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2024 Fall Conference

Sept. 23-25  |  Davenport Historic  |  Spokane, WA

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WHCA is proud to offer up to 12 CEUs through our education sessions at this year’s Fall Conference. For questions about CEUs, please contact lindseyw@whca.org.

Education Sessions Schedule

 

Monday, Sept. 23

 

1:00 pm

Correcting Deficiencies

Track: Operations & Regulatory

You get some citations on your annual survey. What the heck do they mean? This session will help you decipher what the requirements are and how to effectively correct them to prevent a re-citation and yet another survey.

Room: # (map) Download Materials
Slides
Kimberly Bloor

Deputy State Fire Marshal, WA State Patrol

Kimberly Bloor is a Deputy State Fire Marshal with the Washington State Patrol, State Fire Marshal’s Office (SFMO). Kimberly has been with the SFMO for over ten years and is responsible for a variety of fire and life safety inspections and does quality assurance for all healthcare fire and life safety inspections.

Growing the Next Generation of Leaders

Track: Leadership

We will delve into 4 fundamental principles that cultivate effective leadership and foster organizational success. By embodying these principles of mentorship, empowerment, growing talent and supporting growth, leaders can create a culture of growth, innovation, and collective success within their organizations.

Room: # (map) Download Materials
Slides
Jesse Buntjer

Vice President of Operations, Avista Senior Living

Jesse Buntjer embarked on his journey in the senior living industry in 2010. Initially specializing in Home Health and Hospice care, he diversified his expertise over the years across various domains. Jesse leads a talented team that manages an outstanding portfolio of 16 Avista Senior Living and Spring Gardens communities spanning Utah, Idaho, and Washington.

Charting a Course for Fall Prevention Success

Track: Clinical

We will focus on assessing resident risk, development and revision of individualized care plans. We will explore ways to look at your overall falls management system to identify opportunities for improvement. Then we will go over how to implement and monitor tests of change that will lead to successful falls reduction that can be sustained over time.

Room: # (map) Download Materials
Slides
Nina Sanderson, LSW, SMQT

Job Title

For the past 24 years, Nina has been a licensed social worker in Idaho. Her professional experience includes thirteen years working in a nursing home, three years as a long-term care surveyor in Idaho, three years as a co-supervisor of the Idaho State Long Term Care Survey and Certification program, four years as a federal surveyor and two years as a Senior Improvement Advisor with Comagine Health.

Kelly Williams

Job Title

Kelly has been a Registered Nurse in Nevada for over 20 years. Her professional experience includes two years in acute care at Northern Nevada’s only level two trauma center, eight years as an infusion nurse for the University of Nevada School of Medicine in Reno in their oncology department, and ten years as a quality improvement advisor with Comagine Health.

 

 

2:15 pm

Sex, Drugs, & Rollin' Walkers

Track: Operations & Regulatory

This session offers a variety of ideas for anticipating and developing common sense approaches to these contemporary challenges. This conversation will inspire a new leadership perspective, moving all leaders to be creative and tenacious in meeting the challenges of the emerging culture of AL/SNF.

THIS SESSION CONTINUES INTO THE 3:30 – 4:30 TIME BLOCK

Room: # (map) Download Materials
Slides
Barbara Speedling

Job Title

Barbara is an author, educator and management consultant at the forefront of person-centered care with more than 30 years of experience in the adult care community. Working from a core belief in the dignity and individuality of all people, Barbara’s unique education and training programs have helped countless adult care communities achieve lasting improvements in quality care and quality of life.

Building Strong Teams

Track: Leadership

Labor is the most expensive line item on our organization’s balance sheet, but how do we manage the most important resource we have? This session will explore how to build strong teams that are equipped to do their best work, even when they experience staff turnover, challenges, and change.

Room: # (map) Download Materials
Link 1
Kristen Bohlen

Job Title

Kristen has vast organizational development experience and excels at practically helping organizations succeed. As a professional with direct experience in non-profit, corporate, and federal organizations, she is positioned to be a true partner with your team.

Substance Use Disorder in LTC Residents

Track: Clinical

In this presentation we will discuss management of residents with a substance use disorder diagnosis —what it is, how to address symptoms and communication as well as some key strategies for success to improve resident care.

Room: # (map) Download Materials
Slides
David Rodriguez

Job Title

David has worked in a variety of roles within the behavioral health field, including clinical direct experiences working with youth and families in the wraparound program. He has also worked as a Behavioral Health project coordinator working to improve BH programs for FQHC in Washington state. In his most recent role, he was the Southwest Washington Behavioral Health Ombudsman working with providers in his region to improve behavioral health services.

 

 

3:30 pm

Sex, Drugs, & Rollin' Walkers (cont'd)

Track: Operations & Regulatory

This continuation of the 2:15 session offers a variety of ideas for anticipating and developing common sense approaches to these contemporary challenges. This conversation will inspire a new leadership perspective, moving all leaders to be creative and tenacious in meeting the challenges of the emerging culture of AL/SNF.

Room: # (map) Download Materials
Slides
Barbara Speedling

Job Title

Barbara is an author, educator and management consultant at the forefront of person-centered care with more than 30 years of experience in the adult care community. Working from a core belief in the dignity and individuality of all people, Barbara’s unique education and training programs have helped countless adult care communities achieve lasting improvements in quality care and quality of life.

Creating a Culture of Trust

Track: Leadership

A lack of trust in leadership can have serious consequences. Conversely, trust builds camaraderie and keeps open the lines of communication between leaders and team members. This session provides the framework for fostering a positive work culture where team members feel valued, respected, and want to stay.

Room: # (map) Download Materials
Slides
Lou Ann Brubaker

President of Brubaker Consulting

Lou Ann Brubaker has helped post-acute care organizations enhance their occupancy, staff stability, and management skill success. Her diverse professional experience ranges from administration of a senior citizen utility assistance program, sales and marketing of a senior care medication distribution systems company to a revenue-generating division. Prior to founding her own company, she directed the North American marketing for an organization that, in three years, grew to become the world’s largest provider of online medical, scientific and technical information.

Death with Beth

Track: Clinical

We’ll take a deeper dive into how to start the conversations and what actions to take with yourself, residents and loved ones regarding end-of-life planning and care. We’ll participate in activities to increase awareness, empathy, dialogue, and understanding of emotions surrounding death that can be immediately applied to both our own lives as well as the residents we serve each day.

Room: # (map) Download Materials
Slides
Beth Payne

Vice President of Operations, Independence Rehab

Beth Payne has been an Occupational Therapist for almost 20-years. Additionally, Beth is a Pilates Instructor, Certified Death Doula and Owner of Full Circle Consulting and Care. Growing up, Beth’s mom was a Hospice nurse which led her to a career in healthcare. This combination of certifications and experiences provides a comprehensive scope to meet each individual where they’re at throughout the spectrum of life.

 


Tuesday, Sept. 24

8:00 am

Keynote: Igniting Creative Courage

This interactive presentation invites leaders to challenge the status quo. It explores courageous decision making from the perspective of taking calculated risks when faced with discomfort, uncertainty and opposition. Courageous creativity is an imperative for meaningful and effective ideas and solutions to address organizational issues.

Room: # (map) Download Materials
Slides
Claudia Blumenstock

Founder and CEO, Copernicus, Inc

Claudia Blumenstock is a nationally recognized presenter and consultant with over 30 years of experience in long-term care. As a licensed nursing home administrator and health care professional, she has helped bring facilities through crises by creating work environments that value staff and focus on respectful and trusting relationships. Working with facilities throughout the country, Claudia has helped leaders grapple with COVID and its effects on workforce hiring and retention, identifying strategies to manage the changing employment marketplace and to attract younger staff to long term care work.

 

9:45 am

Resident Rights

Track: Operations & Regulatory

While resident rights may seem straightforward to most, there are nuances that can prompt even the most seasoned long term care professional to pause. Take 60 minutes to explore the intricacies of RCW 70.129 and discover the most commonly overlooked or misapplied rights. This session is the kick-off event for the coming autumn’s WHCA webinar series focusing on resident rights in long term care.

Room: # (map) Download Materials
Slides
Elena Madrid

Job Title

Bio

Vicki McNealley

Job Title

Bio

 

Everyone Leads: How to Get Buy-In from Your Team

Track: Leadership

In this session, we will delve further into Leadership with the power of relationships and building a strong culture with behavioral values and cultural norms that distinguish and set you apart. We will dive into recruiting for the right skill AND cultural fit for your organization. We will discuss how to build a team and grow leaders through fostering relationships, having shared goals. Finally, we will learn how to reinforce clarity through over communication.

Room: # (map) Download Materials
Slides
Ryan Knudson

Job Title

Ryan, Nessa and their daughter Rachel have advocated in the Long-Term Care industry in Spokane for over 15 years. Together they are passionate about working with leaders to identify talented grow leaders, build and reinforce a strong company culture, and deliver excellent results.

Dementia Care - See Me!

Track: Clinical

This session will discuss the changes that happen through dementia progression, as well as how those changes impact the resident’s perception on reality and how staff can work more effectively with the resident. The aim of this session is to gain a broader understanding of common-sense approaches to working with residents who have dementia and other cognitive impairments that can be immediately implemented.

Room: 4 (map) Download Materials
Slides
Pamela Truscott

Director of Quality Improvement, NCAL

Pamela Truscott, DNP/HSL, MSN/Ed, RN, C-AL, DNS-CT, QCP, RAC-CT, CDP is the Director of Quality Improvement with the National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL). She joined the NCAL family in October 2022 and prior to that, she was working with the American Health Care Association (AHCA) family beginning in June 2019. Pam has over 25 years of long-term care experience and shares a passion for growing education and cultivating new leaders in long-term care.

 

 

11:00 am

2024 SNF Reimbursement Update

Track: Operations & Regulatory

This session is designed to provide a comprehensive update on Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement policies and priorities. In addition to updates about Medicare and Medicaid in FY 25, this session will also detail emerging state policies regarding Medicaid funding in skilled nursing facilities. From implementation of PDPM to contracting with managed care organizations, participants in this session can expect the latest information on these measures.

Room: # (map) Download Materials
Link 1, Link 2
Bill Ulrich

Job Title

Bill is a nationally recognized expert and frequent speaker on Medicare, Medicaid, and billing issues. Bill currently serves on the Reimbursement Committee for AHCA. Bill chaired the Reimbursement Committee for WHCA and has served on the legal committee and reimbursement committee for numerous state health care associations. In addition to reimbursement and finance, Bill earned his certification in health care compliance through the Health Care Compliance Association in 2012.

Anti Fragility

Track: Leadership

Learn how to harness chaos, embrace randomness, and build systems that enable you to survive shocks and emerge stronger. Disruption may be used to strengthen both yourself and your team. Attendees will discuss how to embrace volatility, capitalize on “calibration” and “implicit redundancies,” while using the “skin-in-the-game” strategy to manage yourself and your team.

Room: # (map) Download Materials
Link 1, Link 2
Diana Osborne

Job Title

Diana Osborne has been on the business and economics faculty at Spokane Community College for 20 years, where she hosts the Economics Salon. She holds an MBA from Purdue University and an MA in Applied Linguistics from South West University, Bulgaria. She has worked as a financial advisor and a European Union project manager. Her research interests include risk management, organizational change, non-predictive decision making, and entrepreneurship and start-ups.

When is the Right Time to Refer to Hospice?

Track: 

In this session we will discuss how Cancer, Heart Disease, and Dementia follow different patterns of decline as patients approach end of life. Despite these differences, there are many common clues that predict a person’s time is short. Knowing what to watch for, and what matters most to them, can help you know when to refer to hospice.

Room: # (map) Download Materials
Slides
Marsha Flowers, RN

Job Title

Marsha Flowers is a Registered Nurse specializing and certified in hospice and palliative care. She has provided hospice nursing care to hundreds of people in the Spokane community over the past 15 years in her work with Horizon Hospice and Palliative Care. Currently Marsha manages the community-based palliative care program at Horizon. As a graduate from Seattle Pacific University with a BSN in nursing, Marsha enjoyed acute care at Swedish Hospital early in her career and then she found her sweet spot serving patients, families, and facility staff as they faced the challenges of serious illness.

 

2:15 pm

Advocacy - A Peek Behind the Curtain from an Outsider Enacting Change

Track: Operations & Regulatory

Although we all may not be a registered lobbyist, this doesn’t mean we aren’t equally, or in some cases, more influential in driving change. It is critical for our collective voices to be heard to ensure sustainability both for quality services to our residents and for our businesses as providers. In this session, we’ll cover who, what, where and how to get started with advocacy.

Room: # (map) Download Materials
Slides, Handout
Beth Payne

Job Title

Beth Payne has been an Occupational Therapist for almost 20-years. Additionally, Beth is a Pilates Instructor, Certified Death Doula and Owner of Full Circle Consulting and Care. Growing up, Beth’s mom was a Hospice nurse which led her to a career in healthcare. This combination of certifications and experiences provides a comprehensive scope to meet each individual where they’re at throughout the spectrum of life.

Surviving that Toxic Coworker!

Track: Leadership

We’ve all worked with them – sometimes we’ve worked FOR them: Co-workers who make our workdays miserable! But if you’re not willing to leave your organization – and you want some tips on preserving your sanity – this session outlines strategies to maintain a positive outlook even with the most negative of co-workers!

Room: # (map) Download Materials
Slides
Lori Dierolf

Job Title

Lori L. Dierolf has over 30 years of experience in the long-term care industry. She is the author of two books written specifically for long-term care professionals. Since 2016, through her company Open Door Training & Development, she has presented dementia education and leadership training to all levels of staff in long-term care communities and at various conferences throughout the country.

The New Restorative Era - An Operational Approach to Restorative Services

Track: Clinical

Attendees will be provided with tools and best practices that help create a successful operational model that encompasses the requirements from an RAI/CMS perspective. Prepare to walk away with a better understanding of the requirements within PDPM, on top of the clinical benefits your residents will receive.

Room: # (map) Download Materials
Slides
Stephen Brown

Job Title

Stephen Brown has been working in the wellness industry for over 10 years. He is the Senior National Director of Wellness Services for Aegis Therapies EnerG. Stephen has been working with the restorative nursing program since 2018, creating operational processes that allow communities to maximize their clinical and financial opportunity by providing restorative services. Stephen graduated from Anderson University- IN with a BA in Exercise Science and holds certification in personal training and group fitness.

 

 

3:30 pm

Care for Residents with Substance Use Disorder - Panel Discussion

Track: Operations & Regulatory

Caring for residents in today’s world is fraught with challenges. Residents have multiple comorbidities, and the addition of substance use disorders (SUD) can create complexities and barriers to their care in post-acute facilities. In this moderated session, a panel of experts and representatives working within the SUD and long-term care arena will discuss the facts, best practices and resources to overcome barriers. There will also be time for discussion and sharing.

Room: # (map) Download Materials
Slides
Sabine von Preyss-Friedman, MD, FACP, CMD,

Job Title

Bio

Bett Schlemmer

Job Title

Bio

Mary Hickcox

Job Title

Bio

Lauren Kula, MSW, SUDP

Job Title

Bio

 

Avoiding Burnout, pt 1

Track: Leadership

In this session participants will learn some tools to increase their self-awareness and resilience at work. This will be research-based but focused on practical and actionable tips.

Room: # (map) Download Materials
Slides
Craig Fischer

Job Title

Craig Fischer is an accomplished leadership consultant with over 15 years of success in culture strategy, organizational development, and high-performing teams. He is an executive coach, experienced facilitator, and engaging speaker on many topics. He has extensive experience in the fields of healthcare, manufacturing, and technology.

 

The Person-Centered Care Approach to the Behaviors of Dementia

Track: Clinical

Attendees will learn the seven aspects of well-being and how understanding them is key to successful interactions with those who exhibit challenging behaviors in the long-term care setting. Attendees will leave the session with actionable, personalized ways to support and assist those living with dementia to handle what is causing them distress.

Room: # (map) Download Materials
Slides
Lori Dierolf

Job Title

Lori L. Dierolf has over 30 years of experience in the long-term care industry. She is the author of two books written specifically for long-term care professionals. Since 2016, through her company Open Door Training & Development, she has presented dementia education and leadership training to all levels of staff in long-term care communities and at various conferences throughout the country.

 


Wednesday, Sept. 25

8:00 am

Hub and Spoke: Building Community Within Your Structure

Track: Operations & Regulatory

The development of a hub and spoke model within your organization can provide numerous benefits. This model will help communicate key character traits of staff members, inspiring them to understand their critical importance within the organization. It better defines attributes of community leadership and its impact within the organization.

Room: # (map) Download Materials
Slides, Handout
Bill Bent

Job Title

Bill Bent is the Managing Member of New Day Senior Living Management, LLC, which owns a portfolio of senior housing communities. Following a near death from a life-altering accident in 2014, he made it his mission to share with others both the wisdom of his life experience and his professional skill in helping companies grow and flourish. Bill has spoken at many company events, professional associations, Harvard University, Miami University, and Bloomsburg University.

Avoiding Burnout, pt 2

Track: Leadership

In this session, participants will learn more about the research on workplace flourishing in healthcare, looking at team-based and systems-based approaches that can increase health on the team and organizational level. Participants will leave with tools they can use in their organization and teams.

Room: # (map) Download Materials
Slides
Craig Fischer

Job Title

Craig Fischer is an accomplished leadership consultant with over 15 years of success in culture strategy, organizational development, and high-performing teams. He is an executive coach, experienced facilitator, and engaging speaker on many topics. He has extensive experience in the fields of healthcare, manufacturing, and technology.

 

Psychotropic Stewardship - Practical Solutions to Impractical Challenges

Track: Clinical

Psychotropic utilization is an ongoing priority in the LTC industry. This program will introduce attendees to strategies and best practices for optimizing psychotropic use through interdisciplinary team settings and will demonstrate how to develop successful recommendations that positively impact residents.

Room: # (map) Download Materials
Slides
Dr. Matthew Palmer

Director of Clinical Operations, PharMerica

Dr. Matthew Palmer provides and oversees clinical pharmacy services to skilled nursing and assisted living facilities throughout the nation. Matt is a board-certified geriatric pharmacist with over 20 years’ experience in the long-term care sector. He has a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse and a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Wisconsin – Madison.

 

9:15 am

Strengthening the Healthcare Workforce

Track: Operations & Regulatory

The staffing challenges that existed before the pandemic in recruitment and retention remain but have been amplified by the ongoing nature and toll of the pandemic on the workforce. In this presentation, we will review 5 key components to strengthen the workforce and enhance organizational success.

Room: # (map) Download Materials
Link 1, Link 2
Lauren Carlisle

Job Title

Lauren Carlisle, MSW, LCSW is the Director of Recruitment and Employee Support for Avista Senior Living. Her background as a social worker allows her to use her strong communication skills and passion for working with people to successfully lead recruitment strategies across all 31 communities with Avista Senior Living. She earned a Bachelors of Social Work degree from Utah State University and a Masters of Social Work degree from Indiana University.

Thriving in the Face of Adversity

Track: Leadership

Learn how to anticipate stressful situations occurring, methods to minimize adversity showing up, and ways to handle adversity when it shows up. Your awareness, acceptance, and making wise choices will take your leadership skills to higher levels.

Room: # (map) Download Materials
Slides
Bill Bent

Job Title

Bill Bent is the Managing Member for New Day Senior Living Management, LLC, which owns a portfolio of senior housing communities. Following a near death from a life-altering accident in 2014, he made it his mission to share with others both the wisdom of his life experience and his professional skill in helping companies grow and flourish. Bill has spoken at many company events, professional associations, Harvard University, Miami University, and Bloomsburg University.

Assessing the Documenting Skin Failure Due to Multiorgan Involvement: Looking Beyond the Skin

Track: Clinical 

This talk will review end-of -life skin failure as a diagnosis and list communication interventions that are important for family and residents’ representatives to prepare everyone for the coming event, the end-of-life. Specifically, the end-of-life in the presence of skin failure.

Room: # (map) Download Materials
Slides
Pamela Scarborough 

Job Title

Dr. Scarborough’s 40 plus years journey in physical therapy has been fulfilling. She has provided opportunities in Orthopedics, Sports Medicine, Total Joint and Spine care, Cardiac Rehabilitation, Geriatric physical therapy, and Wound Management. Pamela specialized in Wound Management with her Certified Wound Specialist (CWS) designation 24 years ago and has had an incredibly rewarding career providing wound care to patients and in teaching and mentoring clinicians in the specialty of wound management.

 

10:30 am

Emergency Preparedness - Moving Away from Paperwork Compliance to Actionable Plans

Track: Operations & Regulatory

We will cover emergency and disaster preparedness planning, give actionable tips to set up communities for success when completing drills or evacuations, review service plan best practice considerations, safety zone planning, how to write shelter agreements, community partnerships and After-Action Reviews.

Room: # (map) Download Materials
Slides
Jennifer Olson

Job Title

Jennifer Olson started her career as a Wildland Firefighter for a private contractor while attending Eastern Oregon University to earn a Master of Education. After working in the public school system for 18 years, she obtained her ALF/RCF Administrator’s license and became Executive Director for Wallowa Valley Senior Living. Jennifer is on the Board of Directors for a Home Owners Association that is actively working with community partners to develop emergency preparedness plans on a large scale.

Whole Person Leadership: Why Neglecting You is Killing Your Team

Track: Leadership

In this session, we will discuss how personal development leads to passion, which in turn fuels your purpose; how pouring yourself into others without caring for yourself is harming you and them, and how to be a leader that is always real not necessarily always right. Delivered with humor and transparency, you will learn practical skills on how to properly assess where you are at and gain clarity on where you want to go with six thought provoking questions; and how to apply that clarity to help you grow in all areas of your life.

Room: # (map) Download Materials
Slides
Ryan Knudson

Job Title

Ryan, Nessa and their daughter Rachel have advocated in the Long-Term Care industry in Spokane for over 15 years. Together they are passionate about working with leaders to identify talented grow leaders, build and reinforce a strong company culture, and deliver excellent results.

Diabetes Treatment Updates for the Older Adult: Do We Really Need All These Medications?

Track: Clinical

Attendees will hear from two board certified geriatric pharmacists as they review and discuss the updated 2024 ADA guidelines for older adults. We will review current treatment options and discuss strategies designed to meet our residents’ goals of therapy while consolidating and minimizing medication burden.

Room: # (map) Download Materials
Slides
Dr. Matthew Palmer

Job Title 

Dr. Palmer is the Director of Clinical Operations for PharMerica. Matt is a board-certified geriatric pharmacist with over 20 years’ experience in the Long-term care arena.  Matt has a Bachelor of Science from the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse and a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Wisconsin – Madison.

Dr. Steve Austin

Job Title 

Dr. Steve Austin is a consultant pharmacist for PharMerica board-certified in pharmacotherapy specialty, with a passion for cutting-edge treatments and evidence-based therapy. He has taken a vigorous interest in diabetes management and is working towards board certification in diabetes care. He is a strong believer in collaborative healthcare, patient empowerment, and treatment optimization.

 


Track: Operations & Regulatory

Monday

1:00pm - Correcting Deficiencies

You get some citations on your annual survey. What the heck do they mean? This session will help you decipher what the requirements are and how to effectively correct them to prevent a re-citation and yet another survey.

Room: # (map) Download Materials
Slides
Kimberly Bloor

Job Title

Kimberly Bloor is a Deputy State Fire Marshal with the Washington State Patrol, State Fire Marshal’s Office (SFMO). Kimberly has been with the SFMO for over ten years and is responsible for a variety of fire and life safety inspections and does quality assurance for all healthcare fire and life safety inspections.

 

2:15pm - Sex, Drugs, & Rollin' Walkers

This session offers a variety of ideas for anticipating and developing common sense approaches to these contemporary challenges. This conversation will inspire a new leadership perspective, moving all leaders to be creative and tenacious in meeting the challenges of the emerging culture of AL/SNF.

THIS SESSION CONTINUES INTO THE 3:30 – 4:30 TIME BLOCK

Room: # (map) Download Materials
Link 1
Barbara Speedling

Job Title

Barbara is an author, educator and management consultant at the forefront of person-centered care with more than 30 years of experience in the adult care community. Working from a core belief in the dignity and individuality of all people, Barbara’s unique education and training programs have helped countless adult care communities achieve lasting improvements in quality care and quality of life.

 

 

Tuesday

8:00am - Keynote: Igniting Creative Courage

This interactive presentation invites leaders to challenge the status quo. It explores courageous decision making from the perspective of taking calculated risks when faced with discomfort, uncertainty and opposition. Courageous creativity is an imperative for meaningful and effective ideas and solutions to address organizational issues.

Room: # (map) Download Materials
Slides
Claudia Blumenstock

Job Title

Claudia Blumenstock is a nationally recognized presenter and consultant with over 30 years of experience in long-term care. As a licensed nursing home administrator and health care professional, she has helped bring facilities through crises by creating work environments that value staff and focus on respectful and trusting relationships. Working with facilities throughout the country, Claudia has helped leaders grapple with COVID and its effects on workforce hiring and retention, identifying strategies to manage the changing employment marketplace and to attract younger staff to long term care work.

9:45am - Resident Rights

While resident rights may seem straightforward to most, there are nuances that can prompt even the most seasoned long term care professional to pause. Take 60 minutes to explore the intricacies of RCW 70.129 and discover the most commonly overlooked or misapplied rights. This session is the kick-off event for the coming autumn’s WHCA webinar series focusing on resident rights in long term care.

Room: # (map) Download Materials
Slides
Elena Madrid

Job Title

Bio

Vicki McNealley

Job Title

Bio

 

11:00am - 2024 SNF Reimbursement Update

This session is designed to provide a comprehensive update on Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement policies and priorities. In addition to updates about Medicare and Medicaid in FY 25, this session will also detail emerging state policies regarding Medicaid funding in skilled nursing facilities. From implementation of PDPM to contracting with managed care organizations, participants in this session can expect the latest information on these measures.

Room: # (map) Download Materials
Link 1, Link 2
Bill Ulrich

Job Title

Bill is a nationally recognized expert and frequent speaker on Medicare, Medicaid, and billing issues. Bill currently serves on the Reimbursement Committee for AHCA. Bill chaired the Reimbursement Committee for WHCA and has served on the legal committee and reimbursement committee for numerous state health care associations. In addition to reimbursement and finance, Bill earned his certification in health care compliance through the Health Care Compliance Association in 2012.

2:15pm - Advocacy - A Peek Behind the Curtain from an Outsider Enacting Change

Although we all may not be a registered lobbyist, this doesn’t mean we aren’t equally, or in some cases, more influential in driving change. It is critical for our collective voices to be heard to ensure sustainability both for quality services to our residents and for our businesses as providers. In this session, we’ll cover who, what, where and how to get started with advocacy.

Room: # (map) Download Materials
Slides
Beth Payne

Job Title

Beth Payne has been an Occupational Therapist for almost 20-years. Additionally, Beth is a Pilates Instructor, Certified Death Doula and Owner of Full Circle Consulting and Care. Growing up, Beth’s mom was a Hospice nurse which led her to a career in healthcare. This combination of certifications and experiences provides a comprehensive scope to meet each individual where they’re at throughout the spectrum of life.

3:30pm - Care for Residents with Substance Use Disorder

Caring for residents in today’s world is fraught with challenges. Residents have multiple comorbidities, and the addition of substance use disorders (SUD) can create complexities and barriers to their care in post-acute facilities. In this moderated session, a panel of experts and representatives working within the SUD and long-term care arena will discuss the facts, best practices and resources to overcome barriers. There will also be time for discussion and sharing.

Room: # (map) Download Materials
Slides
Presenter

Job Title

Bio

Presenter

Job Title

Bio

Presenter

Job Title

Bio

Presenter

Job Title

Bio

 

Wednesday

8:00am - Hub and Spoke: Building Community Within Your Structure

The development of a hub and spoke model within your organization can provide numerous benefits. This model will help communicate key character traits of staff members, inspiring them to understand their critical importance within the organization. It better defines attributes of community leadership and its impact within the organization.

Room: # (map) Download Materials
Slides
Bill Bent

Job Title

Bill Bent is the Managing Member of New Day Senior Living Management, LLC, which owns a portfolio of senior housing communities. Following a near death from a life-altering accident in 2014, he made it his mission to share with others both the wisdom of his life experience and his professional skill in helping companies grow and flourish. Bill has spoken at many company events, professional associations, Harvard University, Miami University, and Bloomsburg University.

 

9:15am - Strengthening the Healthcare Workforce

The staffing challenges that existed before the pandemic in recruitment and retention remain but have been amplified by the ongoing nature and toll of the pandemic on the workforce. In this presentation, we will review 5 key components to strengthen the workforce and enhance organizational success.

Room: # (map) Download Materials
Slides
Lauren Carlisle

Job Title

Lauren Carlisle, MSW, LCSW is the Director of Recruitment and Employee Support for Avista Senior Living. Her background as a social worker allows her to use her strong communication skills and passion for working with people to successfully lead recruitment strategies across all 31 communities with Avista Senior Living. She earned a Bachelors of Social Work degree from Utah State University and a Masters of Social Work degree from Indiana University.

We will cover emergency and disaster preparedness planning, give actionable tips to set up communities for success when completing drills or evacuations, review service plan best practice considerations, safety zone planning, how to write shelter agreements, community partnerships and After-Action Reviews.

Room: 2 (map) Download Materials
Slides
Jennifer Olson

Job Title

Jennifer Olson started her career as a Wildland Firefighter for a private contractor while attending Eastern Oregon University to earn a Master of Education. After working in the public school system for 18 years, she obtained her ALF/RCF Administrator’s license and became Executive Director for Wallowa Valley Senior Living. Jennifer is on the Board of Directors for a Home Owners Association that is actively working with community partners to develop emergency preparedness plans on a large scale.

 

Track: Leadership

Monday

1:00pm - Growing the Next Generation of Leaders

We will delve into 4 fundamental principles that cultivate effective leadership and foster organizational success. By embodying these principles of mentorship, empowerment, growing talent and supporting growth, leaders can create a culture of growth, innovation, and collective success within their organizations.

Room: # (map) Download Materials
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Jesse Buntjer

Job Title

Jesse Buntjer embarked on his journey in the senior living industry in 2010. Initially specializing in Home Health and Hospice care, he diversified his expertise over the years across various domains. Jesse leads a talented team that manages an outstanding portfolio of 16 Avista Senior Living and Spring Gardens communities spanning Utah, Idaho, and Washington.

2:15pm - Building Strong Teams

Labor is the most expensive line item on our organization’s balance sheet, but how do we manage the most important resource we have? This session will explore how to build strong teams that are equipped to do their best work, even when they experience staff turnover, challenges, and change.

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Kristen Bohlen

Job Title

Kristen has vast organizational development experience and excels at practically helping organizations succeed. As a professional with direct experience in non-profit, corporate, and federal organizations, she is positioned to be a true partner with your team.

3:30pm - Creating a Culture of Trust

A lack of trust in leadership can have serious consequences. Conversely, trust builds camaraderie and keeps open the lines of communication between leaders and team members. This session provides the framework for fostering a positive work culture where team members feel valued, respected, and want to stay.

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Lou Ann Brubaker

Job Title

Lou Ann Brubaker has helped post-acute care organizations enhance their occupancy, staff stability, and management skill success. Her diverse professional experience ranges from administration of a senior citizen utility assistance program, sales and marketing of a senior care medication distribution systems company to a revenue-generating division. Prior to founding her own company, she directed the North American marketing for an organization that, in three years, grew to become the world’s largest provider of online medical, scientific and technical information.

Tuesday

8:00am - Keynote: Igniting Creative Culture

This interactive presentation invites leaders to challenge the status quo. It explores courageous decision making from the perspective of taking calculated risks when faced with discomfort, uncertainty and opposition. Courageous creativity is an imperative for meaningful and effective ideas and solutions to address organizational issues.

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Claudia Blumenstock

Job Title

Claudia Blumenstock is a nationally recognized presenter and consultant with over 30 years of experience in long-term care. As a licensed nursing home administrator and health care professional, she has helped bring facilities through crises by creating work environments that value staff and focus on respectful and trusting relationships. Working with facilities throughout the country, Claudia has helped leaders grapple with COVID and its effects on workforce hiring and retention, identifying strategies to manage the changing employment marketplace and to attract younger staff to long term care work.

9:45am - Title

Session Description

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11:00am - Anti Fragility

Learn how to harness chaos, embrace randomness, and build systems that enable you to survive shocks and emerge stronger. Disruption may be used to strengthen both yourself and your team. Attendees will discuss how to embrace volatility, capitalize on “calibration” and “implicit redundancies,” while using the “skin-in-the-game” strategy to manage yourself and your team.

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Link 1, Link 2
Diana Osborne

Job Title

Diana Osborne has been on the business and economics faculty at Spokane Community College for 20 years, where she hosts the Economics Salon. She holds an MBA from Purdue University and an MA in Applied Linguistics from South West University, Bulgaria. She has worked as a financial advisor and a European Union project manager. Her research interests include risk management, organizational change, non-predictive decision making, and entrepreneurship and start-ups.

2:15pm - Surviving that Toxic Coworker!

We’ve all worked with them – sometimes we’ve worked FOR them: Co-workers who make our workdays miserable! But if you’re not willing to leave your organization – and you want some tips on preserving your sanity – this session outlines strategies to maintain a positive outlook even with the most negative of co-workers!

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Lori Dierolf

Job Title

Lori L. Dierolf has over 30 years of experience in the long-term care industry. She is the author of two books written specifically for long-term care professionals. Since 2016, through her company Open Door Training & Development, she has presented dementia education and leadership training to all levels of staff in long-term care communities and at various conferences throughout the country.

 

3:30pm - Avoiding Burnout, pt 1

In this session participants will learn some tools to increase their self-awareness and resilience at work. This will be research-based but focused on practical and actionable tips.

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Craig Fischer

Job Title

Craig Fischer is an accomplished leadership consultant with over 15 years of success in culture strategy, organizational development, and high-performing teams. He is an executive coach, experienced facilitator, and engaging speaker on many topics. He has extensive experience in the fields of healthcare, manufacturing, and technology.

Wednesday

8:00am - Avoiding Burnout, pt 2

In this session, participants will learn more about the research on workplace flourishing in healthcare, looking at team-based and systems-based approaches that can increase health on the team and organizational level. Participants will leave with tools they can use in their organization and teams.

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Craig Fischer

Job Title

Craig Fischer is an accomplished leadership consultant with over 15 years of success in culture strategy, organizational development, and high-performing teams. He is an executive coach, experienced facilitator, and engaging speaker on many topics. He has extensive experience in the fields of healthcare, manufacturing, and technology.

9:15am - Thriving in the Face of Adversity

Learn how to anticipate stressful situations occurring, methods to minimize adversity showing up, and ways to handle adversity when it shows up. Your awareness, acceptance, and making wise choices will take your leadership skills to higher levels.

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Bill Bent

Job Title

Bill Bent is the Managing Member of New Day Senior Living Management, LLC, which owns a portfolio of senior housing communities. Following a near death from a life-altering accident in 2014, he made it his mission to share with others both the wisdom of his life experience and his professional skill in helping companies grow and flourish. Bill has spoken at many company events, professional associations, Harvard University, Miami University, and Bloomsburg University.

10:30 - Title

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Track: Clinical

Monday

1:00pm - Charting a Course for Fall Prevention Success

We will focus on assessing resident risk, development and revision of individualized care plans. We will explore ways to look at your overall falls management system to identify opportunities for improvement. Then we will go over how to implement and monitor tests of change that will lead to successful falls reduction that can be sustained over time.

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Nina Sanderson, LSW, SMQT

Job Title

For the past 24 years, Nina has been a licensed social worker in Idaho. Her professional experience includes thirteen years working in a nursing home, three years as a long-term care surveyor in Idaho, three years as a co-supervisor of the Idaho State Long Term Care Survey and Certification program, four years as a federal surveyor and two years as a Senior Improvement Advisor with Comagine Health.

2:15pm - Substance Use Disorder in LTC Residents

In this presentation we will discuss management of residents with a substance use disorder diagnosis —what it is, how to address symptoms and communication as well as some key strategies for success to improve resident care.

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David Rodriguez

Job Title

David has worked in a variety of roles within the behavioral health field, including clinical direct experiences working with youth and families in the wraparound program. He has also worked as a Behavioral Health project coordinator working to improve BH programs for FQHC in Washington state. In his most recent role, he was the Southwest Washington Behavioral Health Ombudsman working with providers in his region to improve behavioral health services.

 

3:30pm - Death with Beth

We’ll take a deeper dive into how to start the conversations and what actions to take with yourself, residents and loved ones regarding end-of-life planning and care. During the session, we’ll participate in activities to increase awareness, empathy, dialogue, and understanding of emotions surrounding death that can be immediately applied to both our own lives as well as the residents we serve each day.

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Beth Payne

Job Title

Beth Payne has been an Occupational Therapist for almost 20-years. Additionally, Beth is a Pilates Instructor, Certified Death Doula and Owner of Full Circle Consulting and Care. Growing up, Beth’s mom was a Hospice nurse which led her to a career in healthcare. This combination of certifications and experiences provides a comprehensive scope to meet each individual where they’re at throughout the spectrum of life.

Tuesday

8:00am - Keynote: Igniting Creative Courage

This interactive presentation invites leaders to challenge the status quo. It explores courageous decision making from the perspective of taking calculated risks when faced with discomfort, uncertainty and opposition. Courageous creativity is an imperative for meaningful and effective ideas and solutions to address organizational issues.

Room: # (map) Download Materials
Slides
Claudia Blumenstock

Job Title

Claudia Blumenstock is a nationally recognized presenter and consultant with over 30 years of experience in long-term care. As a licensed nursing home administrator and health care professional, she has helped bring facilities through crises by creating work environments that value staff and focus on respectful and trusting relationships. Working with facilities throughout the country, Claudia has helped leaders grapple with COVID and its effects on workforce hiring and retention, identifying strategies to manage the changing employment marketplace and to attract younger staff to long term care work.

9:45am - Dementia Care - See Me!

This session will discuss the changes that happen through dementia progression, as well as how those changes impact the resident’s perception on reality and how staff can work more effectively with the resident. The aim of this session is to gain a broader understanding of common-sense approaches to working with residents who have dementia and other cognitive impairments that can be immediately implemented.

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Pamela Truscott

Job Title

Pamela Truscott, DNP/HSL, MSN/Ed, RN, C-AL, DNS-CT, QCP, RAC-CT, CDP is the Director of Quality Improvement with the National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL). She joined the NCAL family in October 2022 and prior to that, she was working with the American Health Care Association (AHCA) family beginning in June 2019. Pam has over 25 years of long-term care experience and shares a passion for growing education and cultivating new leaders in long-term care.

 

11:00am - When is the Right Time to Refer to Hospice?

We will discuss how Cancer, Heart Disease, and Dementia follow different patterns of decline as patients approach end of life. Despite these differences, there are many common clues that predict a person’s time is short. Knowing what to watch for, and what matters most to them, can help you know when to refer to hospice.

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Marsha Flowers, RN

Job Title

Marsha Flowers is a Registered Nurse specializing and certified in hospice and palliative care. She has provided hospice nursing care to hundreds of people in the Spokane community over the past 15 years in her work with Horizon Hospice and Palliative Care. Currently Marsha manages the community-based palliative care program at Horizon. As a graduate from Seattle Pacific University with a BSN in nursing, Marsha enjoyed acute care at Swedish Hospital early in her career and then she found her sweet spot serving patients, families, and facility staff as they faced the challenges of serious illness.

 

2:15pm - The New Restorative Era - An Operational Approach to Restorative Services

Attendees will be provided with tools and best practices that help create a successful operational model that encompasses the requirements from an RAI/CMS perspective. Prepare to walk away with a better understanding of the requirements within PDPM, on top of the clinical benefits your residents will receive.

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Stephen Brown

Job Title

Bio

3:30pm - The Person-Centered Care Approach to the Behaviors of Dementia

Attendees will learn the seven aspects of well-being and how understanding them is key to successful interactions with those who exhibit challenging behaviors in the long-term care setting. Attendees will leave the session with actionable, personalized ways to support and assist those living with dementia to handle what is causing them distress.

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Slides
Lori Dierolf

Job Title

Lori L. Dierolf has over 30 years of experience in the long-term care industry. She is the author of two books written specifically for long-term care professionals. Since 2016, through her company Open Door Training & Development, she has presented dementia education and leadership training to all levels of staff in long-term care communities and at various conferences throughout the country.

Wednesday

8:00am - Psychotropic Stewardship - Practical Solutions to Impractical Challenges

Psychotropic utilization is an ongoing priority in the LTC industry. This program will introduce attendees to strategies and best practices for optimizing psychotropic use through interdisciplinary team settings and will demonstrate how to develop successful recommendations that positively impact residents.

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Dr. Matthew Palmer

Job Title

Dr. Palmer is the Director of Clinical Operations for PharMerica. Matt is a board-certified geriatric pharmacist with over 20 years’ experience in the Long-term care arena.  Matt has a Bachelor of Science from the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse and a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Wisconsin – Madison.

9:15am - Assessing the Documenting Skin Failure Due to Multiorgan Involvement: Looking Beyond the Skin

This talk will review end-of -life skin failure as a diagnosis and list communication interventions that are important for family and residents’ representatives to prepare everyone for the coming event, the end-of-life. Specifically, the end-of-life in the presence of skin failure.

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Slides

Pamela Scarborough

Job Title

Dr. Scarborough’s 40 plus years journey in physical therapy has been fulfilling. She has provided opportunities in Orthopedics, Sports Medicine, Total Joint and Spine care, Cardiac Rehabilitation, Geriatric physical therapy, and Wound Management. Pamela specialized in Wound Management with her Certified Wound Specialist (CWS) designation 24 years ago and has had an incredibly rewarding career providing wound care to patients and in teaching and mentoring clinicians in the specialty of wound management.

10:30am - Diabetes Treatment Updates for an Older Adult: Do We Really Need All These Medications?

Attendees will hear from two board certified geriatric pharmacists as they review and discuss the updated 2024 ADA guidelines for older adults. We will review current treatment options and discuss strategies designed to meet our residents’ goals of therapy while consolidating and minimizing medication burden.

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Dr. Matthew Palmer

Job Title

Dr. Matthew Palmer provides and oversees clinical pharmacy services to skilled nursing and assisted living facilities throughout the nation. Matt is a board-certified geriatric pharmacist with over 20 years’ experience in the long-term care sector. He has a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse and a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Wisconsin – Madison.

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