Agenda

FAQs

Explore the Virtual Live Sessions

Educational sessions are organized around NAHQ’s twice-validated  healthcare quality competency framework. Those working in Quality & Safety will benefit from the actionable content that addresses issues head-on and features “how-tos” and results, rather than a high-level discussion of industry challenges. Each session has been developed with content that keeps you relevant and produces sustainable solutions for your organization.

NAHQ next features 2 ½ days of structured virtual live sessions, plus curated content including poster presentations on-demand, 60-minute sessions on-demand, and 15-minute HQ Best Practice Tools on-demand. The below schedule reflects the virtual live sessions. These sessions will be live at the date and time listed below plus, you’ll have access along with all on-demand content until December 31, 2026.

All Sessions

Sessions by Competency Framework

Day 8

Friday, October 24

Day 4

Monday, October 20

Day 1

Monday, September 14

Theme: Navigating What's Next

Building on 50 years of progress

10:00 am - 10:30 am CT

Quality Leadership & Integration

The Road Ahead: NAHQ’s Bold Vision for Healthcare

Stephanie Mercado, CAE, CPHQ

Chief Executive Officer

National Association for Healthcare Quality

10:40 am - 11:25 am CT

Quality Leadership & Integration

The Financial Realities Reshaping Healthcare and Your Role

Maulik S. Joshi, Dr.P.H.

President and Chief Executive Officer

Meritus Health

C. Ann Jordan, JD

President & Chief Executive Officer

Healthcare Financial Management Association

Carol Gomes, MS, CPHQ, FACHE

Chief Executive Officer & Chief Operating Officer

Stony Brook University Hospital

Moderator: Janice Nevin, MD, MPH

President & Chief Executive Officer

ChristianaCare

11:35 am - 12:25 pm CT

Health Data Analytics

The Human Side of AI: How Skill Transformation is Reshaping Healthcare Roles

LeWanza Harris, MD, MPH, MBA, MS

Chief Quality Officer

Emory Healthcare

Subashnie Devkaran, PhD, FACHE, CPHQ, FISQua, MScHM, HACP

Chair, Quality and Value

Mayo Clinic

Betty Chu, MD, MBA

SVP Chief Medical Officer

Advocate Health

Moderator: Stephanie Mercado, CAE, CPHQ

Chief Executive Officer

National Association for Healthcare Quality (NAHQ)

12:30 pm - 1:45 pm CT

Lunch

Dueling Pianos with the Flying Ivories

1:45 pm - 2:10 pm CT

Performance & Process Improvement

Fresh Perspective Session: An Innovative Approach that Drives Improvement

Shernette Kydd, PhD, PE, MA, CLSSMBB, LSSBB, CPHQ, LBC

Assistant Vice President of System Effectiveness

Cook Children's Health Care System

Moderator: Randy Harmatz, MBA, CPHQ

Senior Vice President & Chief Quality Officer

Nicklaus Children's Health System

2:20 pm - 3:15 pm CT

Regulatory & Accreditation

Inside Look at CMS Priorities & Implications for Quality

3:25 pm - 4:10 pm CT

Quality Leadership & Integration

A Conversation with Joint Commission

Stephanie Mercado, CAE, CPHQ

Chief Executive Officer

National Association for Healthcare Quality (NAHQ)

Jonathan B. Perlin, MD, PhD

President & Chief Executive Officer

Joint Commission

James I. Merlino, MD

Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

Joint Commission

Moderator: Josh Berlin, JD

Chief Executive Officer

rule of three

4:20 pm - 4:50 pm CT

Quality Review & Accountability

The Future of Measurement: A Fireside Chat with NCQA’s CEO

Vivek Garg, MD, MBA

President & CEO

NCQA

Moderator: Stephanie Mercado, CAE, CPHQ

Chief Executive Officer

National Association for Healthcare Quality (NAHQ)

5:00 pm - 5:20 pm CT

Quality Leadership & Integration

The Headlines Shaping Healthcare’s Future

Day 7

Thursday, October 23

Day 5

Tuesday, October 21

Day 2

Tuesday, September 15

Theme: Work in Action

Practical how-to sessions and real-world case studies supplying attendees with concrete & actionable takeaways

9:00 am - 10:00 am CT

Quality Leadership & Integration

Prepare for The Five Forces Reshaping Healthcare

Isis Zambrana, RN, BSN, MBA, CPHQ

Vice President & Chief Quality Officer, Quality and Patient Safety

Jackson Health System

David Nash, MD, MBA

Principal

David B. Nash MD MBA LLC

Moderator: Josh Berlin, JD

Chief Executive Officer

rule of three

10:10 am - 11:00 am CT

Patient Safety

Building Resilient, Continuous Quality Systems During Supply Chain Disruption

Robin Betts, RN, CPHQ

Vice President Safety Quality and Regulatory Services

Kaiser Permanente Northern CA

Sally Deitch, RN, FACHE

Executive Vice President, Nursing and Operations Infrastructure

Ascension

Moderator: April Taylor, FACHE, CMQ/OE, CLSSBB, CPPS, CPHQ

Chief Operating Officer

The Johns Hopkins Hospital

11:10 am - 12:00 pm CT

Patient Safety

Raising the Bar: Optimizing Safety Across the Care Continuum

Kristen Tefft, MHI, CPHQ

Vice President of Quality and Patient Safety

Oceans Healthcare

Corey Champeau, MBA, MHS, CPHQ, CPPS, PA-C

Vice President, Quality & Safety

Yale New Haven Health System

Hazel Crews, PT, MHS, MHA, CPHQ

Senior Director, Quality Improvement

Managed Health Services

Moderator: Patricia Resnik, MJ, MBA, RRT, FACHE, CPHQ, CHC, CHPC, CMAC

Immediate Past President

NAHQ Board of Directors

12:00 pm - 1:15 pm CT

Lunch

Dueling Pianos with the Flying Ivories

1:15 pm - 2:05 pm CT

Quality Review & Accountability

Closing the Readiness Gap: Building a Workforce to Deliver on Value-Based Care

Philip Shelato, MBA

Chief Strategy Officer -

rule of three

Claire Lauzon-Vallone, RN, MBA, CPPS, CPHQ

VP Quality & Safety

CHRISTUS Health (formerly)

Moderator: April Taylor, FACHE, CMQ/OE, CLSSBB, CPPS, CPHQ

Chief Operating Officer

The Johns Hopkins Hospital

2:15 pm - 3:05 pm CT

Population Health & Care Transitions

Rethinking Quality Measurement for Chronic Care Populations

Elizabeth Mort, MD, MPH

Vice President and Chief Medical Officer

Joint Commission

Gemma Borja, PT, MS, MBA, CPHQ

Vice President of Population Health & Clinical Quality

Austin Regional Clinic

Moderator: April Taylor, FACHE, CMQ/OE, CLSSBB, CPPS, CPHQ

Chief Operating Officer

The Johns Hopkins Hospital

3:15 pm - 4:00 pm CT

Performance & Process Improvement

Patient Experience as a Quality Strategy: Improving Outcomes & Engagement

Terri Hepp, MS, CPXP, FHX

Chief Experience Officer

Centralus Health

Moderator: Liz Carlton, MSN, RN, CCRN-K, CPHQ, CPPS

SVP Quality & Safety

The University of Kansas Health System

4:10 pm - 5:00 pm CT

Health Data Analytics

AI and Quality: Applying What You Know to What’s Next

Alex Gelvezon, DHA, CPHQ, LSSGB

Health Informatics Analyst

UCLA Health Information Technology

Moderator: April Taylor, FACHE, CMQ/OE, CLSSBB, CPPS, CPHQ

Chief Operating Officer

The Johns Hopkins Hospital

Day 6

Wednesday, October 22

Day 3

Wednesday, September 16

Theme: Investing in You

Professional development, leadership, well-being, and skill-building for long-term success

9:00 am - 10:00 am CT

Professional Engagement

Building a Reliable Team in an Unreliable World: How to Create a Resilient Culture During Change

Anton J. Gunn, MSW, CDM, CSP

Bestselling Author and Speaker, Former Senior Advisor to President Barack Obama

Moderator: April Taylor, FACHE, CMQ/OE, CLSSBB, CPPS, CPHQ

Chief Operating Officer

The Johns Hopkins Hospital

10:10 am - 11:00 am CT

Professional Engagement

AI as Your Career Accelerator: Practical Tools for Personal Impact

Amol Joshi, PhD, MS, MBA

Entrepreneur in Residence & Associate Professor

Wake Forest University

Moderator: April Taylor, FACHE, CMQ/OE, CLSSBB, CPPS, CPHQ

Chief Operating Officer

The Johns Hopkins Hospital

11:10 am - 12:10 pm CT

Quality Leadership & Integration

From Quality Expert to Strategic Partner: Earning Your Seat at the Leadership Table

Randy Harmatz, MBA, CPHQ

Senior Vice President & Chief Quality Officer

Nicklaus Children's Health System

Marwa Zohdy, PhD

Consultant & Leadership Advisor

Egon Zehnder

Stephanie Calcasola, MSN, RN, NPD-BC, CPHQ

Chief Quality Officer

Hartford HealthCare

Moderator: Cathy Duquette, PhD, MB,A RN, NEA-BC, CPHQ, FNAHQ

Principal and Founder

Engage for Excellence