Join us for an engaging and insightful annual conference featuring a dynamic lineup of general sessions, breakout discussions, and collaborative roundtables.
Prepare for thought-provoking discussions, innovative strategies, and networking opportunities designed to drive transformation and success in today’s healthcare landscape.
Breakfast served in the General Session Grand Ballroom
Timothy Long, MD
Chief Clinical Officer | Health Choice Network
Dennis Owen
Director, CISO Services | Health Choice Network
Cassandra Meyer
Director, Community and Population Health Applications | Health Choice Network
Over the past three years, QTECH IV has driven digital transformation across Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), equipping them to meet complex challenges with innovative solutions. This session offers a reflective look at the most impactful advancements achieved under QTECH IV—from EHR optimization to actionable population health analytics—and how these efforts have strengthened care for underserved communities. We’ll also look ahead to the future of QTECH: exploring next-generation technologies, policy shifts, and equity-driven digital strategies poised to shape the next phase of transformation.
Attendance is required for QTECH representatives from each Community Health Center.
Session Objectives:
• Analyze trends in quality performance over the past three years across FQHCs, with a focus on how QTECH-supported tools (e.g., dashboards, analytics platforms, EHR enhancements) have driven measurable improvements in UDS and HEDIS metrics.
• Identify key QTECH innovations that have enhanced clinical decision support, risk stratification, and care gap closure—translating directly into improved patient outcomes and streamlined quality reporting processes.
• Explore case studies from peer health centers demonstrating successful implementation of QTECH-enabled quality initiatives, such as improved chronic disease management or social determinants of health (SDOH) integration.
• Preview priorities for QTECH 5, highlighting how the next three-year grant cycle will build on past progress to advance digital equity, artificial intelligence, interoperability, and whole-person care across the safety net.
Maylee Sanchez, CHPSE, CHCIO
Chief Information Officer | Health Choice Network
Alex Romillo
President & CEO | Health Choice Network
This energizing session will explore the current state of our Network, spotlighting bold strategic moves, key partnerships, and innovations that reflect our commitment to health centers and the communities they serve. As we navigate a time of rapid change and complexity, this session will underscore how every decision—every move—is made with purpose, connection, and impact in mind. Gain insight into the priorities driving HCN forward, what to expect throughout the conference, and how we, together, are making every move count.
Rosendo Collazo, DO
Epic Provider Champion | Health Choice Network
Gaelle Laurore-Fray
Executive Vice President of Medicine | Tampa Family Health Centers
Brandon Hallman
Associate Director, Integrations & Patient Experience | Health Choice Network
Discover how Dragon Co-Pilot is transforming clinical workflows by reducing documentation burden, boosting provider efficiency, and improving quality outcomes in CHCs. This interactive session will provide an overview of ambient documentation, the concept of “ambient notes,” and how AI-powered tools like Dragon Co-Pilot are enhancing patient-centered care while reducing burnout. A CHC spotlight will highlight real-world adoption and impact, while a live provider-patient demonstration will showcase Dragon Co-Pilot in action—from conversation to fully generated clinical note. The session concludes with a forward look at Epic’s Dragon Co-Pilot roadmap, including future features like automated medication updates, specialist visit documentation, and more.
Session Objectives:
• Define Dragon Co-Pilot and understand how ambient clinical documentation integrates with the Epic EHR.
• Identify best practices for using Dragon Co-Pilot to enhance provider documentation efficiency.
• Understand how to interpret and leverage data to measure the impact of ambient tools on provider productivity.
• Describe the emerging capabilities of Dragon Co-Pilot and its future potential for streamlining clinical care.
Katie Chatterton
Vice President of Sales | PointCare
Everett Lebherz
Co-Founder and CEO | PointCare
Jeff Allen
National Community Health Center Practice Leader | Forvis Mazars
Ben Gilbert
Chief Financial Officer | Evara Health
Join this interactive session to explore practical strategies for protecting and maximizing Medicaid revenue in today’s evolving funding landscape. A panel of financial and policy experts will share proven tactics to reduce revenue leakage, boost operational efficiency, and prepare for policy shifts. Walk away with actionable solutions to strengthen your health center’s financial stability and mission impact.
Session Objectives:
• Understand the current Medicaid funding landscape and its implications for health centers
• Explore operational strategies from a CFO perspective to address inefficiencies and improve visit utilization and payer mix
• Gain insights from a national expert on navigating policy uncertainty and preparing for funding shifts
• Engage in a collaborative activity to identify and analyze revenue challenges at participants' own health centers
• Examine innovative, data-driven approaches to reduce Medicaid revenue leakage and enhance patient enrollment and retention
Jerry Carlson
Chief Security Advisor | Microsoft
Dennis Owen
Director, CISO Services | Health Choice Network
Christian Sevilla
Cybersecurity Manager | Health Choice Network
This informative session will provide healthcare IT professionals with essential insights into the evolving cyberthreat landscape. Attendees will learn about the latest risks facing health centers and explore practical strategies for improving cybersecurity, including incident response planning and ongoing monitoring. Through expert perspectives and real-world examples, participants will walk away with actionable steps to better protect their organizations.
Session Objectives:
• Identify key cyberthreats such as ransomware, phishing, and nation-state attacks.
• Understand effective tools and techniques for detection and response.
• Learn best practices for incident response and continuous improvement.
Stephen Lytle
Assistant Vice President | Evara Health
In this interactive session, we go beyond prompt engineering to explore the practical, real-world applications of AI in HR. Tailored specifically for healthcare HR leaders, this workshop offers hands-on exposure to some of the most exciting and impactful AI tools being used today. Through guided demonstrations, participants will explore platforms like NotebookLM, Monday.com, Synthesia, and other cutting-edge generative AI solutions. Learn how to streamline HR workflows, reduce administrative burdens, enhance talent acquisition strategies, and supercharge learning and development initiatives.
Timothy Weldon
Chief Engagement and Development Officer | Health Choice Network
Iliana Farinas
Director of Health Center Engagement | Health Choice Network
Amanda Dreasher
Chief Operations Officer | CareArc
This session will introduce the HCN Connect Client Success Model and demonstrate how it strengthens customer service communication, aligns with center priorities, and supports meaningful KPI-driven outcomes. Attendees will hear real examples from a participating health center, engage in strategic dialogue, and explore how shared goals, data tracking, and escalation paths enhance collaboration and accountability.
Session Objectives:
• Understand the structure and intent of the HCN Connect Client Success Model, including how it strengthens customer service communication and accountability.
• Learn how HCN partners with centers to align key performance indicators (KPIs) with strategic service goals.
• Gain insight into the rollout process and what to expect as HCN Connect expands across the network.
• See how platforms like Salesforce support tracking, transparency, and shared success metrics.
• Hear real-world success stories from participating health centers and how HCN Connect helped improve response times, workflows, and patient engagement.
• Explore opportunities for strategic dialogue, goal-setting, and establishing escalation paths for issue resolution.
Gabriel S. Garcia
Partner | Feldesman Leifer
Marcie H. Zakheim
Partner | Feldesman Leifer LLP
This session serves as an introduction for new Health Center Board Members – and a refresher for those who are experienced – to their general and fiduciary responsibilities. Participants will explore accountability as a Health Center Board Member, including what it means to have a “conflict of interest” and how to manage a conflict once it arises, as well as the role of the Board and how it differs from that of management.
Session Objectives
• Understand the board member’s fiduciary duties of care, loyalty and obedience.
• Identify strategies for managing conflicts of interest.
• Understand the role of the Board vis-a-vis management.
Steven Pine, DDS
Chief Dental Officer | Hawai’i Island Community Health Center
Barry Ronk
Lead Clinical Trainer | SprintRay
John Cox
Chief Growth Officer | SprintRay
This two-part session led by SprintRay is a must-attend for any health center ready to embrace the future of dental care. Whether you're looking to elevate patient care or simply explore what's next in dentistry-these sessions are your launchpad.
Session Objectives:
• Learn how to fabricate crowns, dentures, and nightguards in-house
• See how low operating costs and user-friendly design make implementation easy
• Get hands-on with state-of-the-art equipment
• Discover how to respond faster to patient needs and streamline your workflow
Melanie Thomas
Training and Content Manager | Health Choice Network
Stephanie Smith, BHSA, PCMH, CCE, CLSSGB
Application Analyst, Healthy Planet | Health Choice Network
Silas Bubolu
Application Analyst, Cadence/Prelude | Health Choice Network
De’Shawn Minnis
Manager, Epic Applications | Health Choice Network
Kick off your Learning Lab journey with four targeted sessions designed to enhance access, improve documentation, and leverage data to drive better outcomes.
Choose from:
• Using the Training Environment – Accessing and Navigating the Playground Environment: Learn how to fully utilize Epic’s training platform to support team learning, testing, and onboarding.
• Patient Access – Schedule Optimization: Explore strategies and tools to improve scheduling workflows and reduce patient wait times.
• Patient Experience: Engage with approaches to improve the patient journey, from check-in to follow-up.
• Slicer Dicer – UDS Data Model: Learn how to utilize Slicer Dicer to access and analyze UDS data for reporting and quality improvement.
Lunch served in the General Session Grand Ballroom
Jerry Carlson
Chief Security Advisor | Microsoft
Alex Romillo
President & CEO | Health Choice Network
Matthew Frost
Protective Security Advisor | CISA
Session Objectives:
• Identify the most current and critical cybersecurity threats facing community health centers, including ransomware, phishing, and data breaches targeting electronic health records (EHRs).
• Understand how cybercriminals operate, including common entry points, tactics, and motivations—especially in the healthcare environment.
• Examine a real-world cybersecurity scenarios relevant to a health center or similar healthcare organization to illustrate impact, response, and recovery.
• Assess the organizational impact of cyberattacks, including operational disruption, financial cost, regulatory implications (e.g., HIPAA), and reputational damage.
• Learn actionable strategies and best practices to strengthen cybersecurity posture, including governance, staff training, multi-factor authentication, endpoint protection, and incident response planning.
Jillian Javed
Director, Value Based Clinical Operations | Health Choice Network
Rosendo Collazo, DO
Epic Provider Champion | Health Choice Network
Nick Reschke
Executive Director, Revenue Cycle Operations | Health Choice Network
Michael Bivins
Director, Revenue Cycle Optimization | Health Choice Network
Ashley McPhie, MD, FAAP
Chief Medical and Informatics Officer | Tampa Family Health Centers
Brian White
Executive Vice President of Medical Affairs | Tampa Family Health Centers
This interactive 90-minute session brings together clinical, revenue, and value-based care leaders to walk through the full patient journey — from scheduling to documentation to billing—demonstrating how even small documentation choices can create a ripple effect across quality outcomes, reimbursement, and value-based payment performance. Attendees will explore common pitfalls and best practices in documentation, RCM, and value-based strategies—highlighting how aligned workflows and shared accountability can improve both patient care and financial sustainability in CHCs.
Session Objectives:
• Explain how each stage of the visit impacts quality, reimbursement, and value-based success.
• Recognize common documentation and coding errors and their financial and clinical impacts.
• Explore strategies for cross-team collaboration to strengthen documentation workflows.
• Apply lessons from CHC case studies to reduce denials and improve value-based performance.
Joseph Kozon
Director, Clinical Applications | Health Choice Network
De’Shawn Minnis
Manager, Epic Applications | Health Choice Network
Brandon Hallman
Associate Director, Integrations & Patient Experience | Health Choice Network
Joe Stella
Patient Experience Technical Services | Epic
This all-in-one session will break down how to tactically layer tools like eCheck-In, Fast Pass, Telehealth, Welcome Kiosks, and more into a unified, streamlined patient experience strategy. Attendees will gain a clear understanding of the specific uses and benefits of each tool. Whether you're planning your first rollout or refining an existing strategy, this session offers practical guidance and proven tactics to elevate the patient experience.
Session Objectives:
• Outline uses and benefits of each tool
• Track and report on ROI of PE tool portfolio
• Discuss key roles needed for deployment
• Hear from Centers who have been there/done that
Kevie Mikus
Head of Talent Practice | Gallagher
This session will explore current talent trends, how data can be used to help leadership teams make informed talent management decisions, and tactics healthcare related entities are leveraging to improve recruitment and retention outcomes. We will discuss ways organizations can double down on culture, values, trust, inclusion and development with a focus on creating fulfilling work environments and building better managers.
Catherine Gilpin
Partner | Forvis Mazars
Jeff Allen
National Community Health Center Practice Leader | Forvis Mazars
Session Objectives:
• Explore innovative and practical strategies community health centers across the U.S. are using to strengthen financial sustainability.
• Examine how creative, nontraditional approaches to operations and management can improve profitability and resilience.
• Identify emerging financial pressures and challenges on the horizon that may impact long-term margins and sustainability planning.
Gabriel S. Garcia
Partner | Feldesman Leifer
Marcie H. Zakheim
Partner | Feldesman Leifer LLP
This session will pick up from the prior session, exploring the specific responsibilities of Health Center Board Members under the current Health Center Program Requirements. Participants will engage in a discussion of recent developments in the federal compliance assessment process and will learn about high-risk areas, both generally and among the Program Requirements, along with tips to avoid such areas. Participants will further explore changes to the Health Center Program oversight agency – the Health Resources and Services Administration – and how those changes may impact the program and your health center.
Session Objectives:
• Identify the Board’s specific responsibilities related to the Health Center Program Requirements and the latest governance compliance issues affecting Health Centers.
• Identify strategies to prevent or mitigate noncompliance in these requirements and high-risk areas.
• Understand the current changes to HRSA within the overall federal health care landscape.
Barry Ronk
Lead Clinical Trainer | SprintRay
John Cox
Chief Growth Officer | SprintRay
Steven Pine, DDS
Chief Dental Officer | Hawai’i Island Community Health Center
This two-part session led by SprintRay is a must-attend for any health center ready to embrace the future of dental care. Whether you're looking to elevate patient care or simply explore what's next in dentistry-these sessions are your launchpad.
Session Objectives:
• Learn how to fabricate crowns, dentures, and nightguards in-house
• See how low operating costs and user-friendly design make implementation easy
• Get hands-on with state-of-the-art equipment
• Discover how to respond faster to patient needs and streamline your workflow
Robbie Gelineau
Epic Application Manager, Professional Billing | Health Choice Network
Melanie Thomas
Training and Content Manager | Health Choice Network
Stephanie Smith, BHSA, PCMH, CCE, CLSSGB
Application Analyst, Healthy Planet | Health Choice Network
Silas Bubolu
Application Analyst, Cadence/Prelude | Health Choice Network
Cassandra Meyer
Director, Community and Population Health Applications | Health Choice Network
This second Learning Lab round offers practical tools and strategies to improve revenue operations, leverage data, and boost staff confidence in Epic. Choose from:
Epic U Portal – How To: Get hands-on guidance for navigating the Epic U Portal and maximizing its training resources.
Patient Access – Schedule Optimization: Explore strategies and tools to improve scheduling workflows and reduce patient wait times.
Slicer Dicer - Build Along: Explore trends and uncover root causes with Slicer Dicer's powerful self-service reporting tools.
Slicer Dicer – Social Drivers of Health: Leverage analytics to uncover social barriers impacting patient outcomes and care strategies.
Join us for an intimate Mix and Mingle event giving Health Center Leadership the opportunity to network, engage and simply get to know your HCN Teams.
Breakfast served in the General Session Grand Ballroom
Oscar Perez
Chief Applications & Innovation Officer | Health Choice Network
Andrew Hamilton, RN, BSN, MS
Chief Informatics Officer | AllianceChicago
Ghulam Rasool, PhD
Assistant Member, Dept of Machine Learning & Dept of Neuro-Oncology | Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute
Matt Harrington
Software Development Lead | Epic
Last year, we examined the transformative promise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the ethical questions it raises. One year later, AI is no longer theoretical—it’s showing up in workflows, clinical decision tools, and patient communications. This session focuses on how community health centers are moving from exploration to implementation, making tactical decisions that connect AI to their mission and day-to-day operations. We’ll explore where AI is actively improving access, quality, and efficiency—and where caution, governance, and trust-building are still essential. In this session we will share real examples, lessons learned, and the leadership strategies required to adopt AI responsibly and effectively. Every AI move matters—and this session will help you make them count.
Gabriel S. Garcia
Partner | Feldesman Leifer
Marcie H. Zakheim
Partner | Feldesman Leifer LLP
In the current fast-moving regulatory environment, the rules, requirements and policies impacting the Health Center Program appear to change almost daily. This session is designed to assist Health Center Board Members in understanding the latest developments in the legal landscape outside of the Health Center Program, which may impact health center operations. Participants will review various “hot” topics, which may include: Health Center Program funding and restrictions on use; the impact of Executive Orders on operations; the latest on cyber-security and breaches; changes to the 340B Discount Drug Pricing Program. This session is intended as an interactive “safe space” to discuss “real life” scenarios for participants to share their concerns – so come prepared with your questions!
Session Objectives:
• Be aware of “hot” issues that health centers face in the current healthcare environment.
• Identify governance best practices to assist in addressing these issues as they arise.
• Identify strategies for keeping the health center Board continuously advised of rapid changes in legislation, regulations and policies affecting health center governance and operations.
Timothy Long, MD
Chief Clinical Officer | Health Choice Network
Crystal Lopez
Vice President of Quality Management | Miami Beach Community Health Center
Jackie Escobar
Senior Regional Director, FOCUS | Gilead Sciences
Daniel Parras, MPH
Research Data Scientist, Manager | Health Choice Network
This session explores five years of progress through the FOCUS initiative, highlighting how Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) can lead HIV prevention and linkage-to-care strategies. Join us to learn about national trends, CHC-level best practices, and the powerful intersection of data, community, and research. You’ll hear from public health leaders, frontline CHC innovators, and researchers working to publish the story of our collective impact.
Session Objectives:
• Describe the four pillars of the Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) national strategy and their relevance in FQHCs.
• Analyze national and local HIV testing trends from the FOCUS initiative and their impact on early detection and care linkage.
• Apply promising practices from FQHCs implementing universal HIV screening and EMR-based workflows.
• Understand the importance of data analytics and research dissemination in HIV prevention work.
Robert E. Mechanic
Executive Director | Institute for Accountable Care
David Klebonis
Chief Operating Officer | Palm Beach Accountable Care Organization
As Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) navigate the evolving landscape of value-based care (VBC), learning from industry leaders that have successfully implemented these models is more critical than ever. This dynamic panel brings together national leaders in accountable care to share the tactical moves that have driven measurable success in their organizations. Whether you're just beginning your VBC journey or looking to refine your approach, this session will offer practical guidance, peer learning, and a roadmap for sustainable transformation.
Session Objectives:
• Showcase proven strategies and operational models from leading stakeholders that have achieved measurable success in value-based care.
• Explore how these tactics can be adapted to the unique operational, financial, and regulatory environment of FQHCs.
• Provide practical insights into data infrastructure and risk readiness to help FQHCs prepare for advanced payment models.
Lisa Schwartz
Chief Executive Officer | ITSM Academy
Abraham Polanco
Executive Director, CIO Services | Health Choice Network
Carlos Perez
IT Director, OnDemand | Health Choice Network
This session empowers healthcare IT leaders to transform ITSM into a strategic partner in patient-centered care. By focusing on end-user experience and aligning IT decisions with organizational goals, participants will learn practical strategies and gain actionable insights to enhance their ITSM practices, ultimately improving patient outcomes.
Session Objectives:
• Understand the importance of end-user experience in healthcare IT.
• Identify key strategies to integrate organizational goals into ITSM practices.
• Explore case studies and examples of successful ITSM transformations in healthcare.
• Develop actionable plans to implement patient-centered ITSM in participants' organizations.
Teresa Smith, SHRM PMQ, HRP, FPP, PFA, FDS
Partner Direct | Human Insights and HCM Strategic Advisory Group
Join this session as Teresa Smith shares best practices to bridge the gap between generational leadership. She will explore what is important to each generation and why understanding different leadership styles is critical to the success of your business and your people. Next you will learn what HR Professionals can do to build cross collaboration between leaders at different stages of their life-work journey to promote growth and trust across the organization.
Session Objectives:
• Learn why leaders of different generations have different styles and how that impacts the culture and the well-being of the workforce.
• How to strengthen relationships between leaders that have different backgrounds and experiences.
• Best practices to promote growth and trust across the organization.
Zaida Naranjo-Holland
Director of Business Applications | Health Choice Network
Robbie Gelineau
Epic Application Manager, Professional Billing | Health Choice Network
Aidan Parker
Professional Billing Technical Services | Epic
This presentation explores how healthcare organizations can improve financial performance by actively engaging with Epic dashboards across the revenue cycle. Dashboards provide real-time insight into process breakdowns, key performance indicators, and improvement opportunities. By making metrics part of daily workflows and empowering staff through training, organizations can boost accountability, reduce denials, accelerate payments, and drive long-term financial stability.
Session Objectives:
• Identify key Epic dashboards relevant to different stages of the revenue cycle.
• Interpret essential KPIs such as, denial rates, Days in AR, and clean claim rate.
• Embed dashboard review into operational routines to support proactive problem-solving.
• Develop a team culture of accountability and data literacy around revenue cycle metrics.
• Recognize common pitfalls in dashboard usage and implement strategies to avoid them.
Steven Pine, DDS
Chief Dental Officer | Hawai’i Island Community Health Center
Farren Hurwitz
Director, Strategic Development | Health Choice Network
Brian De Bien
Application Analyst, Wisdom | Health Choice Network
This session will highlight key strategies to personalize Epic Wisdom for greater clinical efficiency, including customizing defaults, favorites, and Storyboard elements. Attendees will learn to streamline dental workflows using tools like SmartPhrases, SmartTexts, SmartSets, and more. We'll also explore dental reporting tools to support data-driven decisions, hear peer insights on successful practices—including behavioral health integration like PEARLS screening—and get a sneak peek at upcoming features on Epic’s Wisdom roadmap.
Session Objectives:
• Apply personalization best practices in Epic Wisdom to enhance clinical efficiency, including customizing defaults, favorites, and Storyboard elements.
• Utilize key Epic tools such as SmartPhrases, SmartTexts, SmartSets, Speed Buttons, and Operatory IDs to streamline dental workflows.
• Navigate and interpret dental reporting tools, including Dental Findings, Procedures, Dashboards, and the Dental Clinic Manager, to support data-driven decision-making.
• Learn from peer experiences, exploring what’s working well at health centers and how dental teams are integrating behavioral health initiatives like PEARLS screening.
• Engage with Epic’s product roadmap, gaining insight into upcoming features and improvements in the Wisdom platform.
Ricardo Gomez
Director, Applications & Innovation | Health Choice Network
Silas Bubolu
Application Analyst, Cadence/Prelude | Health Choice Network
Brandon Hallman
Associate Director, Integrations & Patient Experience | Health Choice Network
Stephanie Smith, BHSA, PCMH, CCE, CLSSGB
Application Analyst, Healthy Planet | Health Choice Network
Jillian Javed
Director, Value Based Clinical Operations | Health Choice Network
In this third round of Learning Labs, dive into tools and strategies that enhance patient access, optimize Epic usage, and support value-based care readiness. Choose from:
Data Collection – User Data Collection Portal How To: Get a walkthrough of the Data Collect portal, including setup, submission, and best practices for data entry.
Patient Access – Schedule Optimization: Explore refined scheduling practices and Epic tools to boost access and efficiency.
Epic Integrations – Current Offerings & New Request Processes: Learn about existing integration capabilities and how to submit new integration requests to streamline workflows.
Healthy Planet/VBS – Level Up Risk Coding, OPA & CDI: Enhance your understanding of risk coding, Opportunity Analysis (OPA), and Clinical Documentation Improvement (CDI) for stronger value-based care outcomes.
Lunch served in the General Session Grand Ballroom
Joe Dunn
Chief Policy Officer | National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC)
Wilhelmina Lewis, MD
President & Chief Executive Officer | Florida Community Health Centers
Joey D. Resnick, MHA, FACHE
President & Chief Executive Officer | Premier Community HealthCare Group
Sherry Hoback, MBA, BSN, RN (Moderator)
President & Chief Executive Officer | Tampa Family Health Centers
Stephanie Krenrich
Senior Vice President, Policy and Government Affairs | Advocates for Community Health (ACH)
This essential general session brings together national leaders and frontline voices to discuss how recent executive orders are impacting FQHCs. The conversation will address key areas including:
• Impacts to Medicaid, Medicare, and the Affordable Care Act marketplace
• The looming fiscal cliff and what’s at stake for FQHC funding
• Current policy issues and legislative priorities at the federal level
• Implications for PPS (Prospective Payment System) rates and financial sustainability
• Outlook for health centers over the next six months
• First-hand perspectives from a clinician leader on care delivery challenges and workforce pressures
Marcia Gainer, DNP, APRN, FNP
Quality Director | Evara Health
Anis Patel
Sr. Strategic Account Manager | Exact Sciences
Tammy Collins, MSHS, RN
Vice President and Chief Quality & Corporate Compliance Officer | CommWell Health
Tamara Dunn, RN, BSHCA
Senior Executive Operations Officer | CommWell Health
Sabine Delouche
Community Impact Director, Broward/MiamiDade | American Heart Association
Allison Hargrove, RN, BSN
VP/Chief Business Intelligence Officer, CommWell Health
Megan Buhler
Vice President of Clinical Operations | Blue Circle Health
A dynamic, data-driven session featuring CHCs that have excelled in key UDS clinical quality measures. Participants will hear directly from peers about workflows, partnerships, and performance strategies that led to measurable improvement in colorectal cancer screening, hypertension control, and diabetes management. This session also features national collaborators supporting these efforts.
Session Objectives:
• Understand real-world workflows and interventions driving success in UDS clinical quality measures (CRC, HTN, DM).
• Learn from peer-led improvement strategies across diverse health center environments.
• Explore national best practices and partner-supported innovations (e.g., Exact Sciences).
• Identify actionable steps to replicate or adapt strategies in their own health centers.
Jillian Javed
Director, Value Based Clinical Operations | Health Choice Network
Cassandra Meyer
Director, Community and Population Health Applications | Health Choice Network
Understanding the tools available in the EHR to assist with managing value-based payment contracts will optimize your program productivity. In this session, participants will explore initiatives aimed at improving clinical and operational performance, including Managed Contract Patient Rosters, Clinical Optimization, HCC Risk Management, and Clinical Documentation Improvement. Each topic will explain the functionality to enhance the provider experience, the clinical support staff tools or opportunities, and to understand what is on the EHR Roadmap for value-based services.
Session Objectives:
• Explore approaches to Clinical Optimization, including storyboarding, provider scheduling, and pre-visit preparation.
• Learn key components of HCC Risk Management using provider schedules, dashboards, and BPAs.
• Review best practices for Clinical Documentation Improvement before, during and after patient visits.
• Identify future use cases and opportunities for each focus area to drive ongoing improvement.
Pei Yi Zhuo
Cogito Technical Services | Epic
Stephanie Smith, BHSA, PCMH, CCE, CLSSGB
Application Analyst, Healthy Planet | Health Choice Network
Sandro Martinez, Ph.D. CS.
Director, Business Intelligence | Health Choice Network
Dive into the world of cutting-edge data analytics and artificial intelligence in this dynamic session. Discover the latest updates in Cogito, learn how to leverage SlicerDicer Sidekick and Dashboard Insights for strategic data management, and explore the transformative power of AI. Through engaging presentations and live demos, you'll gain practical insights and skills to elevate your data-driven decision-making.
Session Objectives:
• Enhanced knowledge of Cogito's latest updates and how they can be leveraged for better data management and self-service analytics
• AI-powered features within Epic enhance decision support and predictive analytics capabilities
• The shift toward cloud-based infrastructures like Cogito Cloud and Nebula positions healthcare organizations for greater scalability, efficiency, and innovation
• Hands-on experience through live demos, showcasing real-world applications
Melanie Thomas
Training and Content Manager | Health Choice Network
Ricardo Gomez
Director, Applications & Innovation | Health Choice Network
Having a smooth employee management process can really make the difference in employee satisfaction. Especially when it comes to their experience using the EHR on a daily basis. This training provides HR, operational leaders, and IT staff with the practical knowledge to effectively manage Epic user onboarding and offboarding. Understand the processes for initiating access, coordinating training, and executing the technical steps for a smooth and secure employee lifecycle within the system.
Session Objectives:
• Master the End-to-End Onboarding and Offboarding Lifecycle in Epic: Understand and navigate the complete onboarding and offboarding processes within the Epic system, from pre-boarding to knowledge transfer, recognizing key stages and stakeholder responsibilities.
• Optimize User Access and Training Strategies: Effectively manage Epic user account creation, system setup, and access revocation while strategically leveraging available HCN training resources (Epic-U, role-specific classes) to empower new hires and support ongoing development.
• Implement Tactical Strategies to Mitigate Onboarding and Offboarding Challenges: Identify common pitfalls in both processes related to Epic and apply best practices, including standardized communication, checklists, and automation, to ensure smooth and efficient transitions.
• Prioritize Data Security and Compliance Throughout Employee Transitions: Understand and apply critical data security and compliance measures during both onboarding (accurate data input) and offboarding (timely access revocation) within the Epic system.
• Develop Actionable Plans to Enhance Onboarding/Offboarding Effectiveness and Employee Retention: Identify key takeaways and create concrete steps to improve their organization's onboarding and offboarding procedures, emphasizing the strategic value of robust Epic training in employee satisfaction and retention.
Edwin Acosta, DDS
Dental Resident Site Director | Orange Blossom Family Health Center
Katherine Chung-Bridges, MD, MPH
Chief Community Research Officer | Health Choice Network
James Quirk Jr., MD, FAAFP
Chief Clinical Officer & Chief Academic Officer | Community Health of South Florida, Inc.
Saint Anthony Amofah, MD
Chief Clinical Officer & Chief Academic Officer | Community Health of South Florida, Inc.
This hybrid panel highlights how FQHCs are successfully launching and sustaining primary care and dental residency programs. CHC leaders will share practical insights on building THCGME programs, academic partnerships, and workforce pipelines. Panelists will discuss lessons in funding, preceptorship, and long-term sustainability. A moderated discussion and live Q&A will explore operational strategies, challenges, and innovations—including integration of dental and specialty residencies. The session wraps up with actionable guidance for CHCs looking to develop or expand residency training.
Session Objectives:
• Describe different models of CHC-based residency programs, including primary care and dental training tracks.
• Identify key operational and financial considerations for launching or sustaining a THCGME or CHC-owned residency program.
• Understand how CHCs are integrating academic partnerships, specialty care, and innovative preceptorship models into their residency designs.
• Explore workforce strategies to recruit, retain, and mentor residents within community health pipelines.
• Apply lessons from peer-led case studies to support program development, address sustainability, and expand training capacity.
Alex Romillo
President & CEO | Health Choice Network
Join your HCN Chief Executive Officer for an interactive, engaging discussion among CHC CEO peers. HCN is here to listen and reflect on:
• Your top priorities
• Your challenges and barriers
• Next steps for our collaboration
This session will provide an open forum format between fellow CHC CEOs to contribute their perspectives, share challenges and best practices.
Joseph Kozon
Director, Clinical Applications | Health Choice Network
Rosendo Collazo, DO
Epic Provider Champion | Health Choice Network
Robbie Gelineau
Epic Application Manager, Professional Billing | Health Choice Network
Cassandra Meyer
Director, Community and Population Health Applications | Health Choice Network
Jillian Javed
Director, Value Based Clinical Operations | Health Choice Network
Close out the Learning Lab experience with focused sessions on turning data into insight and strategy into action. Choose from:
Slicer Dicer – Patient Experience: Use real-time data to assess and improve the patient experience across your organization.
Slicer Dicer – Revenue Cycle Management: Analyze RCM performance and trends to identify opportunities for operational and financial improvement
Epic Tools for Documentation for Clinicians: Discover tips and best practices to streamline clinical documentation and reduce provider burden.
Healthy Planet/VBS – Health Center Managed Contract How To: Learn how to navigate and manage contracts within Epic’s Healthy Planet for improved population health and value-based care alignment.
Let’s Dance the Night Away! Dance through the decades during a fun-filled night. Enjoy a welcome reception, dinner, awards presentation, kids’ activities, and more. Dress to move and groove – resort casual attire and wear your best dancing shoes.
Breakfast served in the General Session Grand Ballroom
Timothy Long, MD
Chief Clinical Officer | Health Choice Network
Priscilla Torres, Ed.D, MS
Chief People & Culture Officer | Health Choice Network
Margarita Ollet, RN, BSN, MBA
Chief Operating Officer | Health Choice Network
Join your HCN Chief Clinical Officer, Chief Operating Officer, and Chief People & Culture Officer for an interactive session bringing together leadership across Clinical, Operations, and Workforce domains. This open forum is designed to:
Share top priorities, challenges, and barriers from each area
Explore the intersections of care delivery, operational strategy, and workforce development
Identify opportunities for greater alignment and collaboration
In today’s complex healthcare environment, success depends on strong coordination between those leading patient care, managing operations, and shaping the workforce. This session creates space to connect the dots—strengthening shared understanding, surfacing collective solutions, and building a unified path forward to support our health centers and communities.
Joe Reilly
Chief of Strategy & General Manager | Health Choice Network
Meredith Marsh
Chief of Value Based Services | Health Choice Network
Rick Friedfeld
Chief Financial Officer | Health Choice Network
Join your HCN Chief Financial Officer, Chief of Strategy, and Chief of Value-Based Services for a collaborative session uniting leaders across Finance, Revenue Cycle Management (RCM), and Value-Based Strategy. This open forum will focus on:
Sharing key priorities, pain points, and emerging opportunities
Exploring how financial operations, payment models, and care strategies can better align
Identifying cross-functional solutions that strengthen sustainability, efficiency, and outcomes
As health centers navigate rising costs, evolving reimbursement models, and growing demands for value-driven care, this session provides a space to connect the dots—ensuring that finance, revenue cycle, and strategy leaders are working in concert to drive performance, optimize resources, and support mission-driven care.
Katherine Chung-Bridges, MD, MPH
Chief Community Research Officer | Health Choice Network
Oscar Perez
Chief Applications & Innovation Officer | Health Choice Network
Maylee Sanchez, CHPSE, CHCIO
Chief Information Officer | Health Choice Network
Join your HCN Chief Information Officer, Chief Applications & Innovation Officer, and Chief Community Research Officer for an interactive roundtable that brings together leadership from IT, Applications, and Research across the network. This open forum is designed to:
Share top priorities, current challenges, and future needs
Explore how IT and Applications can better support research initiatives and data-driven strategies
Identify opportunities for deeper cross-functional collaboration and innovation
As data continues to drive decision-making and program development, this session provides a space to strengthen connections between those who build and manage the infrastructure, those who lead application innovation, and those who translate data into community impact. Let’s work together to ensure our systems, tools, and insights are aligned to support health centers and the communities they serve.
Rebecca Heiss
Motivational Keynote Speaker
In this energizing keynote, stress physiologist Dr. Rebecca Heiss reveals the best-kept secret to "managing" stress: the very pressures that keep you up at night can become your greatest competitive edge! Olympic athletes don't break world records at practice...They break records when the pressure is at its peak, and we can all learn to make our best tactical moves under stress as well. With the right mindset, stress can motivate and inspire us all to achieve new levels of performance while deepening our connection to one another and our purpose.
Through inspirational storytelling and by providing science-backed practical tools Rebecca will uncover how we can use stress to power us forward together, rising to new heights, no matter what challenges get thrown our way.
Breakfast served in the General Session Grand Ballroom
Timothy Long, MD
Chief Clinical Officer | Health Choice Network
Dennis Owen
Director, CISO Services | Health Choice Network
Cassandra Meyer
Director, Community and Population Health Applications | Health Choice Network
Over the past three years, QTECH IV has driven digital transformation across Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), equipping them to meet complex challenges with innovative solutions. This session offers a reflective look at the most impactful advancements achieved under QTECH IV—from EHR optimization to actionable population health analytics—and how these efforts have strengthened care for underserved communities. We’ll also look ahead to the future of QTECH: exploring next-generation technologies, policy shifts, and equity-driven digital strategies poised to shape the next phase of transformation.
Attendance is required for QTECH representatives from each Community Health Center.
Session Objectives:
• Analyze trends in quality performance over the past three years across FQHCs, with a focus on how QTECH-supported tools (e.g., dashboards, analytics platforms, EHR enhancements) have driven measurable improvements in UDS and HEDIS metrics.
• Identify key QTECH innovations that have enhanced clinical decision support, risk stratification, and care gap closure—translating directly into improved patient outcomes and streamlined quality reporting processes.
• Explore case studies from peer health centers demonstrating successful implementation of QTECH-enabled quality initiatives, such as improved chronic disease management or social determinants of health (SDOH) integration.
• Preview priorities for QTECH 5, highlighting how the next three-year grant cycle will build on past progress to advance digital equity, artificial intelligence, interoperability, and whole-person care across the safety net.
Maylee Sanchez, CHPSE, CHCIO
Chief Information Officer | Health Choice Network
Alex Romillo
President & CEO | Health Choice Network
This energizing session will explore the current state of our Network, spotlighting bold strategic moves, key partnerships, and innovations that reflect our commitment to health centers and the communities they serve. As we navigate a time of rapid change and complexity, this session will underscore how every decision—every move—is made with purpose, connection, and impact in mind. Gain insight into the priorities driving HCN forward, what to expect throughout the conference, and how we, together, are making every move count.
Rosendo Collazo, DO
Epic Provider Champion | Health Choice Network
Gaelle Laurore-Fray
Executive Vice President of Medicine | Tampa Family Health Centers
Brandon Hallman
Associate Director, Integrations & Patient Experience | Health Choice Network
Discover how Dragon Co-Pilot is transforming clinical workflows by reducing documentation burden, boosting provider efficiency, and improving quality outcomes in CHCs. This interactive session will provide an overview of ambient documentation, the concept of “ambient notes,” and how AI-powered tools like Dragon Co-Pilot are enhancing patient-centered care while reducing burnout. A CHC spotlight will highlight real-world adoption and impact, while a live provider-patient demonstration will showcase Dragon Co-Pilot in action—from conversation to fully generated clinical note. The session concludes with a forward look at Epic’s Dragon Co-Pilot roadmap, including future features like automated medication updates, specialist visit documentation, and more.
Session Objectives:
• Define Dragon Co-Pilot and understand how ambient clinical documentation integrates with the Epic EHR.
• Identify best practices for using Dragon Co-Pilot to enhance provider documentation efficiency.
• Understand how to interpret and leverage data to measure the impact of ambient tools on provider productivity.
• Describe the emerging capabilities of Dragon Co-Pilot and its future potential for streamlining clinical care.
Katie Chatterton
Vice President of Sales | PointCare
Everett Lebherz
Co-Founder and CEO | PointCare
Jeff Allen
National Community Health Center Practice Leader | Forvis Mazars
Ben Gilbert
Chief Financial Officer | Evara Health
Join this interactive session to explore practical strategies for protecting and maximizing Medicaid revenue in today’s evolving funding landscape. A panel of financial and policy experts will share proven tactics to reduce revenue leakage, boost operational efficiency, and prepare for policy shifts. Walk away with actionable solutions to strengthen your health center’s financial stability and mission impact.
Session Objectives:
• Understand the current Medicaid funding landscape and its implications for health centers
• Explore operational strategies from a CFO perspective to address inefficiencies and improve visit utilization and payer mix
• Gain insights from a national expert on navigating policy uncertainty and preparing for funding shifts
• Engage in a collaborative activity to identify and analyze revenue challenges at participants' own health centers
• Examine innovative, data-driven approaches to reduce Medicaid revenue leakage and enhance patient enrollment and retention
Jerry Carlson
Chief Security Advisor | Microsoft
Dennis Owen
Director, CISO Services | Health Choice Network
Christian Sevilla
Cybersecurity Manager | Health Choice Network
This informative session will provide healthcare IT professionals with essential insights into the evolving cyberthreat landscape. Attendees will learn about the latest risks facing health centers and explore practical strategies for improving cybersecurity, including incident response planning and ongoing monitoring. Through expert perspectives and real-world examples, participants will walk away with actionable steps to better protect their organizations.
Session Objectives:
• Identify key cyberthreats such as ransomware, phishing, and nation-state attacks.
• Understand effective tools and techniques for detection and response.
• Learn best practices for incident response and continuous improvement.
Stephen Lytle
Assistant Vice President | Evara Health
In this interactive session, we go beyond prompt engineering to explore the practical, real-world applications of AI in HR. Tailored specifically for healthcare HR leaders, this workshop offers hands-on exposure to some of the most exciting and impactful AI tools being used today. Through guided demonstrations, participants will explore platforms like NotebookLM, Monday.com, Synthesia, and other cutting-edge generative AI solutions. Learn how to streamline HR workflows, reduce administrative burdens, enhance talent acquisition strategies, and supercharge learning and development initiatives.
Timothy Weldon
Chief Engagement and Development Officer | Health Choice Network
Iliana Farinas
Director of Health Center Engagement | Health Choice Network
Amanda Dreasher
Chief Operations Officer | CareArc
This session will introduce the HCN Connect Client Success Model and demonstrate how it strengthens customer service communication, aligns with center priorities, and supports meaningful KPI-driven outcomes. Attendees will hear real examples from a participating health center, engage in strategic dialogue, and explore how shared goals, data tracking, and escalation paths enhance collaboration and accountability.
Session Objectives:
• Understand the structure and intent of the HCN Connect Client Success Model, including how it strengthens customer service communication and accountability.
• Learn how HCN partners with centers to align key performance indicators (KPIs) with strategic service goals.
• Gain insight into the rollout process and what to expect as HCN Connect expands across the network.
• See how platforms like Salesforce support tracking, transparency, and shared success metrics.
• Hear real-world success stories from participating health centers and how HCN Connect helped improve response times, workflows, and patient engagement.
• Explore opportunities for strategic dialogue, goal-setting, and establishing escalation paths for issue resolution.
Gabriel S. Garcia
Partner | Feldesman Leifer
Marcie H. Zakheim
Partner | Feldesman Leifer LLP
This session serves as an introduction for new Health Center Board Members – and a refresher for those who are experienced – to their general and fiduciary responsibilities. Participants will explore accountability as a Health Center Board Member, including what it means to have a “conflict of interest” and how to manage a conflict once it arises, as well as the role of the Board and how it differs from that of management.
Session Objectives
• Understand the board member’s fiduciary duties of care, loyalty and obedience.
• Identify strategies for managing conflicts of interest.
• Understand the role of the Board vis-a-vis management.
Steven Pine, DDS
Chief Dental Officer | Hawai’i Island Community Health Center
Barry Ronk
Lead Clinical Trainer | SprintRay
John Cox
Chief Growth Officer | SprintRay
This two-part session led by SprintRay is a must-attend for any health center ready to embrace the future of dental care. Whether you're looking to elevate patient care or simply explore what's next in dentistry-these sessions are your launchpad.
Session Objectives:
• Learn how to fabricate crowns, dentures, and nightguards in-house
• See how low operating costs and user-friendly design make implementation easy
• Get hands-on with state-of-the-art equipment
• Discover how to respond faster to patient needs and streamline your workflow
Melanie Thomas
Training and Content Manager | Health Choice Network
Stephanie Smith, BHSA, PCMH, CCE, CLSSGB
Application Analyst, Healthy Planet | Health Choice Network
Silas Bubolu
Application Analyst, Cadence/Prelude | Health Choice Network
De’Shawn Minnis
Manager, Epic Applications | Health Choice Network
Kick off your Learning Lab journey with four targeted sessions designed to enhance access, improve documentation, and leverage data to drive better outcomes.
Choose from:
• Using the Training Environment – Accessing and Navigating the Playground Environment: Learn how to fully utilize Epic’s training platform to support team learning, testing, and onboarding.
• Patient Access – Schedule Optimization: Explore strategies and tools to improve scheduling workflows and reduce patient wait times.
• Patient Experience: Engage with approaches to improve the patient journey, from check-in to follow-up.
• Slicer Dicer – UDS Data Model: Learn how to utilize Slicer Dicer to access and analyze UDS data for reporting and quality improvement.
Lunch served in the General Session Grand Ballroom
Jerry Carlson
Chief Security Advisor | Microsoft
Alex Romillo
President & CEO | Health Choice Network
Matthew Frost
Protective Security Advisor | CISA
Session Objectives:
• Identify the most current and critical cybersecurity threats facing community health centers, including ransomware, phishing, and data breaches targeting electronic health records (EHRs).
• Understand how cybercriminals operate, including common entry points, tactics, and motivations—especially in the healthcare environment.
• Examine a real-world cybersecurity scenarios relevant to a health center or similar healthcare organization to illustrate impact, response, and recovery.
• Assess the organizational impact of cyberattacks, including operational disruption, financial cost, regulatory implications (e.g., HIPAA), and reputational damage.
• Learn actionable strategies and best practices to strengthen cybersecurity posture, including governance, staff training, multi-factor authentication, endpoint protection, and incident response planning.
Jillian Javed
Director, Value Based Clinical Operations | Health Choice Network
Rosendo Collazo, DO
Epic Provider Champion | Health Choice Network
Nick Reschke
Executive Director, Revenue Cycle Operations | Health Choice Network
Michael Bivins
Director, Revenue Cycle Optimization | Health Choice Network
Ashley McPhie, MD, FAAP
Chief Medical and Informatics Officer | Tampa Family Health Centers
Brian White
Executive Vice President of Medical Affairs | Tampa Family Health Centers
This interactive 90-minute session brings together clinical, revenue, and value-based care leaders to walk through the full patient journey — from scheduling to documentation to billing—demonstrating how even small documentation choices can create a ripple effect across quality outcomes, reimbursement, and value-based payment performance. Attendees will explore common pitfalls and best practices in documentation, RCM, and value-based strategies—highlighting how aligned workflows and shared accountability can improve both patient care and financial sustainability in CHCs.
Session Objectives:
• Explain how each stage of the visit impacts quality, reimbursement, and value-based success.
• Recognize common documentation and coding errors and their financial and clinical impacts.
• Explore strategies for cross-team collaboration to strengthen documentation workflows.
• Apply lessons from CHC case studies to reduce denials and improve value-based performance.
Joseph Kozon
Director, Clinical Applications | Health Choice Network
De’Shawn Minnis
Manager, Epic Applications | Health Choice Network
Brandon Hallman
Associate Director, Integrations & Patient Experience | Health Choice Network
Joe Stella
Patient Experience Technical Services | Epic
This all-in-one session will break down how to tactically layer tools like eCheck-In, Fast Pass, Telehealth, Welcome Kiosks, and more into a unified, streamlined patient experience strategy. Attendees will gain a clear understanding of the specific uses and benefits of each tool. Whether you're planning your first rollout or refining an existing strategy, this session offers practical guidance and proven tactics to elevate the patient experience.
Session Objectives:
• Outline uses and benefits of each tool
• Track and report on ROI of PE tool portfolio
• Discuss key roles needed for deployment
• Hear from Centers who have been there/done that
Kevie Mikus
Head of Talent Practice | Gallagher
This session will explore current talent trends, how data can be used to help leadership teams make informed talent management decisions, and tactics healthcare related entities are leveraging to improve recruitment and retention outcomes. We will discuss ways organizations can double down on culture, values, trust, inclusion and development with a focus on creating fulfilling work environments and building better managers.
Catherine Gilpin
Partner | Forvis Mazars
Jeff Allen
National Community Health Center Practice Leader | Forvis Mazars
Session Objectives:
• Explore innovative and practical strategies community health centers across the U.S. are using to strengthen financial sustainability.
• Examine how creative, nontraditional approaches to operations and management can improve profitability and resilience.
• Identify emerging financial pressures and challenges on the horizon that may impact long-term margins and sustainability planning.
Gabriel S. Garcia
Partner | Feldesman Leifer
Marcie H. Zakheim
Partner | Feldesman Leifer LLP
This session will pick up from the prior session, exploring the specific responsibilities of Health Center Board Members under the current Health Center Program Requirements. Participants will engage in a discussion of recent developments in the federal compliance assessment process and will learn about high-risk areas, both generally and among the Program Requirements, along with tips to avoid such areas. Participants will further explore changes to the Health Center Program oversight agency – the Health Resources and Services Administration – and how those changes may impact the program and your health center.
Session Objectives:
• Identify the Board’s specific responsibilities related to the Health Center Program Requirements and the latest governance compliance issues affecting Health Centers.
• Identify strategies to prevent or mitigate noncompliance in these requirements and high-risk areas.
• Understand the current changes to HRSA within the overall federal health care landscape.
Barry Ronk
Lead Clinical Trainer | SprintRay
John Cox
Chief Growth Officer | SprintRay
Steven Pine, DDS
Chief Dental Officer | Hawai’i Island Community Health Center
This two-part session led by SprintRay is a must-attend for any health center ready to embrace the future of dental care. Whether you're looking to elevate patient care or simply explore what's next in dentistry-these sessions are your launchpad.
Session Objectives:
• Learn how to fabricate crowns, dentures, and nightguards in-house
• See how low operating costs and user-friendly design make implementation easy
• Get hands-on with state-of-the-art equipment
• Discover how to respond faster to patient needs and streamline your workflow
Robbie Gelineau
Epic Application Manager, Professional Billing | Health Choice Network
Melanie Thomas
Training and Content Manager | Health Choice Network
Stephanie Smith, BHSA, PCMH, CCE, CLSSGB
Application Analyst, Healthy Planet | Health Choice Network
Silas Bubolu
Application Analyst, Cadence/Prelude | Health Choice Network
Cassandra Meyer
Director, Community and Population Health Applications | Health Choice Network
This second Learning Lab round offers practical tools and strategies to improve revenue operations, leverage data, and boost staff confidence in Epic. Choose from:
Epic U Portal – How To: Get hands-on guidance for navigating the Epic U Portal and maximizing its training resources.
Patient Access – Schedule Optimization: Explore strategies and tools to improve scheduling workflows and reduce patient wait times.
Slicer Dicer - Build Along: Explore trends and uncover root causes with Slicer Dicer's powerful self-service reporting tools.
Slicer Dicer – Social Drivers of Health: Leverage analytics to uncover social barriers impacting patient outcomes and care strategies.
Join us for an intimate Mix and Mingle event giving Health Center Leadership the opportunity to network, engage and simply get to know your HCN Teams.
Breakfast served in the General Session Grand Ballroom
Oscar Perez
Chief Applications & Innovation Officer | Health Choice Network
Andrew Hamilton, RN, BSN, MS
Chief Informatics Officer | AllianceChicago
Ghulam Rasool, PhD
Assistant Member, Dept of Machine Learning & Dept of Neuro-Oncology | Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute
Matt Harrington
Software Development Lead | Epic
Last year, we examined the transformative promise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the ethical questions it raises. One year later, AI is no longer theoretical—it’s showing up in workflows, clinical decision tools, and patient communications. This session focuses on how community health centers are moving from exploration to implementation, making tactical decisions that connect AI to their mission and day-to-day operations. We’ll explore where AI is actively improving access, quality, and efficiency—and where caution, governance, and trust-building are still essential. In this session we will share real examples, lessons learned, and the leadership strategies required to adopt AI responsibly and effectively. Every AI move matters—and this session will help you make them count.
Gabriel S. Garcia
Partner | Feldesman Leifer
Marcie H. Zakheim
Partner | Feldesman Leifer LLP
In the current fast-moving regulatory environment, the rules, requirements and policies impacting the Health Center Program appear to change almost daily. This session is designed to assist Health Center Board Members in understanding the latest developments in the legal landscape outside of the Health Center Program, which may impact health center operations. Participants will review various “hot” topics, which may include: Health Center Program funding and restrictions on use; the impact of Executive Orders on operations; the latest on cyber-security and breaches; changes to the 340B Discount Drug Pricing Program. This session is intended as an interactive “safe space” to discuss “real life” scenarios for participants to share their concerns – so come prepared with your questions!
Session Objectives:
• Be aware of “hot” issues that health centers face in the current healthcare environment.
• Identify governance best practices to assist in addressing these issues as they arise.
• Identify strategies for keeping the health center Board continuously advised of rapid changes in legislation, regulations and policies affecting health center governance and operations.
Timothy Long, MD
Chief Clinical Officer | Health Choice Network
Crystal Lopez
Vice President of Quality Management | Miami Beach Community Health Center
Jackie Escobar
Senior Regional Director, FOCUS | Gilead Sciences
Daniel Parras, MPH
Research Data Scientist, Manager | Health Choice Network
This session explores five years of progress through the FOCUS initiative, highlighting how Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) can lead HIV prevention and linkage-to-care strategies. Join us to learn about national trends, CHC-level best practices, and the powerful intersection of data, community, and research. You’ll hear from public health leaders, frontline CHC innovators, and researchers working to publish the story of our collective impact.
Session Objectives:
• Describe the four pillars of the Ending the HIV Epidemic (EHE) national strategy and their relevance in FQHCs.
• Analyze national and local HIV testing trends from the FOCUS initiative and their impact on early detection and care linkage.
• Apply promising practices from FQHCs implementing universal HIV screening and EMR-based workflows.
• Understand the importance of data analytics and research dissemination in HIV prevention work.
Robert E. Mechanic
Executive Director | Institute for Accountable Care
David Klebonis
Chief Operating Officer | Palm Beach Accountable Care Organization
As Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) navigate the evolving landscape of value-based care (VBC), learning from industry leaders that have successfully implemented these models is more critical than ever. This dynamic panel brings together national leaders in accountable care to share the tactical moves that have driven measurable success in their organizations. Whether you're just beginning your VBC journey or looking to refine your approach, this session will offer practical guidance, peer learning, and a roadmap for sustainable transformation.
Session Objectives:
• Showcase proven strategies and operational models from leading stakeholders that have achieved measurable success in value-based care.
• Explore how these tactics can be adapted to the unique operational, financial, and regulatory environment of FQHCs.
• Provide practical insights into data infrastructure and risk readiness to help FQHCs prepare for advanced payment models.
Lisa Schwartz
Chief Executive Officer | ITSM Academy
Abraham Polanco
Executive Director, CIO Services | Health Choice Network
Carlos Perez
IT Director, OnDemand | Health Choice Network
This session empowers healthcare IT leaders to transform ITSM into a strategic partner in patient-centered care. By focusing on end-user experience and aligning IT decisions with organizational goals, participants will learn practical strategies and gain actionable insights to enhance their ITSM practices, ultimately improving patient outcomes.
Session Objectives:
• Understand the importance of end-user experience in healthcare IT.
• Identify key strategies to integrate organizational goals into ITSM practices.
• Explore case studies and examples of successful ITSM transformations in healthcare.
• Develop actionable plans to implement patient-centered ITSM in participants' organizations.
Teresa Smith, SHRM PMQ, HRP, FPP, PFA, FDS
Partner Direct | Human Insights and HCM Strategic Advisory Group
Join this session as Teresa Smith shares best practices to bridge the gap between generational leadership. She will explore what is important to each generation and why understanding different leadership styles is critical to the success of your business and your people. Next you will learn what HR Professionals can do to build cross collaboration between leaders at different stages of their life-work journey to promote growth and trust across the organization.
Session Objectives:
• Learn why leaders of different generations have different styles and how that impacts the culture and the well-being of the workforce.
• How to strengthen relationships between leaders that have different backgrounds and experiences.
• Best practices to promote growth and trust across the organization.
Zaida Naranjo-Holland
Director of Business Applications | Health Choice Network
Robbie Gelineau
Epic Application Manager, Professional Billing | Health Choice Network
Aidan Parker
Professional Billing Technical Services | Epic
This presentation explores how healthcare organizations can improve financial performance by actively engaging with Epic dashboards across the revenue cycle. Dashboards provide real-time insight into process breakdowns, key performance indicators, and improvement opportunities. By making metrics part of daily workflows and empowering staff through training, organizations can boost accountability, reduce denials, accelerate payments, and drive long-term financial stability.
Session Objectives:
• Identify key Epic dashboards relevant to different stages of the revenue cycle.
• Interpret essential KPIs such as, denial rates, Days in AR, and clean claim rate.
• Embed dashboard review into operational routines to support proactive problem-solving.
• Develop a team culture of accountability and data literacy around revenue cycle metrics.
• Recognize common pitfalls in dashboard usage and implement strategies to avoid them.
Steven Pine, DDS
Chief Dental Officer | Hawai’i Island Community Health Center
Farren Hurwitz
Director, Strategic Development | Health Choice Network
Brian De Bien
Application Analyst, Wisdom | Health Choice Network
This session will highlight key strategies to personalize Epic Wisdom for greater clinical efficiency, including customizing defaults, favorites, and Storyboard elements. Attendees will learn to streamline dental workflows using tools like SmartPhrases, SmartTexts, SmartSets, and more. We'll also explore dental reporting tools to support data-driven decisions, hear peer insights on successful practices—including behavioral health integration like PEARLS screening—and get a sneak peek at upcoming features on Epic’s Wisdom roadmap.
Session Objectives:
• Apply personalization best practices in Epic Wisdom to enhance clinical efficiency, including customizing defaults, favorites, and Storyboard elements.
• Utilize key Epic tools such as SmartPhrases, SmartTexts, SmartSets, Speed Buttons, and Operatory IDs to streamline dental workflows.
• Navigate and interpret dental reporting tools, including Dental Findings, Procedures, Dashboards, and the Dental Clinic Manager, to support data-driven decision-making.
• Learn from peer experiences, exploring what’s working well at health centers and how dental teams are integrating behavioral health initiatives like PEARLS screening.
• Engage with Epic’s product roadmap, gaining insight into upcoming features and improvements in the Wisdom platform.
Ricardo Gomez
Director, Applications & Innovation | Health Choice Network
Silas Bubolu
Application Analyst, Cadence/Prelude | Health Choice Network
Brandon Hallman
Associate Director, Integrations & Patient Experience | Health Choice Network
Stephanie Smith, BHSA, PCMH, CCE, CLSSGB
Application Analyst, Healthy Planet | Health Choice Network
Jillian Javed
Director, Value Based Clinical Operations | Health Choice Network
In this third round of Learning Labs, dive into tools and strategies that enhance patient access, optimize Epic usage, and support value-based care readiness. Choose from:
Data Collection – User Data Collection Portal How To: Get a walkthrough of the Data Collect portal, including setup, submission, and best practices for data entry.
Patient Access – Schedule Optimization: Explore refined scheduling practices and Epic tools to boost access and efficiency.
Epic Integrations – Current Offerings & New Request Processes: Learn about existing integration capabilities and how to submit new integration requests to streamline workflows.
Healthy Planet/VBS – Level Up Risk Coding, OPA & CDI: Enhance your understanding of risk coding, Opportunity Analysis (OPA), and Clinical Documentation Improvement (CDI) for stronger value-based care outcomes.
Lunch served in the General Session Grand Ballroom
Joe Dunn
Chief Policy Officer | National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC)
Wilhelmina Lewis, MD
President & Chief Executive Officer | Florida Community Health Centers
Joey D. Resnick, MHA, FACHE
President & Chief Executive Officer | Premier Community HealthCare Group
Sherry Hoback, MBA, BSN, RN (Moderator)
President & Chief Executive Officer | Tampa Family Health Centers
Stephanie Krenrich
Senior Vice President, Policy and Government Affairs | Advocates for Community Health (ACH)
This essential general session brings together national leaders and frontline voices to discuss how recent executive orders are impacting FQHCs. The conversation will address key areas including:
• Impacts to Medicaid, Medicare, and the Affordable Care Act marketplace
• The looming fiscal cliff and what’s at stake for FQHC funding
• Current policy issues and legislative priorities at the federal level
• Implications for PPS (Prospective Payment System) rates and financial sustainability
• Outlook for health centers over the next six months
• First-hand perspectives from a clinician leader on care delivery challenges and workforce pressures
Marcia Gainer, DNP, APRN, FNP
Quality Director | Evara Health
Anis Patel
Sr. Strategic Account Manager | Exact Sciences
Tammy Collins, MSHS, RN
Vice President and Chief Quality & Corporate Compliance Officer | CommWell Health
Tamara Dunn, RN, BSHCA
Senior Executive Operations Officer | CommWell Health
Sabine Delouche
Community Impact Director, Broward/MiamiDade | American Heart Association
Allison Hargrove, RN, BSN
VP/Chief Business Intelligence Officer, CommWell Health
Megan Buhler
Vice President of Clinical Operations | Blue Circle Health
A dynamic, data-driven session featuring CHCs that have excelled in key UDS clinical quality measures. Participants will hear directly from peers about workflows, partnerships, and performance strategies that led to measurable improvement in colorectal cancer screening, hypertension control, and diabetes management. This session also features national collaborators supporting these efforts.
Session Objectives:
• Understand real-world workflows and interventions driving success in UDS clinical quality measures (CRC, HTN, DM).
• Learn from peer-led improvement strategies across diverse health center environments.
• Explore national best practices and partner-supported innovations (e.g., Exact Sciences).
• Identify actionable steps to replicate or adapt strategies in their own health centers.
Jillian Javed
Director, Value Based Clinical Operations | Health Choice Network
Cassandra Meyer
Director, Community and Population Health Applications | Health Choice Network
Understanding the tools available in the EHR to assist with managing value-based payment contracts will optimize your program productivity. In this session, participants will explore initiatives aimed at improving clinical and operational performance, including Managed Contract Patient Rosters, Clinical Optimization, HCC Risk Management, and Clinical Documentation Improvement. Each topic will explain the functionality to enhance the provider experience, the clinical support staff tools or opportunities, and to understand what is on the EHR Roadmap for value-based services.
Session Objectives:
• Explore approaches to Clinical Optimization, including storyboarding, provider scheduling, and pre-visit preparation.
• Learn key components of HCC Risk Management using provider schedules, dashboards, and BPAs.
• Review best practices for Clinical Documentation Improvement before, during and after patient visits.
• Identify future use cases and opportunities for each focus area to drive ongoing improvement.
Pei Yi Zhuo
Cogito Technical Services | Epic
Stephanie Smith, BHSA, PCMH, CCE, CLSSGB
Application Analyst, Healthy Planet | Health Choice Network
Sandro Martinez, Ph.D. CS.
Director, Business Intelligence | Health Choice Network
Dive into the world of cutting-edge data analytics and artificial intelligence in this dynamic session. Discover the latest updates in Cogito, learn how to leverage SlicerDicer Sidekick and Dashboard Insights for strategic data management, and explore the transformative power of AI. Through engaging presentations and live demos, you'll gain practical insights and skills to elevate your data-driven decision-making.
Session Objectives:
• Enhanced knowledge of Cogito's latest updates and how they can be leveraged for better data management and self-service analytics
• AI-powered features within Epic enhance decision support and predictive analytics capabilities
• The shift toward cloud-based infrastructures like Cogito Cloud and Nebula positions healthcare organizations for greater scalability, efficiency, and innovation
• Hands-on experience through live demos, showcasing real-world applications
Melanie Thomas
Training and Content Manager | Health Choice Network
Ricardo Gomez
Director, Applications & Innovation | Health Choice Network
Having a smooth employee management process can really make the difference in employee satisfaction. Especially when it comes to their experience using the EHR on a daily basis. This training provides HR, operational leaders, and IT staff with the practical knowledge to effectively manage Epic user onboarding and offboarding. Understand the processes for initiating access, coordinating training, and executing the technical steps for a smooth and secure employee lifecycle within the system.
Session Objectives:
• Master the End-to-End Onboarding and Offboarding Lifecycle in Epic: Understand and navigate the complete onboarding and offboarding processes within the Epic system, from pre-boarding to knowledge transfer, recognizing key stages and stakeholder responsibilities.
• Optimize User Access and Training Strategies: Effectively manage Epic user account creation, system setup, and access revocation while strategically leveraging available HCN training resources (Epic-U, role-specific classes) to empower new hires and support ongoing development.
• Implement Tactical Strategies to Mitigate Onboarding and Offboarding Challenges: Identify common pitfalls in both processes related to Epic and apply best practices, including standardized communication, checklists, and automation, to ensure smooth and efficient transitions.
• Prioritize Data Security and Compliance Throughout Employee Transitions: Understand and apply critical data security and compliance measures during both onboarding (accurate data input) and offboarding (timely access revocation) within the Epic system.
• Develop Actionable Plans to Enhance Onboarding/Offboarding Effectiveness and Employee Retention: Identify key takeaways and create concrete steps to improve their organization's onboarding and offboarding procedures, emphasizing the strategic value of robust Epic training in employee satisfaction and retention.
Edwin Acosta, DDS
Dental Resident Site Director | Orange Blossom Family Health Center
Katherine Chung-Bridges, MD, MPH
Chief Community Research Officer | Health Choice Network
James Quirk Jr., MD, FAAFP
Chief Clinical Officer & Chief Academic Officer | Community Health of South Florida, Inc.
Saint Anthony Amofah, MD
Chief Clinical Officer & Chief Academic Officer | Community Health of South Florida, Inc.
This hybrid panel highlights how FQHCs are successfully launching and sustaining primary care and dental residency programs. CHC leaders will share practical insights on building THCGME programs, academic partnerships, and workforce pipelines. Panelists will discuss lessons in funding, preceptorship, and long-term sustainability. A moderated discussion and live Q&A will explore operational strategies, challenges, and innovations—including integration of dental and specialty residencies. The session wraps up with actionable guidance for CHCs looking to develop or expand residency training.
Session Objectives:
• Describe different models of CHC-based residency programs, including primary care and dental training tracks.
• Identify key operational and financial considerations for launching or sustaining a THCGME or CHC-owned residency program.
• Understand how CHCs are integrating academic partnerships, specialty care, and innovative preceptorship models into their residency designs.
• Explore workforce strategies to recruit, retain, and mentor residents within community health pipelines.
• Apply lessons from peer-led case studies to support program development, address sustainability, and expand training capacity.
Alex Romillo
President & CEO | Health Choice Network
Join your HCN Chief Executive Officer for an interactive, engaging discussion among CHC CEO peers. HCN is here to listen and reflect on:
• Your top priorities
• Your challenges and barriers
• Next steps for our collaboration
This session will provide an open forum format between fellow CHC CEOs to contribute their perspectives, share challenges and best practices.
Joseph Kozon
Director, Clinical Applications | Health Choice Network
Rosendo Collazo, DO
Epic Provider Champion | Health Choice Network
Robbie Gelineau
Epic Application Manager, Professional Billing | Health Choice Network
Cassandra Meyer
Director, Community and Population Health Applications | Health Choice Network
Jillian Javed
Director, Value Based Clinical Operations | Health Choice Network
Close out the Learning Lab experience with focused sessions on turning data into insight and strategy into action. Choose from:
Slicer Dicer – Patient Experience: Use real-time data to assess and improve the patient experience across your organization.
Slicer Dicer – Revenue Cycle Management: Analyze RCM performance and trends to identify opportunities for operational and financial improvement
Epic Tools for Documentation for Clinicians: Discover tips and best practices to streamline clinical documentation and reduce provider burden.
Healthy Planet/VBS – Health Center Managed Contract How To: Learn how to navigate and manage contracts within Epic’s Healthy Planet for improved population health and value-based care alignment.
Let’s Dance the Night Away! Dance through the decades during a fun-filled night. Enjoy a welcome reception, dinner, awards presentation, kids’ activities, and more. Dress to move and groove – resort casual attire and wear your best dancing shoes.
Breakfast served in the General Session Grand Ballroom
Timothy Long, MD
Chief Clinical Officer | Health Choice Network
Priscilla Torres, Ed.D, MS
Chief People & Culture Officer | Health Choice Network
Margarita Ollet, RN, BSN, MBA
Chief Operating Officer | Health Choice Network
Join your HCN Chief Clinical Officer, Chief Operating Officer, and Chief People & Culture Officer for an interactive session bringing together leadership across Clinical, Operations, and Workforce domains. This open forum is designed to:
Share top priorities, challenges, and barriers from each area
Explore the intersections of care delivery, operational strategy, and workforce development
Identify opportunities for greater alignment and collaboration
In today’s complex healthcare environment, success depends on strong coordination between those leading patient care, managing operations, and shaping the workforce. This session creates space to connect the dots—strengthening shared understanding, surfacing collective solutions, and building a unified path forward to support our health centers and communities.
Joe Reilly
Chief of Strategy & General Manager | Health Choice Network
Meredith Marsh
Chief of Value Based Services | Health Choice Network
Rick Friedfeld
Chief Financial Officer | Health Choice Network
Join your HCN Chief Financial Officer, Chief of Strategy, and Chief of Value-Based Services for a collaborative session uniting leaders across Finance, Revenue Cycle Management (RCM), and Value-Based Strategy. This open forum will focus on:
Sharing key priorities, pain points, and emerging opportunities
Exploring how financial operations, payment models, and care strategies can better align
Identifying cross-functional solutions that strengthen sustainability, efficiency, and outcomes
As health centers navigate rising costs, evolving reimbursement models, and growing demands for value-driven care, this session provides a space to connect the dots—ensuring that finance, revenue cycle, and strategy leaders are working in concert to drive performance, optimize resources, and support mission-driven care.
Katherine Chung-Bridges, MD, MPH
Chief Community Research Officer | Health Choice Network
Oscar Perez
Chief Applications & Innovation Officer | Health Choice Network
Maylee Sanchez, CHPSE, CHCIO
Chief Information Officer | Health Choice Network
Join your HCN Chief Information Officer, Chief Applications & Innovation Officer, and Chief Community Research Officer for an interactive roundtable that brings together leadership from IT, Applications, and Research across the network. This open forum is designed to:
Share top priorities, current challenges, and future needs
Explore how IT and Applications can better support research initiatives and data-driven strategies
Identify opportunities for deeper cross-functional collaboration and innovation
As data continues to drive decision-making and program development, this session provides a space to strengthen connections between those who build and manage the infrastructure, those who lead application innovation, and those who translate data into community impact. Let’s work together to ensure our systems, tools, and insights are aligned to support health centers and the communities they serve.
Rebecca Heiss
Motivational Keynote Speaker
In this energizing keynote, stress physiologist Dr. Rebecca Heiss reveals the best-kept secret to "managing" stress: the very pressures that keep you up at night can become your greatest competitive edge! Olympic athletes don't break world records at practice...They break records when the pressure is at its peak, and we can all learn to make our best tactical moves under stress as well. With the right mindset, stress can motivate and inspire us all to achieve new levels of performance while deepening our connection to one another and our purpose.
Through inspirational storytelling and by providing science-backed practical tools Rebecca will uncover how we can use stress to power us forward together, rising to new heights, no matter what challenges get thrown our way.