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THURSDAY, MAY 11
8:00 AM – 9:45 AM Opening Plenary Breakfast & FHPCA Welcome
We will begin the day with a light breakfast and welcome from your state association leadership. This will lead into our first session of the day:
Opening Plenary: Seeing Around Corners: What the future of leadership in chronic illness and end-of-life care looks like
Speaker: Andrew Molosky, MBA, FACHE, CHPCA; President / Chief Executive Officer, Chapters Health System
This session will focus on the strategic, structural, cultural, and governance adaptations that leaders in hospice and end-of-life care must embrace to successfully guide organizations forward in the healthcare ecosystem of tomorrow. Whether clinical, financial, operational, or philanthropic in nature, common traits of the successful leader of tomorrow exist and will be examined in this dialogue.
Breakout Session 1: 9:45 AM – 11:00 AM
1A: How Do We Tell the Children?
Speakers: Emmalee Tresnan, CCLS; Leah Stapleton, CCLS; Danielle Eaves Hernandez, MPH, CCLS
Community PedsCare at Community Hospice & Palliative Care
This session educates interdisciplinary team members on developmentally appropriate language to use with pediatric patients, families, and siblings. Developmentally appropriate interventions and language will be discussed for patients from birth to 100 years old. Simulation activity will promote hands-on training for facilitating difficult conversations for all members of the hospice and palliative care teams.
Despite experience, some conversations are never easy. Research has indicated that many hospices interdisciplinary team members feel uncomfortable when having difficult conversations with children regarding death and dying. As child life specialists trained in child development, we often facilitate the conversations no one wants to have. This hands-on training and simulation will provide a safe space to practice and gain mastery of skills and language to use to avoid scaring children for life.
1B: Identifying & Addressing Spiritual Distress for Nurses and Social Workers
Speaker: Rev. Jim Andrews, Suncoast Hospice | Empath Health
Every hospice patient and family is admitted with spiritual issues and concerns. Not every patient and family is open to receiving support from the chaplain, though. This session will help to equip all of the members of the IDG to identify and address spiritual distress through effective collaboration and timely intervention strategies.
1E: Executive Roundtable: Timeline of California’s Hospice Disaster: Learning from Their Mistakes
Speaker: Sheila Clark, California Hospice & Palliative Care Association
Imagine if you can, the ability to time travel and experience a future not realized. We have invited CHAPCA’s Sheila Clark to join us for this special Executive Roundtable to highlight the last couple of years of California’s deregulated hospice environment. Sheila will talk us through the major benchmarks of change in their regulatory landscape and what she would do differently if she could. We will also have time for FHPCA members to share their experiences and perspective leading hospice programs in non-CON states.
1F: You Don’t Know, What You Don’t Know: How to Utilize Staff Productivity Data
Speakers: HomeCare HomeBase & Trustbridge
Join Trustbridge and Homecare Homebase as we tackle staff productivity challenges. Learn what strategies Trustbridge uses to help maintain staff productivity and satisfaction and how Homecare Homebase supplies the data needed to track productivity progress. In this session, the following questions will be addressed: What data matters? How do we cut through the noise? How do we use data to assess staff productivity and clinical capacity? How do we use data to find opportunities and set realistic expectations?
11:00 AM – 11:15 AM Break with Exhibitors
11:15 AM – 12:30 PM Breakout Session 2
2A: Lessons from the field: An interactive case study of pediatric hospice care.
Speakers: Oralea Marquardt, LCSW; Dalila Santos Rodriguez, RN, BSN, CPN and Jacki Nardone, LCSW, ACHP-SW, CCAT; Treasure Coast Hospice
This session will be conducted as an interactive case study to define effective strategies and best practices to support pediatric patients with a life-limiting illness and their families. The case study will be presented from an interdisciplinary approach and will be examined from nursing, social work, and program service standpoints. Care considerations, ethical dilemmas, and operational needs will be highlighted.
2B: The Leader’s Formula for Success
Speaker: Melynda Lee, MBA, MA, Consulting Director, SimiTree
Hear from industry experts on effective strategies and options for leadership planning and performance in a shifting marketplace where competing for talent and strategic growth are top of mind for everyone. This interactive workshop will guide you to harness your talents as a leader and the power of your team’s talent to maximize and sustain peak performance, while developing and retaining your top performers.
2C: End-of-life decisions and Planning: Balancing Legal Issues & Personal Dynamics for Patients, Caregivers, and Providers
Speaker: Paul Malley, Aging with Dignity | Five Wishes
Hospice and palliative care providers are on the front lines when decisions must be made. This is especially challenging in real-time upon admission or when time is short. Learn practical ways to navigate complex decisions, work through conflict with families, and ensure legal compliance. Proper balance results in patients receiving the care they want and caregivers feeling confident they provided the best care possible. It improves patient experience, reduces second-guessing by loved ones, removes challenges during the bereavement period, and elevates the job satisfaction of clinicians. The session will address practical considerations related to advance directives, healthcare powers of attorney, guardianship, and decision-making authority consistent with the law and policy.
2D: The Basics of Medication Management for Team Soul (not the MD, PharmD, RN, APRN, PA!)
Speaker: Mary Lynn McPherson, Pharm.D., MA, MDE, BCPS, CPE
Hospice and palliative care is provided by a team of individuals. Not only multidisciplinary, this care is interdisciplinary, with the ultimate goal being TRANSDISCIPLINARY care! All members of the team should be able to some extent, to cross-coverage each other. This educational session will cover the basics of pain and symptom management including how to assess report of a symptom, how team soul providers can reinforce messages from team body, how to address myths and misconceptions about opioids and other treatments commonly used in end of life care, and how to know when to defer to a team body provider. This is a highly practical, applied presentation that EVERY Team Soul professional should attend!
2E: Executive Roundtable II: Developing Hospice Leaders in a Dynamic Marketplace
Panelists: Tarrah Lowry, Trustrbridge; Jeff Mislevy, Covenant Care; Ismael Roque-Velasco, OpusCare of South Florida
with Moderator: Pauline Taylor, Haven Hospice
Finding and developing leadership has always been a defining characteristic of a CEO. As workforce shortages have increased, so has the pressure to be innovative and strategic to find, develop and retain those employees that will be the future of your organization. FHPCA has invited this panel of leaders from across the state to hear how they meet the need for leadership in their program. Join us in this session and conversation about how to lead in a dynamic marketplace.
12:30 PM – 2:15 PM Awards of Excellence Luncheon
Join colleagues and new friends from across the hospice community to come together to celebrate the excellent work being done the individuals, teams and programs in Florida hospice providers. During this luncheon we will highlight the nominees and winners of the Awards of Excellence program. Nominations are currently open!
2:30 PM – 3:45 PM Breakout Session 3
3C: How to Prevent Burnout
Speaker: Joseph Hamilton, Hospice of Palm Beach | Trustbridge
In this session you will learn how to recognize the signs of burnout and how to use practical and easy techniques to reduce stress in the short term and a daily 12-minute stress reduction practice to prevent burnout in the long term. These techniques have been shown to reduce blood pressure, regulate and calm breathing patterns, boost the immune system, and help stabilize metabolism.
3D: Medication Tips and Tricks in Palliative Care!
Speaker: Mary Lynn McPherson, Pharm.D., MA, MDE, BCPS, CPE
This session is a virtual potpourri of medication tips and tricks for hospice and palliative care providers! Highly practical, participants will walk away with a deeper understanding of when to use, or not use, pharmaceutical compounds, how to switch between opioids and non-opioids, and the latest, greatest research in pharmacopalliation!
3E: Regulatory Update with NHPCO
Speaker: Judi Lund Person, NHPCO
This session will cover important and upcoming changes from the federal perspective.
3F: Attunement to Enhance Clinical Outcomes & Satisfaction
Speaker: Dr. Carla Cheatham, MA, MDiv, PhD, TRT, Carla Cheatham Consulting Group: Emotional Intelligence for Professionals
Perhaps the greatest healing we can provide to those hurting is our presence and you are your own best non-pharmacological intervention. Attunement gives us the ability to communicate connection even with few, if any, words. This presentation consists predominantly of practical exercises for participants to expand their ability to listen to patients and clients in a way that results in improved clinical indicators across the board. When those we care for feel seen and heard the greater will be their treatment adherence, satisfaction, and the fewer service recovery opportunities we will have with them. This all serves to increase the compassion satisfaction of staff and decrease their emotional labor. With little effort, everyone wins.
3:45 PM – 4:00 PM Afternoon Break with Exhibitors
4:00 PM – 5:15 PM Breakout Session 4
4A: Effectively Leading Through Change
Speaker: Melynda Lee, MBA, MA, Consulting Director, SimiTree
Learn strategies to develop proactive steps and set your team up for success in a changing environment. Build trust within your team, manage opposition to change, and guide the power to change using emotionally intelligent response techniques.
4B: An Introduction to Florida’s Medical Marijuana Use Program
Speaker: Carmen Dixon, Florida Department of Health-Office of Medical Marijuana Use
Every day, the OMMU works to provide qualified patients, caregivers and physicians the information and resources they need to access Florida’s medical marijuana program. The OMMU also writes and implements the Department of Health’s rules for medical marijuana; oversees the statewide Medical Marijuana Use Registry; licenses Florida businesses to cultivate, process and dispense medical marijuana to qualified patients and certifies marijuana testing laboratories to ensure the health and safety of the public as it relates to marijuana. We are Florida’s official source for responsible medical marijuana use.
4C: Acknowledging Anticipatory Grief: Empowering parents and caregivers of seriously ill children with language and resources to help them find their way.
Speaker: Oralea Marquardt, LCSW Treasure Coast Hospice
A serious illness diagnosis in a child threatens the emotional and physical well-being of the entire family, including siblings, parents and caregivers. Anticipatory grief (AG) is a natural response. However, AG is poorly understood — by the parent/caregivers and often by providers who focus on the underlying medical condition but not the accompanying grief. This lack of understanding results in an unarticulated and unmet need. This session will provide attendees with a framework for understanding AG, including how it manifests, and discuss specific resources to offer families to help them cope. Its goal is to help providers be more comfortable with, available to and supportive of families of seriously ill children.
4D: Understanding Florida Guideline for Health Care Surrogates and Proxy Decision-Makers
Speaker: Rev. Jim Andrews, Suncoast Hospice | Empath Health
At some point, most hospice patients will lose the ability to make decisions for themselves. When that happens, we need to look to the appropriate health care decision-maker. But identifying who that person is can be a complicated undertaking. This session will provide simple and clear guidance on applying the Florida Statute to the complex patient and family situations that often arise.
4E: Regulatory Update with NHPCO repeat
Speaker: Judi Lund Person, NHPCO
With so many great sessions to choose from, we have asked Judi to present a repeat session for her regulatory update to ensure as many attendees can participate .
4F: Effective Service Recovery to Increase Team Safety & Efficiency
Speaker: Dr. Carla Cheatham, MA, MDiv, PhD, TRT, Carla Cheatham Consulting Group: Emotional Intelligence for Professionals
Moving from service failure to service recovery effectively and efficiently has been demonstrated to build loyalty and satisfaction of patients and their families. Sustainable business includes not only concern for the needs of patients and families, but also for our teams. Ethical models of service recovery decrease the resource needs and emotional labor of teams, increases their safety and compassion satisfaction, and improves morale as well as performance. From the start of care to the final phone call, this presentation will discuss what your agency can do to respond differently and better for the sake of all involved.
5:00 PM – 6:30 PM Thursday Night Picnic
You came to Forum for the education, we hope you’ll stop by our Thursday Night Picnic for drinks and appetizers before heading out to dinner with your friends (new and old) to enjoy the amenities of the Signia by Hilton Orlando or local Orlando sites!
FRIDAY, MAY 12
7:45 AM – 9:15 AM Friday Plenary & Breakfast
Day two at Forum is a little different as we have two main tracks: Those who Palmetto and those who do not! See the schedule below for more information. Both tracks will have the same start time and both will be served breakfast. But those interested in Palmetto will report to their breakout session room for the full morning. See more information here:
7:45am – 9:15am Breakfast & Friday Plenary: Embodying Resilience: Mindfully Cultivating Post-Traumatic Growth
Speaker: Dr. Carla Cheatham, MA, MDiv, PhD, TRT, Carla Cheatham Consulting Group: Emotional Intelligence for Professionals
No one could have predicted the challenges we would have faced in our industry the past few years. Now, as we are trying to pick up the pieces and move forward, more challenges await us as we finally process what we’ve been through, re-evaluate priorities, face staffing shortages, and live in a world where everyone is a little crispy from unprocessed grief and trauma. Resilience and post-traumatic growth are about thriving through challenges and finding gifts and opportunities even in the most difficult of circumstances. In this presentation, we will review information from both fields and discuss the opportunities we now have to rebuild healthcare in a healthier way–transforming our own ways of caring and revolutionizing our industry.
7:45am – 12:00pm Palmetto GBA Update: Medicare Hospice: What to See in 2023
To accommodate Palmetto GBA session requirements, we ask that those attending the Palmetto GBA update go straight to the assigned session room to begin their day. To register to attend this session, choose “Friday Only” . Click here to learn more.
9:15AM – 10:30AM Breakout Session 5
5A: Nursing Update with Florida Center for Nursing
Speaker: Rayna M. Letourneau, PhD, RN; Florida Center for Nursing
5B&C: Palmetto GBA update (7:45 to noon) Click here to learn more.
4D &E : Mindfulness Techniques for Personal Health and Professional Practice (Plenary Follow-up)
Speaker: Dr. Carla Cheatham, MA, MDiv, PhD, TRT, Carla Cheatham Consulting Group: Emotional Intelligence for Professionals
Our ability to maintain resilience, build emotional intelligence, and practice post-traumatic growth are dependent upon our self-awareness. Mindfulness practices allow us to be more present with ourselves and others and also to do daily practices of self-care that need not require extra time, energy, or money. This presentation will build upon the Plenary with practical exercises we can all begin to use immediately for ourselves, and then begin teaching to patients and families at the bedside.
5F: How To Burnout-Proof Your Agency for Sustainable, Scalable Growth
Speaker: Sarah O’Brien, BSN, RN, CareXM
When we hear “burnout?” We think about RNs, LPNs, CNAs, maybe even chaplains and social workers. But what about self-care for hospice administrators? What about care for our organizations themselves? Speaker will share organizational “self-care” ideas that will help you sleep at night. Session to cover: Principles shaping staffing challenges/how to reframe for productivity; Strategies/tools for problem workflows; Quadruple Aim alignment for better experiences/outcomes, lower costs.
10:30AM – 11:00AM Morning Break with Exhibitors
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM Breakout Session 6
6A: Grief Games: Utilizing Adventure Therapy as an active experiential approach to grief counseling
Speakers: Kelley Thompson, LCSW, ACHP-SW, CCAT and Jacki Nardone, LCSW, ACHP-SW, CCAT, Treasure Coast Hospice
Who says you can’t grieve and have fun at the same time? Adventure Therapy can best be described as a cutting edge model in the counseling field that focuses on experiential physical activity which engages, educates and gently challenges clients. You will learn what Adventure Therapy is and how to utilize activities that are designed to teach the skills individuals need when overcoming grief and loss. Do you want games that you can apply to your clinical practice the very next day? You’ll get that too. Attendees will participate in hands-on games/initiatives that will elicit emotion, promote feelings of self-efficacy and create an environment of healing during the grief and loss process.
6B &C: Palmetto GBA update (7:45 to noon) Click here to learn more.
4D &E : Trauma-Informed Care: Creating a Safe Space for All
Speaker: Dr. Carla Cheatham, MA, MDiv, PhD, TRT, Carla Cheatham Consulting Group: Emotional Intelligence for Professionals
Research indicates approximately 2/3 of persons have experienced some form of personal and/or medical trauma, and this number only increases as we face injury, illness, and aging. The resulting post-traumatic stress can require significant resources of time, energy, money, and emotional labor for all involved. The better we understand the prevalence, potential sources, symptoms, and responses to trauma, the better prepared we will be to provide care that decreases the risk of re-traumatization, the care burden on staff, and provide greater protection for agencies. This presentation will provide an overview of what trauma-informed care is, the research behind it, tips for professionals and organizations, and resources for making lasting change for the sake of patients, families, and ourselves.
6F: The Abundance Meditation
Speaker: Joseph Hamilton, Hospice of Palm Beach | Trustbridge
In this session you will learn a simple, but powerful 5-minute practice on how to obtain abundance using breath work, sound, and meditation.
Please note: FHPCA reserves the right to change any title or speaker for this conference.