Pre-Conference Workshops

2:00 PM – 3:30 PM

Multi-Sector Health Partnerships for Community Investment in Rural Settings
Karen Cheeseman, President & Chief Executive Officer, Mackinac Straits Health System, Saint Ignace, Mich.  
Kristin Juliar, Capital Resources Project Consultant, National Organization of State Offices of Rural Health
Ruth Thomas-Squance, PhD, MPH, Co-Executive Director, Build Healthy Places Network

Navigating the Top 3 Threats Facing America’s Rural Hospitals 

Jeffrey Adler, Chief Executive Officer, iProtean
Karma Bass, MPH, FACHE, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Principal, Via Healthcare Consulting
Tom Mee, System Chief Executive Officer, North Country HealthCare, Berlin, N.H. 
Rachelle Schultz, President and Chief Executive Officer, Winona Health, Winona, Minn. 

4:00 PM – 5:30 PM

Workforce Mental Well-Being and Suicide Prevention: Engaging Trustees
Rebecca Chickey, MPH, Senior Director, Behavioral Health Services, American Hospital Association
Sue Ellen Wagner, Vice President of Trustee Services, American Hospital Association

Concurrent Sessions

 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM

Sustainability Assessment: Can Independent Community Health Systems Be Sustained? 

Ryan Huebbers, Director, Guidehouse

Brook Ward, Chief Executive Officer, Washington Health System, Washington, Pa.

Fortifying the Nursing Pipeline: How to Create Partnerships That Get Results

Julie Hall, RN, Vice President of Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer, Bassett Medical Center, Cooperstown, New York

Lessons Learned: Quality Improvement and Innovation Strategy in the Indian Health Service

Philippe Champagne, MD, MPH, Physician Senior Advisor, Indian Health Service 
Ben Feliciano, Nurse Consultant - Improvement Advisor, Indian Health Service 

Panel: Value-based Care: You Don’t Have to Go It Alone 

Moderator: Clint MacKinney, MD, Clinical Associate Professor, University of Iowa

Panelists:
Shannon Banks, Chief Operating Officer, MaineHealth, Portland, Maine

John Findley, MD, President, Bryan Health Connect, Lincoln, Neb.

Kim McCoy, Senior Program Manager, Stratis Health; Director of the Medicare Quality Improvement Organization Program, Superior Health Quality Alliance

The Board’s Critical Role in Enterprise Risk Management 

Lynn Falcone, Chief Executive Officer, Cuero Regional Hospital, Cuero, Texas

Pamela Knecht, President & Chief Executive Officer, ACCORD LIMITED 
Faye Sheppard, RN, MSN, JD, Principal, Patient Safety Resources 

11:15 AM – 12:15 PM

Improving Behavioral Health Workforce and Services in a Rural State

Shea Jorgensen, MD, Director of Rural Outreach and Training, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics; Medical Director, Prairie Ridge Integrated Behavioral Health, Mason City, Iowa
Jodi Tate, MD, Clinical Professor, Vice Chair for Education; Director, ID-MI Program, University of Iowa Healthcare, Iowa City, Iowa

Nancy Williams, MD, Clinical Professor; Director, Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) Program, University of Iowa Healthcare, Iowa City, Iowa

Forming a Successful Rural Health System by Bringing Together Former Competitors

Tom Mee, System Chief Executive Officer, North Country HealthCare, Berlin, N.H.

Michael Peterson, FACHE, President and Chief Executive Officer, Androscoggin Valley Hospital, Berlin, N.H.

Equity Means Everyone: Creative Health Care Solutions in Rural Areas by Community Organizations 

Rita Carreon, Vice President, Health, UnidosUS  
Lydia Isaac, PhD, Vice President for Health Equity and Policy, National Urban League 

3:30 PM – 4:30 PM

Acute Care 360 — Developing Access to Lifesaving Specialty Services 

Brian Bossard, MD, FHM, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Bryan Telehealth, Lincoln, Neb.

Patrick Ganyo, Vice President of Rural Services, Bryan Health, Lincoln, Neb.

Ryan Martin, MD, FCCP, Nebraska Pulmonary Specialists, Lincoln, Neb.

Ivan Mitchell, Chief Executive Officer, Great Plains Health, North Platte, Neb.

Lessons From Creating the Dartmouth Health Center to Advance Rural Health Equity - Handout 1

Lessons From Creating the Dartmouth Health Center to Advance Rural Health Equity - Handout 2
Rudolph Fedrizzi, District Director, Vermont Department of Health, White River Junction, Vt. 
Sally Kraft, MD, MPH, Vice President Population Health, Dartmouth Health, Lebanon, N.H. 

Preventing, Mitigating and Responding to Violence in the Rural Hospital Setting 
Brendan Riley, Director of Security, Parking and Transportation, Lahey Hospital and Medical Center, Burlington, Mass. 

How a Rapidly Expanding Rural Health System Is Restructuring Governance

Cindy Smith, MD, Senior Vice President Rural Health, CentraCare, St. Cloud, Minn.  
Tim Wensman, Trustee, CentraCare, St. Cloud, Minn. 

Transforming Rural Health Care Through Digital Innovation
Gokhan Anil, MD, MBOE, Medical Director, Digital Practice Enablement, Mayo Clinic Health System, Rochester, Minn. 
Prathibha Varkey, MBBS, MBA, President, Mayo Clinic Health System, Rochester, Minn. 

Sunrise Sessions

7:15 AM – 8:15 AM

Rural Health Policy and Research Issues Facing Rural Hospitals

Tom Morris, Associate Administrator, HHS/ HRSA/ Federal Office of Rural Health Policy 

Keith Mueller, Gerhard Hartman Professor - Health Management and Policy, Iowa College of Public Health

George Pink, PhD, Research Fellow - Department of Health Policy and Management, Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research UNC Chapel Hill

Pat Schou, Executive Director, Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network (ICAHN)

Trenches and Bridges: Addressing the Rural Veteran Health Care Crisis

Evelyn Lewis, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Warrior Centric Health
Farzaneh Sabi, MD, Associate Medical Director, Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group, Kaiser Permanente, Rockville, Md.

Defending Against Cyberthreats on a Rural Hospital Budget

Michael Hamilton, Founder and Chief Information Security Officer, Critical Insight
John Riggi, National Advisor for Cybersecurity and Risk, American Hospital Association

Governance Best Practice — It Takes Practice

Todd Linden, Partner, Linden Consulting; Chief Executive Officer Emeritus, UnityPoint Health - Grinnell Regional Medical Center, Grinnell, Iowa

Bill Menner, President and Chief Executive Officer, The Bill Menner Group

How to Alleviate Financial and Staffing Constraints With ACO Participation
Catherine Chua, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Davis Health System, Elkins, W.V.
Alyssa Meller, Chief Operating Officer, National Rural Health Resource Center, Rural Health Innovations
Todd Searls, Vice President of Strategic Accounts, Signify Health 

Concurrent Sessions

10:00 AM – 11:00 AM

Improving Maternal and Infant Services Access and Quality Through a Regional Center of Excellence
Allen Anderson, President and Chief Executive Officer, St. Anthony Regional Hospital, Carroll, Iowa 
Virginia Uhlenkamp, OB Director at The Birth Place, St. Anthony Regional Hospital, Carroll, Iowa 
Ashleigh Wiederin, OB Outreach Coordinator at The Birth Place, St. Anthony Regional Hospital, Carroll, Iowa 

Workforce Story Slam: Strategies for a More Robust, Resilient and Flexible Workforce
Moderator: Elisa Arespacochaga, Vice President, Clinical Affairs and Workforce, American Hospital Association

Presenters:
Katie Chieda, Chief Nursing Officer, Fisher-Titus Health, Norwalk, Ohio
Stacy Daniel, Director of Clinical Programs, Fisher-Titus Medical Center, Norwalk, Ohio

Clare Fox, Director of Performance Improvement, North Country Healthcare, Berlin, N.H.
Tiffany Love, PhD, APRN, FACHE, Associate Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer, The University of Vermont Health Network, Porter Medical Center, Middlebury, Vt. 
Lesley Ogden, MD, FACEP, Chief Executive Officer, Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital, Lincoln City, Ore.; Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital, Newport, Ore.  
Jason Shenefield, President and Chief Executive Officer, Phelps Health, Rolla, Mo.

Rural Realities: Value-based Payment and Accountable Care Organizations

Jacqueline Barton True, Vice President, Advocacy and Rural Health, Washington State Hospital Association
Eric Moll, Chief Executive Officer, Mason Health, Shelton, Wash. 
Elya Prystowsky, PhD, Executive Director, The Rural Collaborative
Jake Woods, Director of Accountable Care Models, PSW

Critical Communications: Building Trust and Your Brand in Times of Crisis - Handout 1

Critical Communications: Building Trust and Your Brand in Times of Crisis - Handout 2

Paige Heitman, Marketing and Public Relations Director, Phelps Health, Rolla, Mo.

Somer Overshon, Associate Vice President of Strategic Communications, Learning & Outreach, Phelps Health, Rolla, Mo.

Health Equity Policy in Rural Health Systems

Leon D. Caldwell, PhD, Senior Director, Health Equity Strategies and Innovation, Institute for Diversity and Health Equity, American Hospital Association
Akin Demehin, Senior Director, Quality and Patient Safety, Public Policy, American Hospital Association
Julie Kim, Senior Program Manager, Health Equity Strategies, Institute for Diversity and Health Equity, American Hospital Association
Terry Scoggin, Chief Executive Officer, Titus Regional Medical Center, Mt. Pleasant, Texas

11:15 AM – 12:15 PM

The Key to Independence Is Partnership

MaryEllen Pratt, Chief Executive Officer, St. James Parish Hospital, Lutcher, La. 

Jessica Soileau Canning, Executive Director, Louisiana Independent Hospital Network Coalition; Director for Special Projects, General Health System, Baton Rouge, La. 
Jeremy Tinnerello, Chief Executive Officer, Glenwood Hospital, West Monroe, La.

Expanding Behavioral Health Programs Into Schools and Community Access Sites

Charlie Forbush, Chief Administrative Officer, Western Wisconsin Health, Baldwin, Wis.  

Rural Emergency Hospitals: New Opportunities and Opportunities for Improvement

Jeff Colyer, MD, Chair, National Advisory Committee of Rural Health and Human Services; Former Governor of Kansas

Emily Cook, Partner, McDermott Will & Emery LLP

Kristi Martinsen, Division Director, Federal Office of Rural Health Policy

Janice Walters, Chief Operating Officer of Programs, Rural Health Redesign Center

Integrating Community Outreach and Population Health to Advance a Rural Community’s Health Equity

Mary N. Mannix, FACHE, President and Chief Executive Officer, Augusta Health, Fishersville, Va. 
Clint Merritt, MD, Vice President of Population Health and Executive Director of Augusta Care Partners, Augusta Health, Fishersville, Va. 
Krystal Moyers, Administrative Director, Community Outreach and Partnerships, Augusta Health, Fishersville, Va. 

Long-Term Strategies for Your Most Valuable Resource

Dani Lynas, Chief Financial Officer, Gritman Medical Center, Moscow, Idaho 
Ryan Nestrick, Senior Vice President, QHR Health

Plenary Session

1:45 PM - 3:00 PM

Powering Through the Super Storm: The Rural Governance Challenge

Jamie Orlikoff, President, Orlikoff & Associates, Inc., National Advisor on Governance and Leadership to the American Hospital Association, and health care governance expert

Sunrise Sessions
7:30 AM – 8:30 AM

Best Practices in Health Care Access and Quality for American Indians and Alaskan Natives

Brian Hail, Deputy Director of External Operations, Cherokee Nation, Health Services, Tahlequah, Okla.

Leonard D. Thomas, MD, Director, Albuquerque Area, Indian Health Service

Brian Woodliff, Chief Executive Officer, Northeastern Health System, Tahlequah, Okla.   

The Changing 340B Program Landscape for Rural Hospitals: Updates from the Field

Karen Cheeseman, President & Chief Executive Officer, Mackinac Straits Health System, Saint Ignace, Mich.  

Bharath Krishnamurthy, Director, Health Analytics & Policy, American Hospital Association
Aimee Kuhlman, Vice President, Advocacy and Grassroots, American Hospital Association

Leverage Data to Hold Payers Accountable

Travis Gentry, Chief Executive Officer, Hyve Health
Tamie D. Young, Vice President – Revenue Cycle, Stillwater Medical Center, Stillwater, Okla.

Secrets of the Staffing Fix and Executive Retention
Jamie Hebets, Senior Vice President, The Hebets Company, an NFP Company
Brian Lee, Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Custom Learning Systems Group Ltd. 
Erin Muck, Chief Executive Officer, Crawford County Memorial Hospital, Denison, Iowa

Concurrent Sessions
8:45 AM – 9:45 AM
 

Panel: Value-based Care: What’s Working and What Isn’t

Moderator: Sarah Chouinard, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Main Street Health
Panelists: 
Scott Cohen, MD, Vice President, Chief Medical Informatics and Innovation Officer, ACCO, Bassett Healthcare Network, Cooperstown, N.Y.

Tamara Moore, Director of Quality, West Tennessee Healthcare, Jackson, Tenn. 
Matt Sells, President and Chief Executive Officer, Shenandoah Medical Center, Shenandoah, Iowa 

Rita Urbanek, Administrative Director of Population Health, Hill Country Memorial Hospital, Fredericksburg, Texas

Becoming an Effective Advocate for Hospitals and Health Systems: How to Impact Public Policy

Joshua Boisvert, Senior Vice President, Beekeeper Group
David Critchlow, Senior Vice President, Government Relations, LifePoint Health, Brentwood, Tenn. 

Aimee Kuhlman, Vice President, Advocacy and Grassroots, American Hospital Association  

A Path Forward: The Evolution of Rural Skilled Nursing Care
Moderator: Eric Boley, President, Wyoming Hospital Association
Panelists: Karen Costello, President, Intermountain Health, Holy Rosary Healthcare, Miles City, Mont.
Irene Richardson, Chief Executive Officer, Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County, Rock Springs, Wyo.