Barry S. Bader, President, Bader & Associates
Given the intense focus on board performance, accountability, and transparency, it is now more important than ever for new board members to understand their fiduciary duties and core responsibilities. This session provides an update on those topics and explores recent research from The Governance Institute on recommended best practices.

James A. Rice, Ph.D., FACHE, Vice Chairman, The Governance Institute
Research from The Governance Institute has isolated a series of essential structures and behaviors of high-performing hospital and health system boards. Dr. Rice will discuss these strategies and applications to best fit your organization.

Hugh Greeley, Principal, HG Healthcare Consultants, LLC & Todd Sagin, M.D., J.D., Principal, HG Healthcare Consultants, LLC
Advising the board as to who should be appointed and what specific privileges should be granted carries with it the promise of patient, physician, and organizational protection. More than screening applications and determining competence—the credentialing process is fraught with legal, regulatory, and mission critical implications.

Thomas A. Atchison, Ed.D., President & Founder, Atchison Consulting Group, LLC
The pressures on healthcare institutions have never been greater—and the future has never been more unclear. Trustees must continue to provide leadership necessary to maximize the quality of care for their constituents. Corporate culture is one dimension that protects quality of care and will not change regardless of market dynamics. This session shows why culture is the key to sustainable success.

Nathan S. Kaufman, Managing Director, Kaufman Strategic Advisors
There is no evidence universal healthcare, transparency, or consumer-directed healthcare will moderate the skyrocketing growth in healthcare spending. This presentation will focus on the economic drivers forcing government and private payers to begin phasing out the traditional fee-for-service method of payment; how these economic drivers will impact physicians and hospitals over time; and how to achieve peak performance in the future.

Nathan S. Kaufman
This session will summarize imperative strategies required to achieve financial success; discuss the potential systemic effects of healthcare reform being considered by governmental and private payers; and how to effectively position for such reform considerations. Mr. Kaufman will also explain imperatives for successful sustainable relationships with physicians.

William M. Dwyer, Healthcare Strategist
This presentation will explore current issues demanding urgent attention of executives and board leaders. Mr. Dwyer will analyze national marketplace trends from political, social, and economic perspectives. An econometric model of the societal value of aligning a fragmented health system will be proposed. The value will be derived from expected actions emanating from our healthcare leaders' responses to improve quality, safety, and the reduction of errors—as exhibited in recent IOM and IHI initiatives.

Thomas A. Atchison, Ed.D.
Leadership is the single most important determinant of success. Leaders think and behave differently than managers. Leaders inspire followers to achieve their potential for the good of the patient and community. This interactive session will present the elements of effective leaders and provide simple assessments of an individual’s leadership skill.

Hugh Greeley
Imagine a future in which most mission critical physicians are directly aligned with the hospital through either employment or contract. What will be the evolution of the medical staff–hospital relationship based on today's regulation-driven, autonomous, and self-governing medical staff? These are some of the physician–hospital dynamics that will be discussed in this session.

Barry S. Bader
Without a core group of economically and clinically aligned physicians, hospitals will be hard pressed to improve quality and efficiency, earn pay-for-performance incentives, and compete with tightly integrated competitors. Drawing research from a Governance Institute white paper, learn what works when attempting to build trust and develop a customized alignment strategy with your physicians.

Mark E. Grube, Partner, Kaufman, Hall & Associates, Inc.
The rapidly evolving market environment continues to present significant challenges for hospitals and health systems. This session will explore key strategic issues related to healthcare reform and the implications for providers—capital market changes, the competitive environment, and other dynamics. Key change drivers—physicians, service lines, information technology, and facilities—will be addressed.

Hugh Greeley
Three organizations (DNV, HFAP, and JC) are permitted by the Centers for Medicare Services (CMS) to award accreditation status to hospitals. Each has different standards which may contribute to better patient care. As the economy continues to crumble, vendors must be reanalyzed to determine value. Participants will learn how to analyze options and the effect of their decisions.

James G. Sheehan, Medicaid Inspector General, New York State
The government requires accurate reporting on quality, medical errors, and hospital acquired conditions, as well as mandatory compliance programs, disclosures of payments, and payback of payments received in error. Many organizations lack processes or internal reporting systems to address these responsibilities. Anticipate issues, audits, and investigation risks from government, media, patients, and the public.

Gary R. Yates, M.D., Senior Vice President & Chief Medical Officer, Sentara Healthcare
Hospitals face increasing concerns about the cost and quality of the services they provide. Drawing from experiences and models from inside and outside healthcare, this session will provide insights into the directions leaders can position their organizations to move beyond incremental improvement to significantly improve efficiency, quality, and patient safety.

Gary R. Yates, M.D.
Payers, regulators, accreditors, employers, and consumer organizations are creating growing demands for performance data on hospitals as well as linking performance with reimbursement. This session will review the origins of the “transparency movement,” outline the myriad of current demands on hospitals, and describe what the future may hold. Dr. Yates will explore how hospitals can use both internal and external transparency to their advantage to accelerate progress in improving quality and demonstrate value to their communities.

Anne M. McGeorge, National Managing Partner - Health Care, Grant Thornton, LLP
This session will discuss governance imperatives to help your hospital thrive in the current economy. The Governance Institute’s survey on governance structures and practices will be discussed with recommendations regarding increasing revenue streams, cost containment strategies, assessing capital capacity, realigning debt, and reexamining strategic plans. In tough economic times, good governance is imperative to ensure your organization evolves as a stronger and more strategic health system.

Martin B. Buser, M.P.H., FACHE, Partner, Hospital Management Resources, LLC
ED call coverage has become one of the most difficult issues facing hospitals. This session will discuss the global perspective of the ED call panel problems, reasons for the problems, and the impact it will have on the ED safety net for hospitals. Participants will learn viable options to solve the problem and the steps which should be taken to develop a fair, equitable, and financially sustainable solution.

Jeffrey C. Bauer, Ph.D., Partner Management Consulting – Futures Practice, ACS Healthcare Solutions
Dr. Bauer will review five top trends in healthcare, analyzing how hospitals will likely be affected by technological advances and economic reversals. He will explore specific actions to survive the current crisis and how to position for growth when stability is restored.

William M. Dwyer
Mr. Dwyer will present a strategic framework for integrating the pertinent issues presented at this conference and leave attendees with several key takeaways to implement in your organization. This interactive session will identify the most significant teachings of the meeting.