Conference Schedule
Wednesday, April 15
- Quality Symposium – Quality Beyond Compliance | 8:30 AM – 12:30 PM | This is a pre-conference program for both skilled and assissted living providers. Audience: NHA, Executive Director, DON, Clinical Staff, Quality Managers, Compliance Staff, facility leadership
- Survey results shouldn’t define your organization, they should help strengthen it. Our upcoming Quality Symposium helps long-term care leaders turn non-compliance into meaningful improvement with tools you can use immediately. Quality in long-term care is about more than meeting regulations, it’s about building systems, culture, and leadership that support residents, staff, and sustainable success. Join us for a 4-hour Quality Symposium designed specifically for skilled nursing and assisted living providers. This practical program will focus on real-world strategies to improve quality outcomes, strengthen survey readiness, and move beyond “paper compliance.” Attendees will leave with actionable tools, templates, and strategies they can implement immediately.
- Participants will explore: How to turn survey findings and non-compliance into meaningful improvement. Practical quality improvement strategies that actually work. Behaviors that drive accountability and culture. Proactive risk management and year-round survey readiness
- Survey results shouldn’t define your organization, they should help strengthen it. Our upcoming Quality Symposium helps long-term care leaders turn non-compliance into meaningful improvement with tools you can use immediately. Quality in long-term care is about more than meeting regulations, it’s about building systems, culture, and leadership that support residents, staff, and sustainable success. Join us for a 4-hour Quality Symposium designed specifically for skilled nursing and assisted living providers. This practical program will focus on real-world strategies to improve quality outcomes, strengthen survey readiness, and move beyond “paper compliance.” Attendees will leave with actionable tools, templates, and strategies they can implement immediately.
- Opening Keynote with Brett Remington: The Mediocrity Trap: Escaping the Gravity of “Good Enough” | 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM
- Mediocrity doesn’t arrive with a bang; it settles in through a slow accumulation of “good enough.” The Mediocrity Trap is insidious precisely because it feels normal—it is the comfort and familiarity of meeting requirements without exceeding them, and the complacency of a leadership team that tacitly accepts the status quo. This trap lures you into a false sense of security, right up until the moment your customers and top talent vote with their feet, seeking the excellence you have stopped providing.
- To escape this gravitational force, we must dismantle the “comfort zone culture” that mistakes stability for progress. This session will help you see this trap, explore how to recalibrate your organizational standards and move beyond passive compliance toward a culture of radical ownership. We will discuss how to spark the “constructive friction” necessary to break the cycle of stagnation and ensure that excellence becomes a collective pursuit rather than a management directive.
- Here are three high-impact takeaways that bridge the gap between recognizing the “Mediocrity Trap” and taking actionable steps to escape it:
- The “Standard of Tolerance” Audit: Participants will learn how to identify the silent drift in their own leadership by auditing the lowest level of behavior they currently tolerate—because that, not the mission statement, is the true “floor” of their culture.
- Dismantling the Comfort Zone: We will explore strategies to transition from a culture of passive compliance (doing the job) to one of radical ownership (owning the outcome), where “good enough” is recognized as a strategic risk.
- Sparking Constructive Friction: Learn how to foster a high-trust environment where team members feel safe enough to challenge the status quo, ensuring that excellence becomes a shared responsibility rather than a top-down directive.
- Breakout Sessions | 3:00 PM – 4:30 PM
- Session A: High Performing Teams: Culture, Communication, and Conflict Resolution in Action with Chris Ross of Legacy Healthcare
- In today’s rapidly evolving post-acute care environment, leaders must cultivate resilient cultures, communicate clearly, and skillfully navigate conflict. This interactive breakout session equips attendees with practical tools they can apply immediately in their own organizations. Designed through the lens of a seasoned healthcare professional, this session blends real‑world examples, hands‑on exercises, and peer discussion to strengthen leadership capability at every level.
- Participants will leave with concrete strategies and ready‑to‑use frameworks that support stronger teams, better care, and more vibrant environments for staff, residents, and families.
- Strengthen team culture through consistent leadership behaviors; Communicate with greater clarity, confidence, and impact backed by neuroscience; Navigate conflict in a way that builds trust instead of eroding it; Apply practical, tested frameworks immediately upon returning to their homes
- Session B: How Smart Technology & Robotics Are Redefining Long-Term Care with Karl Seagren and Sean Oroni of Direct Supply
- Innovation isn’t optional in long-term care — it’s a competitive advantage. Providers today are balancing staffing shortages, regulatory demands, rising acuity, and increasing competition. The right solutions can help improve performance while supporting both residents and staff. In this 90-minute Direct Supply-led session, Karl Seagren and Sean Oroni will share how DS Smart technology and robotics are being applied in skilled nursing and assisted living communities to improve operational visibility, reduce risk, enhance survey preparedness, and support stronger care outcomes. Attendees will also explore how innovation can contribute to staff efficiency and resident satisfaction in practical, achievable ways. Walk away with a better understanding of how technology can support your organization’s goals — today and into the future.
- The session includes a live demonstration of DS Smart and robotics solutions, offering a clear view of how these tools function in real-world environments.
- Session C: T & T’s Dynamic Discussion of Revenue Cycle Issues with Terri Lee, Tina Campbell and Larry Lester of Wipfli LLP
- During this session Wipfli will identify many different issues that cause Provider claims not to pay or not to pay correctly. They will share specific examples you can take back to your facility to assist you in getting your receivables collected. And also provide tips to make sure you are getting paid at full reimbursement rates.
- Session A: High Performing Teams: Culture, Communication, and Conflict Resolution in Action with Chris Ross of Legacy Healthcare
- Opening Night Reception and Conference Kick Off Party – Hyatt Atrium | 5:00 – 7:00 PM: All attendees, exhibitors, and speakers welcomed and invited to attend this event, complete with hosted food and drink. Event Sponsored by: Brown & Brown, Behavioral Care Solutions, Provider Partners, Healthcare Services Group, Navigator GPO, Pathway Health, EasyShifts, M3 Insurance, McKesson, ProCern, Wipfli
Thursday, April 16
- April Board Meeting | 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM | Location: Riverview 2 | Breakfast and refreshments sponsored by McKesson
- Breakout Sessions | 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM
- Session A: Human Factors Part 1: The Science of People & Organizations with Dr. Reid Parks
- Brief intro to Human Factors frameworks: Understanding individual motivations and systems thinking; Organizational performance models (SPO/SEIPS)
- Implementation Science foundations: Evidence-based practices – marketing, reach, and adoption; Change strategies and barriers (COM-B model); Measuring what matters (outcomes frameworks)
- Session B: Assisted Living Updates, Trends, and Tags with DQA/BAL’s Ken Brotheridge
- Session C: The Scam You Didn’t See Coming: Email, Voice, and AI Deception with Stacey Yoakum and Will Galloway of ProCern
- Participants will be able to: Identify modern phishing attempts across multiple channels. Understand deep-fake audio/video manipulation. Apply verification protocols for sensitive requests. Respond appropriately to suspected attacks. Build long term habits through reinforcement activities
- Session A: Human Factors Part 1: The Science of People & Organizations with Dr. Reid Parks
- Breakout Sessions | 9:45 AM – 11:00 AM
- Session A: Human Factors Part 2: Practical Tools for Leading Change with Dr. Reid Parks
- Individual leadership development: Values clarification exercise; Leadership style assessment and playing to strengths
- Team-based organizational improvement: Root cause analysis and prioritization; Implementation planning and roadmapping; Building feedback loops and readiness
- Wrap-up and application planning
- Session B: Going from Good to Great: Strategies to Develop and Retain Nursing Leaders with Colleen Toebe of Pathway Health
- Identify key challenges affecting the retention of Directors of Nursing.
- Apply leadership development strategies to support DON growth and satisfaction.
- Discuss three approaches to retain and train nursing leaders
- Develop organizational support frameworks that encourage DON longevity.
- Session C: Past Non-Compliance: Immediate Jeopardy and the “Already Fixed” Defense with Stacy Gerber Ward and Tristan Dollinger of von Briesen & Roper
- Immediate Jeopardy citations demand swift action—but sometimes the facility acted before the surveyors ever walked through the door. This presentation will explore how facilities can establish past non-compliance when an immediate jeopardy citation is issued and demonstrate to surveyors that the noncompliance was already removed. We will review CMS guidance, evidentiary considerations, and practical strategies for documenting corrective action and presenting a persuasive narrative to regulators.
- Session A: Human Factors Part 2: Practical Tools for Leading Change with Dr. Reid Parks
- Exhibitor Showcase & Lunch | Location: Grand ABCDE | 11:00 AM – 1:45 PM
- Lunch hosted inside of the expo hall | 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM
- Visit with over 85 exhibitors
- Booth Prizes and Cash Prizes – WHCA/WiCAL will be awarding three $500 cash prizes during the expo!
- Breakout Sessions | 1:45 PM – 3:00 PM
- Session A: The Future of Value-Based Care: What Nursing Home Operators Need to Know with Craig Fleischmann and Courtney Hamre of Provider Partners
- Understand how the value-based care landscape is evolving toward 2027, including core models such as MSSP, ACO REACH, and I-SNPs, as well as emerging and adjacent CMS initiatives like LEAD, ACCESS, TEAM-based episodes, and the AHEAD Model.
- Assess whether their organization is already being affected by value-based arrangements, and evaluate market factors—such as state regulations, Medicare Advantage penetration, hospital alignment, and census mix—to determine the most appropriate strategic pathways.
- Identify the operational, clinical, and partnership capabilities nursing home operators will need to succeed as outcome-based payment, total cost accountability, and cross-setting coordination become standard across Medicare and Medicaid populations.
- Session B: Preventing Burnout in the Workplace with Stephanie Greene MHA, CPC, PCC, ELI-MP of Health Bridge Consulting
- Burnout has reached critical levels across healthcare, with particularly high prevalence in hospice, palliative care, and other mission-driven care settings. High turnover, chronic workforce shortages, and sustained emotional demands are not only impacting clinicians and staff — they are threatening organizational stability, quality outcomes, and leadership effectiveness.
- This session explores burnout as a systemic leadership and organizational issue, not an individual failure. Participants will examine current data on burnout and turnover across healthcare roles, identify early warning signs of burnout in both leaders and employees, and explore the role leadership behaviors, culture, and accountability play in either accelerating or preventing burnout.
- Through interactive reflection, data-informed discussion, and practical strategies, this session equips healthcare leaders with actionable approaches to reduce burnout risk, strengthen engagement, and create healthier, more sustainable workplaces — without adding more to already overloaded leaders’ plates.
- Session C: Safe, Person-Centered Antipsychotic Stewardship in Skilled Nursing Facilities: CMS-Aligned, Survey-Ready Workflows with Michael Goldsmith Behavioral Care Solutions
- This education provides a practical, CMS-aligned framework for antipsychotic stewardship in skilled nursing facilities. Content emphasizes building auditable facility systems (not “med management”) that protect resident rights, reduce avoidable adverse outcomes, and decrease survey exposure related to unnecessary psychotropic use and chemical restraint concerns. Learners review CMS “must-haves” for justified/continued antipsychotic use, high-impact risks to monitor, and a 5-point nursing decision filter to reduce inappropriate starts/renewals and PRN drift. The session includes documentation standards using an ABC (antecedent–behavior–consequence) approach, non-pharmacologic first-line interventions nursing can implement immediately, and operational workflows for PRN antipsychotic 14-day limits, GDR due-lists, monthly IDT review agendas, and QAPI snapshot metrics to sustain compliance and quality improvement.
- At the completion of this activity, the learner will be able to:
- Identify the required CMS-aligned documentation elements to justify or continue an antipsychotic in a SNF record, including indication/target symptom, non-pharmacologic interventions, informed consent, monitoring parameters, and a GDR plan or prescriber-documented contraindication.
- Apply a structured 5-point nursing decision filter to evaluate appropriateness of antipsychotic starts/renewals and prevent PRN drift, ensuring each criterion is met before administration or continuation.
- Demonstrate survey-ready behavioral documentation using an ABC format that includes measurable behaviors (frequency/duration/severity), non-pharmacologic attempts, and resident response/outcome, with clear provider notification triggers when indicated.
- Implement workflow controls that support sustained stewardship, including PRN antipsychotic 14-day hard stop tracking, a GDR due-list with monthly IDT cadence and minutes, and a monthly QAPI snapshot using defined process/outcome metrics (e.g., starts, PRN use, GDR completion, adverse events).
- At the completion of this activity, the learner will be able to:
- This education provides a practical, CMS-aligned framework for antipsychotic stewardship in skilled nursing facilities. Content emphasizes building auditable facility systems (not “med management”) that protect resident rights, reduce avoidable adverse outcomes, and decrease survey exposure related to unnecessary psychotropic use and chemical restraint concerns. Learners review CMS “must-haves” for justified/continued antipsychotic use, high-impact risks to monitor, and a 5-point nursing decision filter to reduce inappropriate starts/renewals and PRN drift. The session includes documentation standards using an ABC (antecedent–behavior–consequence) approach, non-pharmacologic first-line interventions nursing can implement immediately, and operational workflows for PRN antipsychotic 14-day limits, GDR due-lists, monthly IDT review agendas, and QAPI snapshot metrics to sustain compliance and quality improvement.
- Session A: The Future of Value-Based Care: What Nursing Home Operators Need to Know with Craig Fleischmann and Courtney Hamre of Provider Partners
- Breakout Workshops | 3:15 PM – 4:15 PM
- Session A: Building and Creating Legislative Relationships with Eric Koch of WHCA/WiCAL
- Interacting with elected officials can be intimidating, and it is confusing how and where to start. However, developing relationships with officials who determine our state Medicaid budget and who create the laws and regulations which oversee long-term care is a critical step in supporting your profession. In 2026 WHCA/WiCAL and AHCA/NCAL are both making concerted efforts to get more elected officials into member facilities to learn about the hard work that you do, how decisions they make in Madison & Washington impact you, and to learn about the challenges and opportunities facing long-term care.
- Session B: Partners in Resident-Centered Care: The Role of the Wisconsin Ombudsman Program with Jenna Helminski Juve, Long Term Care Ombudsman
- This session provides an overview of Wisconsin’s Long Term Care Ombudsman Program and its role in supporting resident rights and quality of life across nursing homes and assisted living settings. Participants will gain clarity on who the Ombudsman serves, how complaints are addressed, and how the program interfaces with providers in day-to-day practice.
- The session will explore common points of interaction between ombudsmen and facility staff, including complaint resolution, resident and family council support, staff education, and consultation on complex rights issues. Attendees will also learn how ombudsmen can serve as a bridge between residents, families, and providers – fostering communication, reducing conflict, and strengthening resident-centered outcomes.
- Designed for long-term care administrators and staff, this session emphasizes the importance of professional, respectful partnerships that uphold resident voice while supporting quality operations.
- Session C: Utilizing Youth Apprenticeships in Long Term Care with John Keckhaver of Wisconsin’s Department of Workforce Development
- Hear about how the Wisconsin Youth Apprenticeship Program provides opportunities for high school students and employers in a wide range of health care industry occupations. John will describe the mechanics of the program as well as the benefits and next steps for anyone interested in using this talent-acquisition strategy.
- Session D: Recognize, Respond, Reduce: De-Escalation Strategies for Effective Communication with Kasey Meyer of AHI
- This presentation focuses on a Recognize, Respond, and Reduce framework to enhance safety and communication during mental health crises. Participants will learn to identify early warning signs and use effective engagement to prevent escalation. By applying practical de-escalation techniques, individuals can effectively reduce conflict and promote community well-being. This comprehensive approach emphasizes risk reduction through team collaboration and proactive self-care, ensuring that caregivers remain resilient and supported.
- Recognize: Identify early warning signs of mental health distress and apply targeted communication to engage individuals effectively.
- Respond: Apply practical de-escalation techniques to diffuse conflict, while ensuring the safety and well-being of the community.
- Reduce: Lower risk by fostering a culture of team collaboration and prioritizing self-care to prevent chronic fatigue.
- This presentation focuses on a Recognize, Respond, and Reduce framework to enhance safety and communication during mental health crises. Participants will learn to identify early warning signs and use effective engagement to prevent escalation. By applying practical de-escalation techniques, individuals can effectively reduce conflict and promote community well-being. This comprehensive approach emphasizes risk reduction through team collaboration and proactive self-care, ensuring that caregivers remain resilient and supported.
- Session A: Building and Creating Legislative Relationships with Eric Koch of WHCA/WiCAL
- Conference Reception and Networking Event with Rock It Man Entertainment | 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM | Interactive, Entertaining, Funny! All attendees, exhibitors, speakers welcomed to attend this event, complete with hosted food and drinks. Casual, fun event for everyone! One lucky attendee will win $500 cash during this networking event and you must be present to win!
Friday, April 17
- Closing Ceremony + $500 Cash Prize | 8:30 – 11:30 AM
- Hosted Breakfast and Bloody Mary & Mimosa Bar: 8:30 – 9:30 AM
- Closing Remarks from WHCA/WiCAL CEO Rick Abrams and & awarding of the $500 Cash Prize: 9:30 – 9:45 AM
- Closing Keynote with Lisa Ryan: Leading So They Stay: Real-World Retention Strategies for LTC Leaders | 9:45-11:15 AM
- What You Can Expect from This Interactive Closing Keynote: Move beyond occasional appreciation and into consistent leadership behaviors that create trust, accountability, and long-term stability across your facilities. Build a Culture That Lasts Beyond the Shift. Strengthen Teams Without Bigger Budgets. Use the tools you already have to engage, recognize, and support your people. From new hires to seasoned caregivers, implement simple, repeatable actions that increase loyalty without adding cost or complexity. Discover how appreciation, connection, recognition, communication, purpose, and leadership work together to reduce turnover, improve morale, and create a team that chooses to stay.
- Lisa is a renowned national keynote speaker and staff retention expert, who has worked with and consulted the leadership of companies like: Honda, Bausch & Lomb, Toyota, Nationwide Insurance, Goodwill, FEBTECH, and numerous colleges and trade & professional associations associations.