On October 6, Last Mile Health CEO Lisha McCormick formally accepted the 2026 Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize on behalf of Last Mile Health. The prize is the world’s largest annual humanitarian award , with 31 nonprofit organizations recognized since 1996 for their work making extraordinary contributions toward alleviating human suffering. Selected by the 2026 Prize Jury, Last Mile Health will receive $3 million in unrestricted funding to help expand access to care and improve health outcomes for millions.
“While this recognition carries tremendous meaning for all of us, we see this prize first and foremost as a celebration of community health workers — the women and men working tirelessly at the last mile to bring lifesaving care to families who would otherwise be left behind,” Lisha shared. “They are treating children and expectant mothers, earning the trust of their neighbors, and proving every day that access to healthcare can be transformed when communities are empowered to lead.”
Last Mile Health leaders joined the Hilton Foundation and the laureate community in Los Angeles to celebrate the award, share Last Mile Health’s work and mission, and look toward the future. Below, explore key moments from the week:
1: Lisha McCormick formally accepts the Hilton Humanitarian prize.
2: From the Hilton Foundation, an overview of Last Mile Health’s work, impact, and mission.
3: Dr. Jim Kim interviews Last Mile Health co-founder Dr. Raj Panjabi on his new book, Safer, which offers a roadmap to managing crises
4: Last Mile Health President & Chief Operating Officer James Nardella speaks with Dr. Lia Tadesse, formerly Ethiopia’s Minister of Health, on what it takes to reach the last mile
5: Liberian-American singer-songwriter Mon Rovîa performs at the prize celebration, saying of Last Mile Health’s work, “You remind people all across the world — in Liberia, in the regions that you work — that there are those that care and remember them. And you give them that dream, which is to live.”
Last Mile Health is honored to accept the 2026 Hilton Humanitarian Prize, and we dedicate it to the thousands of community health workers we serve. Our work started 20 years ago to tackle injustice in health, and we are now seeing a new generation of children grow up healthy because of the lifesaving primary healthcare community health workers deliver. Now, our opportunity is to change systems to ensure millions of people can benefit from this solution.
In the words of Lisha McCormick, “The future of primary healthcare depends on whether we invest in the people who deliver it.” We are deeply grateful to the Hilton Foundation for their investment, as well as to our long-standing partners, including donors and governments, for making this moment possible.
