend based on how far applicant has to travel but no more than $1000
Application deadline:
- Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis through March 18th
Notification:
- Selected scholarship recipients will be notified by March 20th
To learn more and apply, COMPLETE THE APPLICATION HERE
REGISTRATION AND TICKET SALES NOW OPEN!
Event Details:
Where: Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront – Portland, OR
Dates: April 27th – April 30th, 2026
Cost: $100 – $600 ; pricing per ticket varies depending on ticket type & profession
Event Location: Portland Marriott Downtown Waterfront – 1401 SW Naito Pkwy, Portland, OR 97201
Room Block Information: Group block discounted rooms are limited and available to those who have registered for the event! To learn more and book your room at the discounted rate, be sure to register as soon as possible.
Click Below to View Each Agenda!
This year, there are four different components of the gathering that participants can register for:
April 27: Pre-Conference Half-Day Cultural Workshop
This half-day session will offer the opportunity to explore your work from a respectful, holistic and culturally relevant framework through practical discussions, skill-building and interactive activities.If you’d like to dive into these topics and create community with other passionate individuals invested in indigenous health care systems, you are most welcome! We welcome and highly encourage ALL health care professionals from ALL backgrounds to attend. View the Agenda>
April 28 – April 29: emRIC Conference
The two day conference will be dedicated to improving emergency care delivered to Indigenous and rural communities through education, advocacy & collaboration. We invite community leaders, nurses, physicians, pharmacists, medics, residents, students, administrators, and all who are interested, to join us for this year’s event. Please consider attending or inviting a member of your team to join as we continue efforts to effectively put policy and practice into place to weave culture and history with emergency medicine to further clinical excellence. View the Agenda>
CE will be provided.
April 30: Clinical Lab Skills Day and New EMS Conference Day
Clinical Skills Lab Day: Intensive hands-on procedural skills and ultrasound workshop with content tailored to the needs of professionals working in rural and indigenous communities. The clinical skills workshop focuses on procedural skills for high-acuity, low-occurrence (HALO) scenarios with limited specialty back-up. The ultrasound workshop focuses on skills that are useful in locations with limited formal ultrasound coverage, including point-of-care ultrasonography skills that can inform or prevent patient transfers. Regional anesthesia techniques for pain management are also included in the ultrasound curriculum. This workshop includes tracks for clinicians (Physicians, NPs and PAs) as well as RNs. View the Agenda>
EMS Conference Day: Conference style and hands on skills day geared towards EMT/EMS/Paramedics. View the Agenda>
CE will be provided for both gatherings on this day.
Business or culturally specific attire is encouraged for the Gathering. Officers are also respectfully requested to attend in civilian attire. Meeting room temperatures may vary, so bringing a sweater or light jacket is recommended.
