Vitals Conference
Southern California’s premier student-led healthcare conference.
What it is
VITALS is the premier student-led healthcare conference in Southern California, hosted each year by the Healthcare Business Association at UCLA Anderson.
Who it brings together
A full day of keynotes and interactive panels uniting students, industry leaders, clinicians, investors, and academics around the business of healthcare.
A new theme each year
From precision medicine and health equity to the future of healthtech, every conference tackles a different challenge shaping where healthcare goes next.
The Archive
Seven Years of VITALS
Relive every keynote, panel, and big idea — pick a year to dive in.
Innovation Under Pressure: Healthcare at an Inflection Point
February 20, 2026 · UCLA Anderson. The 12th annual VITALS Conference brought together leading voices in healthcare to explore how the industry is facing unprecedented times around care access, innovation, and care delivery in the U.S. Across three dynamic panels, we looked at how healthcare funding must adapt as costs rise and coverage shrinks, asked whether emerging innovations are truly closing gaps or simply shifting them, and reimagined the roles of patients, providers, and data in a system moving from reactive treatment toward proactive empowerment.
- Panel 1 Funding and Access: Who Pays, Who Profits, Who Benefits?
- Panel 2 Unlocking the Potential: How Do We Move Fast Without Breaking Things?
- Panel 3 From Patients to Partners: How Do We Take Charge of Our Own Health?
Transforming Healthtech: From Innovation to Impact
VITALS 2024 — 10th Annual Conference
The 10th annual VITALS Conference featured a keynote from Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel of the University of Pennsylvania on the riskiest predictions for the future of health, alongside panels on financing health innovation, consumer health technology, and the clinical continuum from discovery to delivery.
The Pursuit of Precision Medicine
Solutions for All: The Path to Healthcare Equity
Over the prior year, social injustices and the COVID-19 pandemic brought issues of health inequity to light. In response, many healthcare leaders increasingly focused on ensuring people of all socioeconomic backgrounds have access to affordable care and education — seeking solutions to disparities across every facet of healthcare, from femtech to large-scale diversity initiatives. At VITALS 2022, we explored what it will take to move toward a future of equitable healthcare, and examined where we stand today.
Rise and Recover: Thriving in a New Healthcare Reality
VITALS is the premier university-led healthcare event in Southern California for students, professionals, and academics. The conference offers ample opportunity for healthcare leaders across the UCLA community to collaborate with industry leaders and build lasting relationships. This day-long event featured three keynote speakers and multiple interactive panel discussions exploring the most relevant aspects of healthcare today and in the future, drawing over 300 attendees.
VITALS 2020
Be part of VITALS 2026.
Students, sponsors, and speakers — join Southern California’s premier student-led healthcare conference.