2025 Mid-South Critical Access & Rural Hospital Conference: Agenda
Wednesday, August 20
5:00 – 7:00 PM (ET)
5:30 – 6:45 PM
Historical/Ghost Tour (optional)
Step back in time as you explore the storied halls of the Seelbach Hilton, Louisville’s Grand Hotel. On this guided tour, you’ll uncover the glamorous past that attracted presidents, gangsters, and literary legends—and hear the chilling tales of the spirits that may still linger. From Prohibition-era secrets to the mysterious “Lady in Blue,” this unforgettable experience blends history and hauntings in one of America’s most iconic hotels.
Thursday, August 21
7:00 a.m. (ET)
Registration and Breakfast
8:00 a.m. – 8:15 a.m.
Welcome
Nancy Galvagni
President/CEO
Kentucky Hospital Association
8:15 a.m. – 8:45 a.m.
National Rural Health Association Update
Brock Slabach, MPH, FACHE
Chief Operations Officer
National Rural Health Association
8:45 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
Rural Health Care Update Video
American Hospital Association
9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
DJ Sullivan
Chief Growth and Delivery Officer
HSG Advisors
Hospitals and health systems must proactively plan for the future and develop actionable strategies to address key priorities for growth, including medical staff development, successful planning, and provider recruitment. However many organizations do not have the outpatient and ambulatory-focused metrics to help shape their view of their strategic needs and size recruitment plans appropriately. This session will provide insights into building a provider workforce capable of supporting organizational growth and meeting evolving community needs.
10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Break with Sponsors
10:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Elizabeth Morgan Burrows, JD
Principal
Burrows Consulting LLC
This session walks participant through the essential steps of successful grant writing, from defining your “why” and what makes your organization unique to developing a grant plan and managing award funds. Attendees will learn how to find funding, gather the right information, craft compelling narratives, and outline strong proposals.
11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Lunch with Sponsors
1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Medicare Advantage – Should I Sign a New Agreement? Do I Need the Ones I Have?
Alex Carpenter
Manager
Blue & Co., LLC
Michael Montgomery, HIA
Manager
Blue & Co., LLC
This presentation is designed to give participants a quick overview of the history of the Medicare Advantage (MA) program as it exists today and will follow with a brief review of the primary shortcomings of existing MA contracts, both in terms of the contractual language and the contractual rate reimbursement. Speakers will examine the risks of maintaining existing MA contracts vs. the risk of terminating those agreements, the consequences of both choices, and how to ensure a relatively smooth transition for the community in the event of a termination.
2:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Snack Break with Sponsors
2:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Key Developments in the 340B Drug Discount Program
William Newton
Associate Editor/Senior Writer
340B Report
The session will provide an understanding of the status of federal and state 340B legislation and laws around contract pharmacy, reporting requirements, and pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) protections. Attendees will learn about pharmaceutical companies who are suing states on 340B laws and how to engage state and federal legislators on 340B.
3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Culture CPR: Administer Immediately to Invigorate Culture and Boost Employee Retention
Jeff Whitehorn
Founder/Chief Executive Officer
Whitehorn Coaching & Consulting, LLC
This session will reveal the three critical strategies of “Culture CPR” in order to help leaders know where to focus their time, energy, and resources to discover specific action steps that leaders can take to improve their culture and reduce employee turnover. Attendees will obtain proven ideas that are working for to improve organizational culture and increase employee retention.
4:30 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.
Wrap Up
Friday, August 22
7:00 a.m. (ET)
Registration & Breakfast
8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
Rural Healthcare – Collectively Holding Payers Accountable
Travis Gentry
Chief Executive Officer
Hyve Health
The only way to hold payers accountable is together. The Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, and Tennessee Hospital Associations have united in a common cause to gather 837/claims and 835/remits to help hospitals identify and quantifiable prove payer behavior. Providers need to transition from defense to offense!
9:00 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.
Networking Break with Sponsors
9:15 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
ACHE Back to the Basics: Fundamentals of Financial Accounting and Financial Management for Health Systems
3.0 ACHE In-Person Credits
Cristian H. Lieneck, PhD, FACHE
Associate Professor, Healthcare Administration
Texas State University
Health system leaders and team members are constantly challenged with the accumulation, presentation, analysis and interpretation of their organization’s financial status. The healthcare financial management decision-making process depends on valid and reliable financial statements, and proper interpretation of such statements, to make appropriate decisions regarding the organization’s future. Led by a healthcare financial accounting and financial management educator with over 10 years of healthcare management experience, this session will review basic financial accounting concepts and then dive into financial management decision-making calculations, case studies and group-level analyses. If permitted, your organization’s specific financial statements can be utilized for this session. Get back to the basics and examine healthcare finance concepts to excel as a healthcare leader and further the organization’s team-oriented approach to financial decision-making.
Objectives:
- List, identify and apply Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and related bookkeeping concepts to common civilian healthcare industry characteristics.
- Recall and discuss various sections of common financial statements for the healthcare organization to include the balance sheet, statement of operations, statement of changes in net assets and the statement of cash flows.
- Apply healthcare financial management concepts, definitions and formulas to enhance decision-making skills related to healthcare industry challenges surrounding financial statement analyses, quality measures and the revenue cycle.
12:00 p.m.
Wrap-up & Grab n’ Go Lunches
