A Winning Hand: Dr. Brookshield Laurent to Chair Educating Leaders 2026 in Las Vegas

We are delighted to announce that Brookshield Laurent, DO, an esteemed Osteopathic Family Medicine physician and associate dean of Population Health at the New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine at Arkansas State University (NYITCOM at A-State), has enthusiastically accepted the role of planning committee chair for Educating Leaders 2026. Dr. Laurent brings a wealth of experience, passion and insight to the position and will play a key role in shaping next year’s conference in vibrant Las Vegas, Nevada. We’re excited to have her leadership and deep connection to the osteopathic community guiding us on this journey.

As a medical educator, Dr. Laurent has advanced and integrated the Population Health discipline into the DO curriculum. Prior to Dr. Laurent’s current role, she was the founding chair for the department of Clinical Specialties at NYITCOM at A- State. She is a 2018 Fellow of AACOM’s Osteopathic Health Policy Fellowship and health equity leader in the osteopathic profession and in the Delta Region. Dr. Laurent leads statewide multisector initiatives and catalyzes innovative partnerships to advance health and wholeness in the Delta. Partners include community-based organizations, community and economic developers, healthcare systems, academia and the private sector.

Dr. Laurent is the founding executive director of the Delta Population Health Institute (DPHI), the community engagement arm of NYITCOM. DPHI is based in the Delta region and leverages its assets as an anchor institution for community capacity building in rural communities to advance health in all sectors and policies, while delivering advanced training for physicians and community leadership.

Dr. Laurent has served on the advisory committee of Training of Primary Care of Medicine and Dentistry (ACTPCMD) since 2024. She was nominated by AACOM and appointed by Xavier Becerra, the 25th U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services. The ACTPCMD provides guidance and recommendations to the Secretary concerning policy and program development and other matters of significance concerning medicine and dentistry activities under section 747 of the Public Health Service Act.

Dr. Laurent was named the Top 100 Women of Impact in Arkansas in 2023 and honoree for Arkansas’s Top 40 under 40 in 2020.

Please join us in celebrating Dr. Laurent’s appointment. We look forward to the vision and leadership she will bring to Educating Leaders 2026!