PreConference - Tuesday, September 1
PC1a. General Session: Expert Panel Kickoff: The State of AI on Agencies Today
12:45pm-1:45pm
Moderator: Marjorie Costello, Chief Administrative Officer, DSSW/Lifespa
Panelists: Adam Medders, VP of Operations, Black Lab Solutions William Cochran, VP of Strategy, Black Lab Solutions; Rosalind Nelson-Gamblin, RJNG Health Care Consulting, LLC
Target Audience:
AI/Tech
Continuing Education: 1.0 clock hours continuing education for Administrators/Alternates
Session Description: The AI Preconference will open with a dynamic panel of industry experts who will set the stage for learning, exploration, and hands‑on discovery. This session gives attendees the foundational insight they need to navigate the rapidly evolving AI landscape and make the most of every demo, discussion, and presentation that follows. Our experts will deliver:
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Practical guidance — Clear advice on how agencies can begin evaluating AI tools and opportunities right now.
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Best practices — Proven approaches for assessing AI readiness, selecting solutions, and avoiding common pitfalls.
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Key considerations — Insight into what questions to ask vendors, what capabilities matter most, and how to align AI with agency goals.
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Demo‑ready preparation — Tips to help attendees stay focused, compare solutions effectively, and capture meaningful notes during vendor demonstrations.
Agencies exploring AI often struggle with knowing where to start or how to evaluate what they see. This opening panel ensures attendees walk into the vendor demos with confidence, clarity, and a structured understanding of what to look for. It sets the tone for the entire preconference by giving participants the tools they need to think critically and strategically throughout the day. Don’t miss out on valuable Bonus Take‑Away Materials that were designed to help attendees:
• Track vendor demos
• Compare features and capabilities
• Capture questions and insights
• Stay organized throughout the AI sessions
These resources make the learning experience more interactive, more intentional, and far more actionable once attendees return to their agencies.
Vendor Demos - Block A
2:00pm-3:20pm
Description: This time block will feature three 20-minute demo slots where attendees can choose from the below list of vendors. Each vendor demo will take place in it's own meeting room giving you a clear and focused visual demonstration of the product. Note: No continuing education will be offered for this time block.
Block A Vendors:
Target Audience:
AI/Tech
Vendor Demos - Block B
3:50pm-5:10pm
Description: This time block will feature three 20-minute demo slots where attendees can choose from the below list of vendors. Each vendor demo will take place in it's own meeting room giving you a clear and focused visual demonstration of the product. Note: No continuing education will be offered for this time block.
Block B Vendors:
Target Audience:
AI/Tech
Pediatric Happy Hour
5:30pm - 6:30pm
Location:
The Yard House on the Riverwalk
849 E. Commerce Street
San Antonio, Texas 78205
Sponsored by: Hands On Skilled Medical Simulation LLC
RSVP Here
You are cordially invited to a free mixer for pediatric home health providers. Enjoy drinks and appetizers and a demo for the PETTS doll, a pediatric high-fidelity simulation manikin to enhance your skills lab and training program. The doll interfaces with an app using Bluetooth and features preceptor control for 20 care modules that include emergency trach response, trach insertion, G-Button enteral feedings, pediatric body systems and assessments, and other essential skills common to pediatric home health. The doll has a trach, a G-Button, and a CVL insertion site and simulations include color changes, sound simulation, and visual monitoring.
Day 1 - Wednesday, September 2
General Session
9:00 am - 10:00 am
Opening Ceremonies and Awards
This session will kick off with TAHC&H's Executive Director, Rachel Hammon and Board President welcoming attendees with an association and industry update as well as presenting awards to industry professionals.
Target Audience:
Medicare Hospice
Community Care
All HCSSAs AI/Tech
Leadership
General Session
10:00 am - 11:00 am
Keynote: What If?
Speaker: Mike Rayburn
Continuing Education: 1.0 clock hours continuing education for Administrators/Alternates
Target Audience:
Medicare Hospice
Community Care
All HCSSAs AI/Tech
Leadership
Description: Every major invention, accomplishment and victory in human history began with the simple, almost childlike curiosity of a “What If…?” question - “What if we could? I know we can’t, but what if we could?” International keynote artist, Mike Rayburn, will share three simple, powerful tools which took him from playing empty bars, to headlining Carnegie Hall (eight times!). They work for anyone. And everyone. Always.
About Mike:
Mike Rayburn is a two-time TED Talk Presenter, an innovative entrepreneur and Hall of Fame speaker who uses world-class guitar and comedy to teach change and innovation to corporations world-wide. He has headlined Carnegie Hall, headlined in Las Vegas, and performed more than 5,000 presentations in 20 countries on five continents. Rayburn is a regular on Sirius/XM and morning radio nationwide. He has performed as guitarist with The Beach Boys and John Oates. Rayburn’s keynote is called “The What IF? Keynote Experience.” You will learn three simple tools for harnessing your unrealized potential, creating and leading change, and becoming a virtuoso performer. You’ll hear amazing music including a solo guitar version of Bohemian Rhapsody.
Oh, and you laugh a LOT! No one does what Mike Rayburn does.
11:15 am - 12:15 pm
1a. Under the Microscope: Illuminating Documentation for Medical Review
Speaker: J'non Griffin, RN, MHA, HCS-D, HCS-O, COS-C, HCS-H, HCS-C, Senior VP of Coding and OASIS/Compliance, SimiTree
Session Description: Home health documentation has never been under more scrutiny. Six states now operate under the Review Choice Demonstration, ADR volumes from Palmetto GBA TPE rounds remain elevated, Noridian SMRC project reviews continue to expand, and UPIC investigations carry broader authority than ever. Across every one of these programs, reviewers ask the same question: does the record support what was billed? This session illuminates exactly what reviewers look for — and exactly where agencies most often fall short. We will spend dedicated time on the Review Choice Demonstration, including Palmetto GBA's four-question framework for establishing medical necessity, the documentation bundle required for Pre-Claim Review affirmation, and the most common non-affirmation reasons paired with specific documentation fixes. We will then walk through the anatomy of a typical denial, the four most common documentation disconnects between OASIS, the 485, visit notes, and the face-to-face encounter, high-risk OASIS items, the Golden Thread that ties assessment to justification, and the building blocks of a defensible record — including pre-bill QA, education that actually changes clinician behavior, and AI-assisted audit tools. Through case studies, real denial reason codes, and side-by-side documentation comparisons, attendees will leave with concrete, applicable techniques they can implement at their agency on Monday morning.
Continuing Education: 1.0 clock hours continuing education for Administrators/Alternates; 1.0 contact hour Continuing Nursing Education (CNE); 1.0 clock hour Continuing Education for Social Workers (SW)
Target Audience:
Medicare
11:15 am - 12:15 pm
1c. Beyond the Policy: Operationalizing Workplace Violence Prevention in Home-Based Care
Speaker: Jonas Fortenberry, Vice President of Business Development, POM Safe
Session Description: Most organizations already have workplace violence policies, reporting processes, and safety initiatives in place. The challenge is ensuring those efforts translate into a coordinated, measurable, and compliant workplace violence prevention program. As regulatory expectations continue to evolve through Joint Commission standards, OSHA guidance, and Texas workplace violence prevention requirements, organizations are being asked to demonstrate more than policy compliance. They must show evidence of risk assessment, staff engagement, reporting, training, trend analysis, governance oversight, and continuous improvement. This session provides a practical framework for evaluating and strengthening existing workplace violence prevention programs. Attendees will explore common gaps that limit effectiveness, learn how high-performing organizations operationalize safety across intake, field operations, incident reporting, and committee oversight, and identify opportunities to improve both compliance readiness and caregiver support. Through real-world examples and interactive discussion, participants will leave with actionable strategies to advance their organization's workplace violence prevention efforts from a collection of activities into a sustainable, organization-wide program.
Continuing Education: 1.0 clock hours continuing education for Administrators/Alternates; 1.0 contact hour continuing nursing education (CNE); 1.0 clock hour Continuing Education for Social Workers (SW)
Target Audience:
Medicare Hospice
Community Care
All HCSSAs AI/Tech
Leadership
11:15 am - 12:15 pm
1b. When the Expert Becomes the Daughter: Leadership Lessons from a Family's Hospice Journey
How a "real life" personal experience reminds us of our "why"- and impacts compliance and quality!
Speaker: Annette Lee, CEO and Founder, Provider Insights, Inc.
Session Description: For more than 20 years, Annette Lee has helped hospice organizations strengthen compliance, improve quality, and prepare for surveys. She worked for the Medicare Administrative Contractor for a decade in Medical Review and Education. But when her own father elected hospice, she experienced end-of-life care from an entirely different perspective—not as a consultant, but as a daughter. Through this deeply personal journey, attendees will discover how everyday leadership decisions shape the experiences families remember for a lifetime. This session connects operational excellence, regulatory compliance, interdisciplinary teamwork, and compassionate care in a way that goes far beyond meeting the Conditions of Participation. Participants will leave with practical strategies to strengthen admissions, caregiver education, symptom management, interdisciplinary collaboration, anticipatory care planning, and organizational culture—all while creating meaningful experiences for patients and families.
This inspiring presentation reminds hospice leaders that compliance establishes the foundation, but compassion, anticipation, and presence are what transform excellent hospice care into an unforgettable legacy.
Continuing Education: 1.0 clock hours continuing education for Administrators/Alternates; 1.0 contact hours Continuing Nursing Education (CNE); 1.0 clock hour Continuing Education for Social Workers (SW)
Target Audience:
Hospice
11:15 am - 12:15 pm
1d. Bridging the Gap: Managing Your IT Provider as a Compliance Partner — Security, Continuity, and Smart Automation for Home Care Agencies
Speaker: Marjorie Costello, Chief Administrative Officer, DSSW/Lifespan; Adam Medders, VP of Operations, Black Lab Solutions & William Cochran, VP of Strategy, Black Lab Solutions
Session Description: Your IT provider touches nearly every regulatory duty you carry as an administrator: client confidentiality, emergency preparedness, risk management, and agency policy. Yet most agencies manage that relationship informally, without the contract terms, documentation, or oversight a surveyor or OCR auditor would expect to see. This session gives administrators a practical framework for governing the IT relationship: what must be in your Business Associate Agreement and service-level agreement, how to direct and document your annual HIPAA security risk analysis, how IT continuity (backups, downtime procedures, communication systems) fits into your emergency preparedness plan, and how to develop the agency policies (acceptable use, mobile devices, incident response, and AI use) that keep field-based care compliant. Drawing on decades of combined experience in IT management, software development, and healthcare operations, the presenters close with a look at where workflow automation and AI tools can safely reduce administrative burden in scheduling, intake, documentation, and billing — and the policy guardrails an administrator must put in place first. Attendees receive an IT Vendor Oversight Scorecard, a HIPAA/BAA checklist, and a model AI Use Policy template for home care agencies.
Continuing Education: 1.0 clock hours continuing education for Administrators/Alternates
Target Audience:
Medicare Hospice
Community Care
All HCSSAs AI/Tech
Leadership
12:15 pm - 1:30 pm
Networking Lunch &
Owner's Forum
(Limited to persons who own 20% or more of a licensed home and community support agency and are actively involved in management.)
1:30 pm - 2:30 pm
2a. Igniting the Truth: Top OASIS Myths That Burn Outcomes
Speaker: Lisa Selman-Holman and Annette Lee RN, MS, HCS-D, COS-C, CEO & Founder of Provider Insights, Inc.
Session Description: OASIS myths continue to smolder in home health agencies—undermining accuracy, compliance, and outcomes. This high energy session will ignite clarity by confronting the most common and costly misconceptions surrounding OASIS data collection and interpretation. Attendees will separate long held beliefs from CMS reality, walk away with practical corrections, and gain renewed confidence in applying OASIS guidance correctly to improve quality scores, reimbursement, and survey readiness.
Continuing Education: 1.0 clock hours continuing education for Administrators/Alternates; 1.0 contact hour Continuing Nursing Education (CNE)
Target Audience:
Medicare
1:30 pm - 2:30 pm
2c. Turning Everyday Interactions into Better Outcomes through Patient Centered Care
Speaker: Candyce Slusher, Slusher Consulting
Session Description: Patient-centered care goes beyond policies and checklists—it centers on whether patients feel heard, respected, and meaningfully involved in their care. This session explores what patients consistently value, including key aspects of the illness experience that are often overlooked, and how establishing common ground strengthens trust and engagement. Through practical, real-world examples, attendees will see how small, intentional shifts in communication can lead to improved care plan adherence, reduced readmissions, and better overall outcomes.
Continuing Education: 1.0 clock hours continuing education for Administrators/Alternates; 1.0 contact hour Continuing Nursing Education (CNE); 1.0 clock hour Continuing Education for Social Workers (SW)
Target Audience:
Community Care/Private Pay/PAS
1:30 pm - 2:30 pm
2b. SSVI: The Impact of the Data
Speaker: Melinda A. Gaboury, COS-C, Chief Executive Officer, Healthcare Provider Solutions
Session Description: CMS has released the Service & Spending Variation Index (SSVI) data with the Hospice Proposed Rule for 2027 and this data can be very misleading and very impactful to hospices. This session will provide specific elements that are used in the data. We will outline the two parts of the overall score - Non-Hospice Spending & Utilization. We will analyze each component and discuss best practices for avoiding points in the calculation. Constant changes to hospice are occurring and you do not want to be left in the dark!
Continuing Education: 1.0 clock hours continuing education for Administrators/Alternates; 1.0 contact hour continuing nursing education (CNE); 1.0 clock hour Continuing Education for Social Workers (SW)
Target Audience:
Hospice
1:30 pm - 2:30 pm
2d. Advancing Care at Home with AI: Practical Use Cases and Leadership Priorities
Speakers: Nate Sundheimer, Wipfli; Tiffany Karlin, Wipfli
Session Description: AI is quickly moving from concept to reality in home health and hospice—but many leaders are still asking: where does it actually create value now, and how do we implement it responsibly? This session cuts through the noise with real-world examples of how AI and digital solutions are being used to strengthen staffing models, streamline workflows, and reduce administrative burden in care-at-home organizations. Just as importantly, it addresses the leadership and governance considerations required to implement these tools safely, effectively, and in alignment with regulatory expectations. Attendees will gain practical insight into how organizations are balancing innovation with risk management—covering areas such as scheduling optimization, documentation support, workflow automation, and AI governance frameworks. The session highlights what works, what doesn’t, and how to take meaningful, low-risk first steps. Designed for executives and operational leaders, this presentation focuses on actionable strategies that improve efficiency, support workforce capacity, and position organizations for the future of care delivery.
Continuing Education: 1.0 clock hours continuing education for Administrators/Alternates
Target Audience:
All HCSSAs AI/Tech
Leadership
2:45 pm - 3:45 pm
3a. Quality Isn’t a Checkbox—It’s a Strategy: Using QAPI to Improve Outcomes
Speaker: Lisa McClammy, BSN, RN, Senior Clinical Education Consultant, COS-C, HCS-D, HCS-O, MAC Legacy
Session Description: In today’s evolving home health landscape, quality is no longer just a regulatory requirement – it is a key driver of patient outcomes, agency performance, and reimbursement. This session will demonstrate how to transform your Quality Assessment and Performance Improvement (QAPI) program from a compliance obligation into a strategic tool that directly influences Star Ratings and Home Health Value-Based Purchasing (HHVBP) outcomes. Attendees will learn how to use data sources – including iQIES reports, outcome measures, and patient experience data – to identify performance gaps, prioritize improvement efforts, an implement targeted Performance Improvement Projects (PIPs). This session will also highlight the alignment between QAPI initiatives, showing how focused efforts can produce measurable improvements. Practical examples and strategies will be shared to help agencies enhance documentation accuracy, improve clinical practices, and drive better outcomes and financial performance.
Continuing Education: 1.0 clock hours continuing education for Administrators/Alternates; 1.0 contact hour Continuing Nursing Education (CNE)
Target Audience:
Medicare
2:45 pm - 3:45 pm
3c. The High-Risk PAS Client: Dementia, Behaviors, Falls, Elopement, Boundaries, and Staff Safety
Speaker: Rosalind J Nelson-Gamblin, RJNG Health Care Consulting, LLC
Session Description: Personal Assistance Services agencies are increasingly supporting clients with dementia and cognitive changes that create higher risk in the home. This session will help administrators recognize dementia-related behaviors, falls, wandering, safety concerns, and changing care needs that may require supervisory review, family communication, or coordination with a physician, home health agency, or hospice provider. Participants will receive practical guidance for caregiver reporting, documentation, escalation, staff safety, and maintaining appropriate PAS scope of practice when client needs become more complex.
Continuing Education: 1.0 clock hours continuing education for Administrators/Alternates;1.0 contact hour Continuing Nursing Education (CNE); 1.0 clock hour Continuing Education for Social Workers (SW)
Target Audience:
Private Pay/PAS
2:45 pm - 3:45 pm
3b. Hospice Eligibility & Prognosis: Getting It Right from Day One
Speaker: Colleen Woods, MSNEd, RN, Chief Consulting Officer, Lead Educator, JCC Texas
Session Description: Medicare spends $27.5 billion a year on hospice care -- and federal auditors are scrutinizing every claim. With the OIG elevating hospice eligibility as a top oversight priority and ZPIC/RAC reviews intensifying in Texas, agencies cannot afford inconsistent or informal eligibility decisions. Errors now carry real consequences: recoupments, payment suspension, loss of Medicare certification, and reputational damage. This session provides a clinical‑compliance roadmap for defensible eligibility determination, prognosis documentation, and LCD alignment across high‑risk diagnoses such as cancer, dementia, heart failure, COPD, and debility/FTT. Attendees will learn what auditors look for, where documentation breaks down, and how to build internal safeguards that protect patients and the agency. We’ll also cover the October 2025 rollout of the HOPE tool, which raises expectations for structured documentation and prognosis substantiation. Eligibility integrity isn’t paperwork — it’s a patient safety and agency survival issue.
Continuing Education: 1.0 clock hours continuing education for Administrators/Alternates; 1.0 contact hour continuing nursing education (CNE)
Target Audience:
Hospice
2:45 pm - 3:45 pm
3d. The Augmented Team: How AI Is Transforming Care
Speakers: Bud Langham, Enzo Health
Session Description: Healthcare is at a turning point, where AI can either deepen fragmentation or help return the human to the bedside. This session explores how AI-enabled workflows can strengthen care delivery across the patient journey, from intake and triage to documentation, compliance, and follow-up. Participants will examine how human-centered AI can reduce cognitive load, preserve clinical voice, support clearer decision-making, surface risk earlier, and improve both patient and caregiver experience. Rather than replacing the care team, AI has the potential to function as an active partner, augmenting human judgment, improving quality and consistency, and helping shape a more connected future of care.
Continuing Education: 1.0 clock hours continuing education for Administrators/Alternates
Target Audience:
All HCSSAs AI/Tech
Leadership
4:00 pm - 5:45 pm
Business Meeting
5:30 pm - 7:00 pm
President’s Reception/Exhibit Hall Grand Opening
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Lotería Social: Mexican Bingo, Drinks & Fun
This lively evening will bring attendees together for food, drinks, mariachis, and a fun twist on the traditional Mexican game of chance. Similar to bingo, Lotería uses colorful images instead of numbers and letters, making it an easy, interactive way to connect, laugh, and enjoy the night.
Day 2 - Thursday, September 3
8:00 am - 9:00 am
Breakfast in the Exhibit Hall
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General Session
9:00 am - 10:00 am
GS2. AI Preconference Panel – Closing Session Overview
Moderator: Marjorie Costello, Chief Administrative Officer, DSSW/Lifespan
Panelists: Adam Medders, VP of Operations, Black Lab Solutions William Cochran, VP of Strategy, Black Lab Solutions; Rosalind Nelson-Gamblin, RJNG Health Care Consulting, LLC
Target Audience:
Medicare Hospice
Community Care
All HCSSAs AI/Tech
Leadership
Description: The AI Preconference Panel returns to bring the entire AI discussion full‑circle, helping attendees synthesize everything they’ve learned and translate it into meaningful action for their agencies. This closing session is designed to bridge insight with implementation—giving participants a clear understanding of what to take back, how to apply it, and what steps will move their organizations forward in their AI journey. Attendees Will Gain:
• Strategic clarity — A cohesive understanding of the major themes, lessons, and innovations discussed throughout the
conference
• Actionable next steps — Guidance on how to begin, refine, or expand AI initiatives within their agencies
• Implementation insight — Practical advice on navigating adoption challenges, building internal readiness, and aligning AI with organizational goals
• Sustainable success planning — Recommendations for long‑term growth, governance, and continuous improvement
Agencies often leave conferences inspired but unsure how to translate that inspiration into structured progress. This panel ensures attendees walk away not just informed—but equipped. It provides the perspective, direction, and momentum needed to make AI initiatives successful, sustainable, and aligned with mission‑driven outcomes.
Continuing Education: 1.0 clock hours continuing education for Administrators/Alternates
10:00 am - 10:30 am President’s Message & Board Installation
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10:30 am - 11:15 am
Break in Exhibit Hall
Break stations and Bonus Education at select vendor booths.
11:15 am - 12:15 pm
4a. Home Health - Intensified Scrutiny in the Wake of the Moratorium
Speaker: Melinda A. Gaboury, COS-C, Chief Executive Officer, Healthcare Provider Solutions
Session Description: The Nationwide Moratorium has agencies concerned. Especially with a direct quote from the update: "During the six-month moratoria, CMS will intensify targeted investigations, deploy advanced data analytics, and accelerate the removal of hospice and HHA providers from the Medicare program that are suspected of committing fraud." This means that no one is safe and additional reviews are on the way, whether through audits, suspensions, or revocations. This is not just about hospice. Is your home health prepared for the significant level of scrutiny coming. This session will dive deep into medical review statistics, what is happening in the current review world and some of the concerns for what lies ahead! Agencies must be fully compliant in order to avoid the level of scrutiny that is upon us.
Continuing Education: 1.0 clock hours continuing education for Administrators/Alternates;1.0 contact hour Continuing Nursing Education (CNE)
Target Audience:
Medicare
11:15 am - 12:15 pm
4c. GUIDE Model: Results from Claims Analysis and Translating the Model to Medicare Advantage
Speaker: Julius Bruch, CEO and co-founder of Isaac Health
Description: This session will share early results from the CMS GUIDE model based on claims analysis and explore how its core principles can be translated into Medicare Advantage dementia care. The presentation will highlight opportunities to identify undiagnosed members, support caregivers, improve access to specialist-guided care, and reduce avoidable ED visits, hospitalizations, and long-term institutionalization. Attendees will learn practical approaches for adapting GUIDE-aligned dementia care models to value-based Medicare Advantage populations, including screening, assessment, care navigation, respite support, and outcomes measurement.
Continuing Education: 1.0 clock hour continuing education for Administrators/Alternates; 1.0 contact hour Continuing Nursing Education (CNE
Target Audience:
Medicare Hospice
Community Care
All HCSSAs AI/Tech
Leadership
11:15 am - 12:15 pm
4b. Beyond Resource Referral and Spiritual Presence: Interventions for Social Workers and Spiritual Care Providers
Speakers: Barb Provini, RN, BSN, Associate Clinical Director, ACHC
Session Description: This session explores the vital roles of social workers and spiritual care providers in hospice, moving beyond traditional resource referral and spiritual presence to address the complex realities of social, psychosocial, and spiritual distress. Through real-world case examples and interactive discussion, participants will examine how these forms of distress are recognized, understood, and addressed within their own organizations, and how interdisciplinary collaboration shapes the hospice experience for patients and families. Attendees will leave with practical strategies, actionable ideas, and evidence-informed interventions that can be implemented across the interdisciplinary team to better identify and relieve social, psychosocial, and spiritual distress among patients, caregivers, and staff. This session is designed to inspire reflection, strengthen collaboration, and equip participants with tools to enhance compassionate, whole-person hospice care.
Continuing Education: 1.0 clock hour continuing education for Administrators/Alternates; 1.0 clock hour Continuing Education for Social Workers (SW)
Target Audience:
Medicare Hospice
Community Care
All HCSSAs AI/Tech
Leadership
11:15 am - 12:15 pm
4d. Lead with Purpose: Transforming Home Care Through Intentional Leadership
Speakers: J'non Griffin, RN, MHA, HCS-D, HCS-O, COS-C, HCS-H, HCS-C, Senior VP of Coding and OASIS/Compliance, SimiTre
Description: “Lead With Purpose: Transforming Home Care Through Intentional Leadership” is a session built for every level of a home care or hospice agency — from executives and clinical managers to field nurses, home health aides, and coding and office staff. The session opens by confronting a hard truth: leadership is not a title, it is a behavior, and it shows up — or fails to show up — in the most consequential moments of patient care. Through a powerful opening story about a home health aide who hesitated to escalate a patient concern because her questions had been dismissed the week before, attendees quickly see that leadership decisions ripple directly into clinical outcomes, quality scores, and regulatory risk. The session then introduces the CARE Framework — four pillars of intentional leadership (Clarity, Accountability, Resilience, and Empathy) — and walks through how each pillar is practiced differently at every role in the agency, from the bedside to the billing office. A dedicated segment connects leadership culture directly to CMS-measured performance, showing that OASIS accuracy, HHCAHPS scores, rehospitalization rates, and staff turnover are all downstream of how leaders behave day to day. The session closes with an honest conversation about burnout, six practical sustainability tools leaders can implement immediately, and five specific Monday morning commitments that every attendee — regardless of title — can take back to their team. The goal is not inspiration for its own sake, but a room full of people who leave with something real, something named, and someone in mind.
Continuing Education: 1.0 clock hours continuing education for Administrators/Alternates; 1.0 contact hours Continuing Nursing Education (CNE); 1.0 clock hour Continuing Education for Social Workers (SW)
Target Audience:
Medicare Hospice
Community Care
All HCSSAs AI/Tech
Leadership
12:15 pm - 1:30 pm
Lunch in Exhibit Hall
Lunch, Bonus Education at select vendor booths, and raffle drawings.
1:30 pm - 2:30 pm
5a. Rewiring Rehab for VBP Success
Speaker: Arnie Cisneros PT; Home Health Strategic Management
Session Description: The latest Home Health VBP regulations require elevated Rehab outcomes for success. HH Providers who haven't rewired their therapy programming will struggle to achieve these outcomes under the PDGM model. This progressive presentation will outline qualified and best practice Rehab approaches for VBP-level care with Case Study demos.
Continuing Education: 1.0 clock hours continuing education for Administrators/Alternates; 1.0 contact hours Continuing Nursing Education (CNE)
Target Audience:
Medicare
1:30 pm - 2:30 pm
5c. Fraud, Waste and Abuse---A Look Under the Microscope
Speaker: Heidi Kocher, Esq and Jennifer Papapanagiotou, Liles Parker
Session Description: This session gives home health and hospice staff a working grasp of the core fraud, waste, and abuse laws — the False Claims Act, Anti-Kickback Statute, Stark Law, and Civil Monetary Penalties Law — and how they apply to agency operations. We'll examine key risk areas, including billing for medically unnecessary or unrendered services, and discuss current enforcement initiatives. We’ll close with practical compliance strategies, from audit protocols to OIG self-disclosure considerations, to help agencies limit exposure and respond effectively when issues surface.
Continuing Education: 1.0 clock hours continuing education for Administrators/Alternates; 1.0 contact hours Continuing Nursing Education (CNE)
Target Audience:
Medicare Hospice
Community Care
All HCSSAs AI/Tech
Leadership
1:30 pm - 2:30 pm
5b. Defensible Documentation: A Hospice Leader's Playbook to Eligibility, Compliance, and Audit Survival
Speaker: Natalie Venable OT, COS-C, CLHP, CHS-C, AFC-CP, Founder, Home Health & Hospice Consultant, Thrive Healthcare Solutions, LLC
Session Description: With federal enforcement at a historic high and hundreds of hospices already facing revocation or suspension, this session gives clinical leaders the operational playbook they need to build a culture of documentation accountability that protects patients, staff, and the organization. Defensible documentation is no longer optional — it is a leadership imperative. Participants will leave with a practical framework for identifying documentation risk before auditors do, a clear understanding of how LCD criteria must show up in clinical records, and specific strategies for aligning their interdisciplinary team around defensible, consistent eligibility documentation.
Continuing Education: 1.0 clock hours continuing education for Administrators/Alternates; 1.0 contact hours Continuing Nursing Education (CNE); 1.0 clock hour Continuing Education for Social Workers (SW)
Target Audience:
Hospice
1:30 pm - 2:30pm
5d. Leadership in the Age of AI: Not Yet? Not a Problem
Speaker: Tammy Ross MHA BSN RN CCM, EVP Professional Services, Axxess; Mike Carr, PT, Senior Director of Training and Education, Axxess
Description: The future-ready leader's guide to leading people through AI and constant change. AI isn't waiting, and neither are your people. This guide for managers and leaders turns uncertainty into momentum — helping you lead change with a growth mindset, build teams that adapt faster than the technology, and make the human skills AI can't replace your team's sharpest advantage. The ground has already shifted. AI adoption has crossed the tipping point, yet most change efforts still stall — not because of the technology, but because of how people are led through it. This presentation meets managers exactly where change succeeds or fails: in the middle, between strategy and the people who must live it. The Power of Yet - Three letters that turn a dead end into a doorway. "We're not an AI-ready team" becomes "We're not there — yet." Rooted in growth-mindset research, "yet" reframes resistance as learning, lowers the cost of failure, builds psychological safety, and keeps teams moving through long transitions.
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Reframe change with "Yet" — move your team from "we can't" to "not yet."
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Lead AI adoption with confidence — give people permission, guardrails, and clarity to experiment instead of freeze.
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Double down on human skills — grow the trust, judgment, and creativity AI can't replace.
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Your team isn't resistant. They're just not there — yet.
Continuing Education: 1.0 clock hours continuing education for Administrators/Alternates
Target Audience:
Medicare Hospice
Community Care
All HCSSAs AI/Tech
Leadership
2:45 pm - 3:45 pm
6a. How to Make Confident Decisions When Every Visit Counts
Speaker: Brian W. Lebanion, CEO/Consultant, BC Healthcare Consulting, LLC
Session Description: This presentation explores the operational, clinical, and financial implications of the Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM) in home health care. Participants will learn how case-mix factors, LUPA thresholds, visit utilization, and performance metrics influence reimbursement and agency sustainability while maintaining patient-centered, compliant care.
Continuing Education: 1.0 clock hours continuing education for Administrators/Alternates; 1.0 contact hours Continuing Nursing Education (CNE)
Target Audience:
Medicare
2:45pm - 3:45pm
6c. 2026 Employment Law Update for Home Care Employers
Speaker: Joshua Vaughn, Esq., Littler Mendelson, P.C.
Session Description: Think employment law compliance is just “pay everyone on time and call it a day”? If only. Join Littler’s Josh Vaughn for a fast, funny, and highly practical update of what’s changed in the last year and what’s coming in employment law. From updates on the FLSA Companionship and Live-In exemption regulations to wage-and-hour traps and audit nightmares to I 9 enforcement and real-world fixes that actually work, this session covers the pitfalls keeping owners up at night. Plus, bring your questions—leave with answers, action steps, and maybe even a laugh or two.
Continuing Education: 1.0 clock hours continuing education for Administrators/Alternates
Target Audience:
Medicare Hospice
Community Care
All HCSSAs AI/Tech
Leadership
2:45pm - 3:45pm
6b. Bridging Gaps Between Hospice Billing & Compliance
Speaker: M. Aaron Little, CPA, Forvis Mazars and Chris Gallarneau, MAC Legacy
Session Description: Hospice providers continue to face intense compliance scrutiny, with audits and oversight initiatives significantly impacting billing, revenue cycle operations, and cash flow. This session will examine the latest developments in hospice compliance, including TPE, PPEO, SMRC, UPICs, SSVI implications, and PEPPER reporting updates. Attendees will gain practical insights into audit lessons learned, common documentation risks, and strategies for implementing ongoing compliance assessments to strengthen revenue cycle performance and reduce organizational risk.
Continuing Education: 1.0 clock hours continuing education for Administrators/Alternates; 1.0 contact hours Continuing Nursing Education (CNE)
Target Audience:
Hospice
2:45pm - 3:45pm
6d. Future Home Care Success from a Leadership Perspective
Speaker: Kimberly McCormick RN BSN, Executive Clinical Director, Home Health Strategic Management (HHSM)
Description: With recent reforms and programming changes, Home Care has faced numerous challenges that have drastically altered how we develop and deliver care. In Home Health, PDGM inverted the HH model, then VBP introduced a Pay-for-Performance element payment, and now, MSPB-PAC tracks HH spending to affect reimbursement. These types of reforms, combined with societal factors, have also changed the game for Private Duty and DME Providers. Listen to Kimberly McCormick, veteran HH Administrator and progressive speaker/consultant as she outlines a Leadership Path to success under a changing HH model.
Continuing Education: 1.0 clock hours continuing education for Administrators/Alternates
Target Audience:
Medicare Hospice
Community Care
All HCSSAs AI/Tech
Leadership