From Hawai'i to the world: innovation, ultrasound, and leadership in perinatal medicine.

Abstract

The Global Summit on Perinatal Medicine and Women's Health: Innovation, Ultrasound, and Leadership, held in Honolulu, Hawai'i, July 31-August 1, 2026, brought together physicians, scientists, educators, trainees, and leaders from across the world to consider the future of perinatal medicine. This Special Issue of the Journal of Perinatal Medicine extends the Summit's central themes beyond the meeting itself, emphasizing the intersection of scientific innovation, advanced ultrasound, responsible artificial intelligence, education, mentorship, and leadership. Modern perinatal medicine increasingly requires rapidly evolving technologies to be integrated with clinical judgment, ethical responsibility, and compassionate patient-centered care. Ultrasound remains fundamental to fetal assessment while continuing to evolve through three-dimensional imaging, advanced neurosonography, digital technologies, and artificial intelligence. At the same time, the future of the field depends on developing the next generation of clinicians, scientists, educators, and leaders through mentorship, global collaboration, and shared scholarship. The spirit of Hawai'i provides a meaningful framework for this vision. Aloha, kuleana, and mālama reflect values of connection, responsibility, stewardship, and care that are deeply relevant to medicine. A complementary Japanese concept, ichi-go ichi-e, often rendered as "one time, one meeting," emphasizes that each encounter is unique and cannot be recreated exactly. In medicine, education, and collaboration, this perspective calls for attention to the present encounter and responsibility for what may follow from it. The Summit therefore represents not an endpoint, but a point of departure for continued international collaboration. From Hawai'i to the world, the challenge is to ensure that innovation remains guided by humanity, that technology serves patients, and that today's leaders prepare the next generation to advance the health and well-being of women and children worldwide.