2026 Annual Conference

Jeffrey James, Chief Executive Officer, Wilmington Health, and Anas Deghastani, MD, President & CEO, Austin Regional Clinic

Independent medical groups face mounting pressures from payer shifts, rising costs, and workforce challenges. This session explores creative, actionable strategies to diversify revenue streams while maintaining clinical excellence and independence. Leaders will share real-world approaches—including partnerships, value-based arrangements, ancillary service expansion, and other innovative models, that have successfully strengthened financial performance. Attendees will walk away with practical frameworks to evaluate and implement new revenue initiatives tailored to their organization’s size, mission, and patient population.
Upon completion of this activity, learners should be able to:

1. Evaluate at least three innovative revenue diversification strategies (including partnerships, value-based care arrangements, and ancillary services) for applicability to their own practice setting based on organizational size, mission, and patient demographics.
2. Identify key financial and operational metrics needed to assess the viability and sustainability of new revenue initiatives while maintaining clinical quality and practice independence.
3. Develop an implementation framework for introducing new revenue models into their organization, including stakeholder engagement, resource allocation, and risk mitigation strategies.

Intended Audience: Executive leaders and senior administrators of independent physician-owned practices and medical groups, physician leaders with administrative responsibilities, CEOs, COOs, CFOs, CMOs,

Topic focus areas: Finance, operations, value-based care, workforce

Ashok Rai, MD, Chief Executive Officer, Prevea, and F. Kenneth Ackerman, MHA, Assistant Professor of Health Care Administration, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science and Administrative Chair, Mayo Clinic Health System

Service lines are critical drivers of both clinical excellence and financial performance. This session brings together leaders to share proven strategies for designing, optimizing, and expanding high-impact service lines. Participants will explore methods to align clinical operations, workforce planning, and data-driven decision-making while improving outcomes, patient experience, and organizational efficiency. Case examples will highlight the importance of service line governance, cross-functional alignment, and measuring success.

Upon completion of this activity, learners should be able to:

1. Apply a structured framework for designing and optimizing service lines that integrates clinical operations, workforce planning, and data analytics to drive both quality outcomes and financial performance.
2. Implement governance structures and cross-functional alignment strategies that ensure effective collaboration among clinical, operational, and administrative stakeholders within service line management.
3. Utilize key performance indicators and success metrics to evaluate service line effectiveness across clinical excellence, patient experience, operational efficiency, and financial sustainability domains.

Intended Audience: CEOs, COOs, CMOs, Service Line Executives, VPs Clinical Operations, Department Chairs

Topic focus areas: AI, workforce, patient experience, care coordination, governance, finance, operations

The recent passage of the “Big Beautiful Bill” has reshaped the Medicaid landscape, introducing significant funding cuts and stricter eligibility requirements. Health systems—especially those in rural areas—now face mounting pressure to maintain access, financial viability, and support for their Medicaid populations. In this timely session, senior leaders from three diverse health systems will share how they’re proactively adjusting to these changes, addressing operational and patient-level challenges. Panelists will explore innovative approaches to sustaining rural care, managing coverage disruptions, and building infrastructure to help Medicaid patients navigate compliance hurdles.

Upon completion of this activity, learners should be able to:

1. Analyze the financial and operational impact of recent Medicaid funding cuts and eligibility changes on their organization's payer mix, revenue cycle, and service delivery model, particularly for vulnerable and rural populations.
2. Design patient navigation and support systems to assist Medicaid beneficiaries in maintaining coverage eligibility and accessing appropriate care despite increased administrative and compliance requirements.
3. Implement strategic adaptations to preserve access to care and financial sustainability in the face of reduced Medicaid reimbursement, including care delivery redesign, cost structure optimization, and community partnership development.

Intended Audience: CEOs, CFOs, COOs, population health leaders

Topic focus areas: Workforce, patient experience, care coordination, finance, operations

APPs are a cornerstone of scalable, high-quality care delivery—but many organizations struggle to fully leverage their capabilities. This session examines how leading groups like McFarland, Hattiesburg, and Novant are structuring APP roles, leadership, and workflows to improve access, quality, and operational efficiency. Attendees will learn practical strategies for integrating APPs into clinical teams, designing accountable leadership structures, and aligning compensation and productivity with organizational goals. Real-world examples highlight measurable impacts on patient care, provider satisfaction, and financial performance.
Upon completion of this activity, learners should be able to:

1. Design integrated clinical team structures and workflows that optimize Advanced Practice Provider (APP) scope of practice, enhance care access, and improve both patient outcomes and provider satisfaction.
2. Establish APP leadership and governance models that provide clear accountability, professional development pathways, and alignment between APP roles and organizational strategic priorities.
3. Develop compensation and productivity frameworks for APPs that balance financial performance with quality metrics, team-based care delivery, and equitable role utilization across clinical settings.

Intended Audience: APP, CMO, COO, CHRO

Topic focus areas: Workforce, patient experience, care coordination, operations

Andrea Walsh, President & CEO, HealthPartners, and Robert Riney, CEO and President, Henry Ford Health
Moderated by Jerry Penso, MD, President & CEO, AMGA

This interactive masterclass brings together the CEOs of leading health systems to share candid insights and lessons learned from leading large, complex healthcare organizations. Attendees will gain a front-row perspective on how to navigate strategic growth, financial pressures, workforce challenges, and operational transformation while maintaining mission and culture. The session emphasizes practical leadership frameworks, decision-making in uncertainty, and strategies to align teams across diverse clinical and operational landscapes. Through a mix of discussion, real-world case examples, and audience engagement, participants will leave with actionable tools to strengthen leadership impact in their own organizations.

Upon completion of this activity, learners should be able to:

1. Apply leadership frameworks and decision-making strategies used by senior health system executives to navigate complexity, uncertainty, and competing priorities while maintaining organizational mission and culture.
2. Implement stakeholder alignment and change management approaches that effectively engage clinical and operational teams across diverse service lines, geographies, and functional areas during periods of transformation.
3. Evaluate strategic trade-offs among growth initiatives, financial sustainability, workforce stability, and operational performance using real-world decision-making models from leading health systems.

Intended Audience: Senior healthcare executives (CEOs, presidents, COOs) and emerging C-suite leaders in health systems, medical groups, and integrated delivery networks

Topic focus areas: AI, workforce, value-based care, finance, operations, leadership