NHIA conference draws record crowd, honors leading professionals

ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The recent 2026 National Home Infusion Association Annual Conference drew record attendance with more than 1,700 industry professionals attending and more than 150 product and service suppliers – including 40 first timers – exhibiting. At the event, the association also presented several awards, including:

• The Changemaker Award to Crystal Killian, a recognized patient advocate in the parenteral nutrition community who joined NHIA members on Capitol Hill to advocate for the Preserving Patient Access to Home Infusion Act. “Thank you to the industry for all the work you do to give many of us a chance to live our best lives,” she said.
• The NHIA Innovation Award, which highlights the role ground-breaking products and services play in improving home infusion patient care and/or advancing operations, to Mandolin, which replaces fragmented EMR workflows with AI agents that execute the end-to-end lifecycle from referral to first dose.
• The Gene Graves Lifetime Achievement Award to Melissa Leone, RN, BSN, FNHIA, for her 35-plus year career in home infusion.
• The Lynn Giglione Women in Leadership Award presented to Barbara Petroff, MS, RPh, BCSCP, CAC, CSPP, IgCP, FNHIA, FASHP.
• The NHIF Outstanding Abstract Achievement Award to Lisa Kinder, RD, CNSC, FNHIA, from Optum Infusion Pharmacy for her poster entitled “Patient Safety During Critical IV Solution Shortage: A Home Infusion Provider’s Collaborative Strategy.”

“Ultimately, the industry is stronger because of the knowledge sharing, connections made, and challenges addressed throughout the week,” the association stated. “NHIA is constantly amazed at the passion attendees bring to the event that makes it what it is.”

• Related: At NHIA 2026, leadership and learning take the spotlight amid industry change.