Real Strategies, Less Agency Spend

Healthcare talent acquisition is operating at a critical crossroads. Between chronic clinical shortages, high vendor dependency, regulatory demands, and recruiter burnout, healthcare TA teams are under immense pressure to deliver results. Traditional job boards and transactional recruitment tactics need to be supplemented with modern, long-term talent strategies.

Talent acquisition teams from health systems, specialty providers, and research hospitals across the nation are heading to RecFest Nashville 2026. Known for its disruptive cross-industry innovation and festival atmosphere, this year’s gathering features a targeted focus on solving the toughest healthcare hiring challenges.

Below is your breakdown of the healthcare sessions, featured leaders, and attending teams coming to Nashville.

1. Dedicated Healthcare Masterclasses and Case Studies

RecFest Nashville 2026 features dedicated stage sessions designed to deliver tactical solutions for healthcare hiring:

• Day 1 (9:45 AM | Innovate Stage): Beyond the Job Board: Building Organic Talent Attraction in Healthcare
  
  • Speakers: Amy Behrends (Sourcing and Recruitment Marketing Manager, Fairview) and Jason Pistulka (Founder, StratTech Talent Consulting, former Head of TA Operations at HCA Healthcare)
  • Takeaway: Anyone can buy candidate clicks, and building organic candidate trust creates long-term value. Amy and Jason unpack how healthcare systems can move toward organic sourcing, recruitment marketing, and candidate experiences that drive long-term hiring success and retention while lowering ad spend.
• Day 2 (10:30 AM | Pavilion North): The Humans Behind the Tools: Redesigning Healthcare Sourcing
  
  • Speaker: Kirt Woodruff (Manager, Talent Acquisition, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital)
  • Takeaway: Discover how St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital transformed its sourcing function into a 5-person consultative powerhouse supporting over 7,000 employees. Learn how they navigated crisis-level hiring, slashed outside agency dependency, and returned millions of donor dollars back to patient care.

2. Industry Experts and Healthcare Speakers Across Both Days

Beyond dedicated sessions, healthcare leaders are integrated into cross-industry panels and interactive discussions, bringing frontline experience in high-volume, highly regulated clinical hiring:

• Amy Behrends, Fairview
• Jason Pistulka, StratTech Talent Consulting (formerly HCA Healthcare)
• Kirt Woodruff, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
• Jay Olsen, Medtronic
• Ryan O’Conner, HCA Healthcare
• Lindsey Stroop-Elias, PT Solutions Physical Therapy
• Mike Dickinson, NHS Management, LLC
• Lauren King, Novant Health

3. Peer Networking with Top Healthcare Teams

As the healthcare hub of the nation, Nashville is the ultimate backdrop for networking with peer organizations. RecFest 2026 brings together talent acquisition, sourcing, and workforce planning teams from across healthcare, including:

• Tenet Healthcare
• Fresenius Medical Care
• HCA Healthcare
• Cohere Health
• Medtronic
• Prisma Health
• Johnson & Johnson
• Incredible Health
• Innovative Renal Care
• Trilogy Health Services
• American Valor Staffing (A division of Advanced Correctional Healthcare)
• Marathon Health
• Open Arms Care Corporation
• Grady Health System

4. Key Business Outcomes for Your Healthcare TA Team

1. Reduce Vendor and Agency Costs: Learn proven frameworks to replace expensive third-party staffing dependency with agile in-house sourcing.
2. Humanize AI and Talent Technology: Discover how to implement AI search, CRM tools, and market intelligence while preserving the personal, empathetic outreach clinical candidates demand.
3. Cross-Industry Insights: Adopt best-in-class recruitment marketing strategies from tech, retail, and finance to win passive healthcare talent.
4. Boost Retention: Align candidate expectations early in the sourcing lifecycle to build long-term retention in high-turnover clinical roles.

Exclusive Rates for Healthcare Teams

Exclusive discounts are available for healthcare organizations looking to bring their recruitment and sourcing teams to Music City.

Ready to level up your healthcare talent strategy? Fill out the form to inquire today and secure your discounted passes for RecFest Nashville 2026.