What happens when a nonprofit that spent a decade and a half adapting spaceflight-grade readiness to underserved communities decides to go statewide? On December 10–11, CommHIT—the NASA Kennedy Space Center-based 501(c)(3)—will hold CommHIT26 as its CommHIT Everywhere initiative begins operating across 37 rural Florida counties and 47 additional states.
The expansion is backed by a $44.9 million subaward under Florida’s Rural Health Transformation Program, administered by the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA). That sum represents the largest single share of the state’s $188 million rural health investment. The initiative ropes in over 70 hospitals, clinics, EMS agencies, community pharmacies, technology partners, and local governments into a single system designed to deliver preventive and in-home care before a patient reaches a crisis point.
Michael Feinstein – Chief Music Officer
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Liza Minnelli – SUD Ambassador
Dr. David C. Willis, CMIO – CommHIT
Trent Harmon – American Idol Winner
Over 70 Leaders, Hospitals, Clinics, EMS & Pharmacies; World Premiere: AMFM American Music Forms Memories, Stars Michael Feinstein & Carnegie Hall Jazz Ensemble
NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, November 11, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — The care model itself operates in five coordinated layers. Mobile screening vans run scheduled routes for preventive, prenatal and chronic-disease checks. Community paramedics and EMTs receive real-time data and coordinated referrals for post-discharge and chronic care. Cellular-connected home devices—blood pressure cuffs, glucose meters, oxygen sensors, scales and wearable patches—alert clinicians when a patient’s vitals cross preset safety limits, with no Wi-Fi or smartphone required. Community pharmacies take on clinical services. Underpinning it all, an extension of the Florida Health Information Exchange gives each patient a single traceable care record.
Dr. Kendra Siler, President and CEO of CommHIT, is one of the world’s leading authorities on the intersection of science and rural healthcare.
“For 15 years, we have pursued a simple but important goal: bringing care to people who live far from it,” said Kendra Siler, CEO of CommHIT. “CommHIT Everywhere is our answer, creating a connected ecology of proactive care that aligns healthcare, public safety, pharmacies, and technology around the needs of rural Americans. AMFM American Music Forms Memories reflects the heart of that vision, showing that when we build systems capable of reaching people where they are, we can deliver more than care. We also deliver connection, dignity, and hope.”
Dr. David C. Willis is Co-Founder and CMIO of CommHIT. He is a board-certified family physician whose responsibilities to CommHIT are accompanied by the continuation of his practice, providing patient care on a daily basis.
“Rural health transforms when people receive the right support before challenges become crises. As more communities across Florida and the nation gain access to these services, we are grateful to work with partners who share our commitment to building healthier, more connected communities,” explained Dr. Willis.
TWO DAYS AT NASA KENNEDY SPACE CENTER
CommHIT26 takes the 2026 theme Better Care Delivery & Cognitive Performance.
Thursday, December 10, co-hosted by AHCA and First There First Care, covers preventive and out-of-hospital care, care at home, rural access, health data sharing, and workforce resilience. Attendees will include leaders from more than 70 safety-net hospitals and medical facilities, emergency care agencies, community pharmacies and technology partners. The day includes a keynote exploration led by Dr. Siler and Michael Feinstein on the relationship between music, memory and cognition, and how American Music Forms Memories puts that research to work.
Friday, December 11, turns to mental performance under the theme Build, Protect & Restore Your Brain. Sessions on neuroscience, human factors, expressive arts and technology address cognitive clarity, emotional resilience and decision-making under pressure. CommHIT will present its Nova Awards, recognizing people whose work advances health, technology and community well-being.
A gala reception, featuring a performance by rising star and American Idol winner, Trent Harmon, begins at 6:30 p.m., followed by the 8:00 p.m. world premiere concert of American Music Forms Memories, starring Michael Feinstein and the Carnegie Hall Jazz Ensemble. The performance will include musical celebration of space, sky, memory and love.
Michael Feinstein is a five-time GRAMMY® Award nominee, Special Tony Award recipient, Emmy nominee and #1 New York Times best-selling author, and one of the foremost interpreters and preservationists of the Great American Songbook. Feinstein is represented by Carrberry Companies in association with v2 Entertainment Group.
AMFM AMERICAN MUSIC FORMS MEMORIES
AMFM American Music Forms Memories, is a musical-scientific platform inspired by the same premise of CommHIT: Reach people where they live. Created by Carrberry Companies for Michael Feinstein and developed in collaboration with CommHIT, AMFM pairs Feinstein’s iconic curation of the Great American Songbook with CommHIT’s clinical relationships, technology infrastructure and community delivery network. The program explores how music tied to personal memory can support emotional connection and well-being for people living with cognitive challenges, and for the families and caregivers around them.
CommHIT’s work is what gives AMFM a path to the people it is designed to serve.
MICHAEL FEINSTEIN
“Music reaches us in ways words alone cannot. What Dr. Kendra and CommHIT have built – a care network designed to reach into homes across rural communities – is what makes it possible for AMFM American Music Forms Memories, a music-science platform, for cognitive health, to reach the people who need it most. We’ve been approached by multiple states, other countries and asked, whether the program will become a public entity. Our premiere for CommHIT26, this great organization’s 15th-anniversary gathering, at NASA Kennedy Space Center, is an honor,” said Michael Feinstein, Chief Music Officer, AMFM.
EVENT INFORMATION
CommHIT26 – December 10-11, 2026
Location: Astronauts Memorial Foundation, Center for Space Education, Kennedy Space Center, Florida
Thursday, December 10: Opening Day – healthcare delivery and community access, co-hosted by AHCA, First There First Care, and Professional Association of Health Care Management, including the AMFM Keynote Exploration with Dr. Kendra Siler and Michael Feinstein.
Friday, December 11: Mental Performance programming and the CommHIT Nova Awards, curated by AMFM, CommHIT Substance Use Disorder Ambassador, Liza Minnelli on behalf of Tiffany & Co. followed by the AMFM Gala Reception at 6:30 p.m. and the World Premiere AMFM Concert with Michael Feinstein and the Carnegie Hall Jazz Ensemble at 8:00 p.m.
Summit sessions are free and include lunch both days and complimentary entry to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. Premiere sponsorships, including concert, VIP Reception, and Private Tour of Artemis are extremely limited. Concert tickets are listed at $75. Registration closes when seats fill or at noon on November 30. Advance registration and NASA security clearance are required for entry.
Information: www.CommHIT.org/CommHIT26
MEDIA CONTACTS
CommHIT | Lisa Lee Mercer, VP of Communications
+1 407-713-5437 | lisalee.mercer@commhit.org
v2 Entertainment Group | Victoria Varela, Global Media Relations
+1 917-250-2110 | vv@v2entertainmentgroup.com
Victoria Varela
v2 Entertainment Group
+1 917-250-2110
Why it matters: This isn’t just another conference—CommHIT is rolling out a proven, tech-enabled rural care model at significant scale, backed by the largest slice of Florida’s $188 million rural health fund. The pairing of that clinical infrastructure with a music-and-memory platform like AMFM signals a growing recognition that cognitive health and community connection are essential parts of any comprehensive care system.
