NICU Health & Equity Summit
2026 NICU Health & Equity Summit
Saul's Light’s annual NICU Health & Equity Summit is a daylong event held at Manning Family Children's Hospital in New Orleans. Each year focuses on a NICU theme, featuring community panels, informative speakers, and opportunities to connect with others in the field!
This year’s NICU Summit theme is Discharge Begins on Day 1 and will be on Thursday, September 17, 2026, 8:00am - 4:00pm, and Worley Hall at Manning Family Children’s Hospital.
We are excited to welcome Dr. Vincent C. Smith, MD, MPH, as our Keynote Speaker
Looking to connect more with other summit participants? Join us on Sep 16, the evening before the summit, at Urban South Brewery from 5-7 pm for our NICU Summit Happy Hour! We will be providing snacks and drink tickets.
2026 Keynote Speaker
Dr. Vincent C. Smith, MD, MPH
Dr. Vincent C. Smith, MD, MPH is Division Chief of Newborn Medicine at Boston Medical Center (BMC) and Professor of Pediatrics at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine.
Dr. Smith is a graduate of Texas A&M University, Stanford University School of Medicine, and the Harvard School of Public Health. He trained in pediatrics at Children's Hospital and Boston Medical Center in the Boston Combined Pediatric Residency Program.
He then completed a fellowship in neonatal-perinatal medicine through the Harvard wide program, a collaboration of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Boston Children's Hospital.
He also completed a fellowship in health services research at Boston Children's Hospital. He is an active member of the Massachusetts Medical Society and Society for Pediatric Research. Dr. Smith served as the medical director for the American Academy of Pediatrics' Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders Program from 2015-2024.
He is also a former member of the National Perinatal Association and the Fenway Community Health Boards of Directors. In addition to parental NICU discharge readiness, his professional interests also include families affected by substance use and medical care for LGBTQIA+-headed families.
We are looking forward to Dr. Smith’s address and are excited to have him join us for the 2026 NICU Health & Equity Summit.
