The Community Liver Alliance (CLA) is preparing to host the 2026 National Liver Gathering (NLG), taking place October 8–10, 2026, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. More than a traditional medical conference, the National Liver Gathering serves as a national platform where patients, caregivers, clinicians, researchers, industry, and policymakers work together to improve outcomes across the liver disease continuum.
The 2026 theme, “The Intersection Between Humanity and Academic Medicine,” reflects a growing recognition that meaningful improvements in healthcare occur when scientific evidence is paired with lived experience. Every educational session will include patient or caregiver partners, ensuring that patient perspectives are integrated into discussions surrounding research, clinical care, innovation, and health policy.
Building on the success of the 2025 meeting, which demonstrated the value of interdisciplinary collaboration and patient engagement, the 2026 National Liver Gathering will focus on translating successful models into scalable approaches that improve diagnosis, care delivery, and health equity. Educational tracks will address metabolic liver disease, viral hepatitis, rare liver diseases, transplantation, clinical trials, artificial intelligence, digital health, advocacy, and integrated models of care.
Patient participation remains central to the Gathering. Through scholarship support, CLA helps remove financial barriers so patients and caregivers can attend, contribute to their lived experience, and collaborate alongside healthcare professionals. Their insights help shape discussions, identify unmet needs, and ensure that conversations remain focused on outcomes that matter most to those living with liver disease.
The CLA believes that improving outcomes requires more than advancing science alone—it requires meaningful partnerships that connect patients, clinicians, researchers, and healthcare leaders around shared goals. As organizations worldwide continue to prioritize value-based, patient-centered care, the National Liver Gathering provides a collaborative forum to share best practices, inspire innovation, and accelerate measurable improvements in liver health.
Patients and patient advocacy organizations can find out more at www.communityliveralliance.org.
