The UT Center for Pet Family Well-Being hosts the 2026 One Health Systems Summit Pre-Conference Workshop on October 31, 2026, in San Antonio, Texas.
The One Health Systems Summit, presented by Maddie’s Fund®, a Duffield Foundation, is a one-day, plenary-only convening to advance health equity for people and their pets through collaboration, policy, and research. By fostering a multidisciplinary approach, the summit aims to foster more sustainable and impactful solutions. Held as a pre-conference workshop at the 2026 APHA Annual Meeting and Expo—the largest public health gathering in the United States—the summit is designed not as a traditional conference, but as a field-building movement focused on redesigning governance, policy, workforce integration, and funding structures so that systems better reflect the needs of modern families.
The One Health Systems Summit seeks to advance collaboration across four sectors of care to address the social determinants of health impacting the well-being of people and pets. Health and Well-Being integrates veterinary care with human health services, mental health support, and wellness programs; Housing and Transportation advocates for pet-inclusive housing policies and transportation solutions; Economic and Community Support develops financial assistance programs, community resources, and economic stability initiatives; and Education, Policy, and Research advances evidence-based policies, educational initiatives, and driving research aimed at establishing pet-inclusive systems of care.
Results from the summit will be transformative in developing actionable strategies to integrate services across the animal welfare, human health, social services, and related sectors. Additional anticipated outcomes include recommendations for policy changes at the local, state, and national levels to support cross-sector collaboration, strengthened and newly formed partnerships among animal welfare, human health, and social service organizations, and the identification and sharing of holistic models that effectively address the comprehensive needs of pet-inclusive families.
Dr. Michael Blackwell, founder & director of the University of Tennessee Center for Pet Family Well-Being, will give the closing address discussing “What Changes Because this Summit Happened,” which will take the vision to action.
For more information about the summit, visit https://csw.utk.edu/cpfw/one-health-systems-summit/
About the UT Center for Pet Family Well-Being
The UT Center for Pet Family Well-Being believes all pet families deserve access to veterinary care. The center’s mission is to advance pet family health equity through a One Health approach, transforming communities to ensure access to essential care and integrated services.
About Maddie’s Fund
Dave and Cheryl Duffield established Maddie’s Fund, their family foundation, in 1994. It is the fulfillment of a promise to their dog, Maddie, who provided them much joy over ten years and continues to inspire us today. The Foundation has awarded over $313 million in grants toward increased community collaborations and live outcomes, pioneering shelter medicine education, establishing foster care as a standard across the U.S. and driving innovation in access to care. Maddie’s Fund proudly offers the industry a national voice, important funding opportunities for bold ideas, learning resources and access to collaborate and share innovative solutions. The Foundation invests its resources in a commitment to keeping pets and people together, creating a safety net of care for animals in need, removing barriers and operating within a culture of inclusiveness and humility. All Thanks to Maddie.
Maddie’s Fund is part of The Duffield Foundation Family, which also includes Liberty Dogs and Dave & Cheryl Duffield Foundation.