Conference Agenda
Partnering for Success: Quality-Focused Collaboration in Health Care
Utilizing collaboration and emerging technologies across health care settings to break down silos to ensure quality improvement

Wednesday, September 10, 2025
4:30pm-6:30pm   Early Registration

Thursday, September 11, 2025
6:45am-7:45am   Registration and Continental Breakfast Buffet

7:45am-8:00am   Welcome and Announcements
Moderator:
      Sunil K. Sinha, MD, MBA, CHCQM, FACHE, FABQAURP
      Education Committee Chair - ABQAURP
      Medical Director for Value Based Care and Provider Network - Sentara Health Plans

8:00am-9:00am    Population Health – Where Are We Today?
      Tabassum Salam, MD, CHCQM, MBA, FACP - Chief Learning Officer - ChristianaCare Health System

• Gain insight into the evolution of population health and discuss the key factors driving these changes
• Discuss the impact of the shift from fee-for-service models to value-based health care on health outcomes and cost management
• Examine effective strategies and best practices for promoting and optimizing population health initiatives and transforming health care delivery

9:00am-10:00am    Legislative and Regulatory Updates

10:00am-10:15am    Networking Break

10:15am-11:15am    Blockchain: Improving Care and Administration 
      Gerard R. Dache - Executive Director - Government Blockchain Association

• Explain what a blockchain is
• Recognize why blockchain is relevant to health care
• Describe three ways that blockchain can improve health outcomes and/or improve health care administration

11:15am-12:15pm   Hospital at Home Initiatives
      Linda V. DeCherrie, MD - Vice President, Clinical Strategy and Implementation - Medically Home

• Describe the Hospital at Home model of care
• Determine which patients can benefit from Hospital at Home
• Identify payment and regulatory barriers to the models

12:15pm-1:15pm    Networking Lunch (Buffet Lunch Provided) 

1:15pm-2:15pm    Clinical Use and Cost Reduction Utilizing Artificial Intelligence (AI)
      Mark Michalski, MD - Ascertain

2:15pm-3:15pm    Reimagining Healthcare Delivery for an Aging Society
      Michael Hodin, PhD - CEO - Global Coalition on Aging

• Describe the engAGE with Heart model and analyze how community-rooted health programs can be structured to reflect shifting demographics and chronic disease burdens
• Evaluate the impact of community-driven strategies, including trained Community Health Ambassadors and patient navigation, on improving access, reducing readmissions, and easing pressure on traditional healthcare systems
• Construct a framework for scaling community-based health models by identifying key staffing, partnership, and policy levers and demonstrate how the engAGE with Heart model can serve as a foundation for integrating similar interventions into broader systems through policy, investment, and cross-sector collaboration

3:15pm-3:30pm    Networking Break

3:30pm-4:30pm    The Self-Leadership Framework: A New Model for Influence and Impact
      Traci Fisher, PCC, CHWC - Chief Executive Officer - The Wellness Coach

• Analyze how leadership behavior influences team performance, psychological safety, and organizational resilience
• Apply key neuroscience-based strategies to enhance self-leadership, improve decision-making, and drive consistent, high-impact actions
• Identify creative strategies for maintaining focus, resilience, and influence under pressure, transforming challenges into opportunities for long-term success

4:30pm-5:30pm    Quality and Safety Considerations for Reconciling Analgesic Medications During Care Transitions
      Elizabeth A. Cook, PharmD, BCACP, CDCES - Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner - Robert J. Dole Veterans Affairs Medical Center

• List steps to verify a medication regimen with a patient suffering from acute and/or chronic pain conditions
• Describe clinical considerations in clarifying the appropriateness of an analgesic regimen
• Identify examples of medication discrepancies that can occur when reconciling an analgesic medication regimen

5:30pm    Closing Remarks and Adjournment

5:30pm-7:30pm     Networking Reception
      Relax and Network! Reception is open to Thursday, Friday, and Two-Day attendees. Reception is ages 21 and over only, please

Friday, September 12, 2025
6:45am-7:45am    Registration and Continental Breakfast

7:45am-8:00am    Welcome and Announcements & CHCQM Diplomate Achievement Award Presentation
Moderator:
     Sunil K. Sinha, MD, MBA, CHCQM, FACHE, FABQAURP
      Education Committee Chair - ABQAURP
      Medical Director for Value Based Care and Provider Network - Sentara Health Plans

8:00am-9:00am    Utilization Management, Industry Regulations, Revenue Leakage and Workflow Inefficiency
      Timothy Brundage, MD, CCDS - Medical Director, CEO - Brundage Group

• Specify the challenges in holding Medicare Advantage plans accountable for the Medicare Two-Midnight Rule
• Summarize utilization review workflow inefficiencies that contribute to revenue leakage
• Examine the importance of observation length of stay as a key utilization review metric

9:00am-10:00am    Throughput Optimization to Improve Quality Metrics and Patient Experience
      Cynthia H. Moon, MD, CHCQM - Medical Director, Physician Advisory Services - Sound Physicians/Methodist Hospitals

• Recognize how throughput and patient experience begin in the Emergency Department
• Identify best practices for multidisciplinary rounds (MDRs)
• Describe how patient experience can improve with throughput optimization and effective MDRs

10:00am-10:15am    Networking Break

10:15am-11:15am    Enhancing Quality Through Utilization Management: Best Practices for UM Committee and Strategies for Improving Resource Utilization During Healthcare Crises
      Nitin Ubhayakar, MD, CHCQM-PHYADV - Medical Director of Advisory Services - Sound Advisory

• Identify best practices for UM Committee meetings to make actionable improvements in the hospital
• Describe how patient throughput (length of stay) is affected by unnecessary overutilization of resources
• Recognize how local and national emergencies can impact utilization of hospital resources and evaluate the effectiveness of strategies aimed at decreasing inappropriate utilization during these crises

11:15am-12:15pm    Improving Quality to Drive Down Readmissions
      William J. Frederick, III, MD, PhD, CHCQM-PHYADV - Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine and Medical Director CM/UM/PA Group - Stanford Health Care

• Describe effective strategies for identifying high-risk patients who are prone to readmissions, enabling them to implement targeted interventions in their practices
• Develop appropriate metrics to monitor re-visit and readmission rates, allowing for data-driven decision-making and continuous improvement in their healthcare settings
• Outline key components of effective care coordination and communication strategies that can be employed to improve collaboration among healthcare providers, ultimately reducing the likelihood of avoidable readmissions

12:15pm-1:15pm    Networking Lunch (Buffet Lunch Provided)

1:15pm-2:15pm    The Evolving Role of Physician Advisors in Quality and Safety Oversight
      Carl Fitch, MBA - Principal & Practice Leader - WittKieffer
      Panel Discussion: Sunil K. Sinha, MD, MBA, CHCQM, FACHE, FABQAURP; Tabassum Salam, MD, CHCQM, MBA, FACP; and Melissa Buchner-Mehling, MD, CHCQM, CPHYADV

• Trace the origin and evolution of the Physician Advisor role within the context of today's shifting healthcare landscape
• Explain how healthcare providers are leveraging Physician Advisors in quality and safety initiatives and the potential impact these leaders can have across organizations
• Identify the prerequisites and needed skills, as well as the inherent rewards and challenges, of the Physician Advisor role for those considering it as a career option and stepping stone to senior physician executive positions 

2:15pm-3:15pm    Turning Denial Data Into Action
      Wendy S. Ayers, MSHI, BSN, RN, ACM, MCG-C - Director of Utilization Review - Inova Health System

• Identify and explain common denial trends pre-/post-billing to improve UR outcomes
• Evaluate current denial management and data collection workflows to identify process improvement opportunities
• Develop a team-based strategy to prevent high-risk denials using shared data

3:15pm-3:30pm    Networking Break

3:30pm-4:30pm    Physician Advisor and Care Team Trivia
      Melissa Buchner-Mehling, MD, CHCQM, CPHYADV, FABQAURP - Associate Chief Medical Officer - Sound Advisor
      Natasha L. Chen, MD, CHCQM, CPHYADV, FABQAURP - Physician Advisor - Natasha L. Chen, M.D. PLLC

• Describe Medicare beneficiary notices and when to issue
• Assess the appropriate level of inpatient or outpatient care and best practices for documenting and billing patient services
• Identify physician advisor roles and responsibilities within the health care team

 
4:30pm    Closing Remarks and Adjournment

*Schedule, faculty, and content are subject to change.