Discover how to turn AI from a buzzword into a practical tool for your organization. This session equips executives and administrators with a clear understanding of AI fundamentals, real-world use cases, and proven strategies for applying data analytics and generative AI to drive better decisions, improve efficiency, and unlock measurable results. Through hands-on examples and actionable insights, you’ll learn how to implement AI responsibly, design effective prompts, and build a roadmap for scalable success in today’s rapidly evolving landscape.

Learner Objectives:

1. Define and explain key AI concepts (AI, machine learning, data analytics, LLMs, NLP)
2. Apply AI and data analytics to real-world organizational scenarios and decision-making
3. Analyze business challenges to identify opportunities for AI-driven improvements
4. Evaluate the effectiveness, risks, and limitations of AI tools and outputs
5. Design effective AI prompts and strategic use cases to generate actionable insights

This presentation will provide an update on HFA rule revisions and the AFC single ruleset which combined the 6 current AFC rulesets. Participants will also learn about how to keep their workforce background check account information current. Additionally, the presentation will give an update on the new state licensing database and the 2026 license renewal cycle for HFAs.

Nurse Learner Outcome: At the conclusion of this session, 80% of participants will report a knowledge gain on the new HFA and AFC rules being implemented in 2026.

Learner Objectives:

1. Understand revisions to AFC/HFA administrative rules.
2. Keep workforce background check account information current in accordance with state and federal laws.
3. Understand the new state licensing database will affect HFAs and the 2026 license renewal cycle for HFA.

In this session attendees will learn more about the current managed care landscape including how managed care companies operate, and the best practices for partnering with insurance companies to ensure the best possible outcomes for patients.

Learner Objectives:

1. Describe the practices that managed care companies use to scrutinize care.
2. Define strategies to ensure that patients receive the care they are entitled to.
3. Identify ways to partner with MCOs.

Review your community’s processes and responses to critical events and concerns and how to increase defensibility through communication, customer service, and documentation.

Learner Objectives:

1. Explain three ways to increase defensibility of your assisted living community.
2. Define two characteristics of defensible care and services.
3. Describe the legal orientation of the treatment plan and clinical record.

This presentation provides skilled nursing leaders and clinicians with a framework for using data to drive ongoing operational stability and quality improvement. Participants learn how to interpret commonly available nursing home data—such as Five‑Star metrics, Quality Measures, survey trends, and internal operational indicators—and translate those insights into focused actions that improve outcomes, reduce risk, and support survey readiness.

Learner Objectives:

1. Explain how CMS, QAPI, and operational data sources (e.g., Five‑Star, MDS‑based QMs, survey trends) are used to identify performance gaps in skilled nursing facilities.
2. Apply data trends to prioritize performance improvement actions that address both operational risks and resident quality outcomes.
3. Evaluate whether implemented process changes have resulted in sustained improvement using ongoing data monitoring and follow‑up metrics.

This session explores how senior living organizations can build strong leadership pipelines by developing talent from within. As more communities prioritize internal career ladders, many newly promoted leaders are stepping into management roles for the first time—often without formal training. This presentation will provide practical strategies for equipping emerging leaders with the skills, confidence, and support they need to succeed, while strengthening retention, engagement, and organizational culture.

Nurse Learner Outcome:

Learner Objectives:

1. Describe the core leadership competencies required for first-time nurse leaders in senior living settings.
2. Explain the impact of promoting from within on staff retention, team engagement, and quality of care outcomes.
3. Apply practical strategies to support, train, and onboard newly promoted leaders with limited leadership experience.
4. Evaluate current organizational practices to identify gaps in leadership development and opportunities for improvement.
5. Develop a basic framework or action plan for implementing an internal leadership development program within their organization. 

The presentation begins with an overview of current regulatory expectations and risks related to antipsychotic use and reduction in long‑term care settings. It then reviews evidence‑informed, non‑pharmacological interventions to prevent and manage behavioral symptoms during gradual dose reduction. Core person‑centered and trauma‑informed dementia care principles are explored, emphasizing proactive care planning. The session introduces the use of “comfort menus” and interdisciplinary communication to support residents and staff before, during, and after medication changes. Finally, real‑world scenarios focus on practical strategies for engaging and educating families while maintaining compliance and resident well‑being.

Nurse Learner Outcome:

Learner Objectives:

1. Describe current regulatory expectations and risks related to antipsychotic use and reduction in long term care settings. 
2. Apply evidence informed non pharmacological interventions to prevent and respond to behavioral symptoms during antipsychotic reduction or gradual dose reduction (GDR). 
3. Incorporate person centered and trauma informed care principles into proactive care planning 4. Demonstrate effective strategies for engaging families who request or resist changes to antipsychotic medications.

Today’s workforce has changed—and outdated hiring and retention strategies are no longer effective. In this session, participants will explore how to modernize recruitment, streamline hiring processes, and create meaningful first impressions that drive engagement and retention. With a focus on culture, speed, and the employee experience, this presentation provides practical, actionable strategies to help senior living leaders attract top talent, reduce early turnover, and build a more stable, committed workforce.

Nurse Learner Outcome:

Learner Objectives:

1. Describe key challenges and trends impacting recruitment, hiring, and retention in today’s senior living workforce.
2. Explain the components of an effective, modern hiring process that aligns with candidate expectations and improves speed to hire.
3. Apply at least three strategies to enhance early employee engagement and retention, particularly within the first 30 days of employment.
4. Analyze current organizational hiring and onboarding practices to identify gaps that may contribute to turnover and disengagement.
5. Develop actionable steps to improve workforce stability by integrating culture-focused interviewing, onboarding, and retention strategies. 

The undesirable impacts of implicit bias, particularly in healthcare settings, has become increasingly studied and widely discussed in todays workplaces. Understanding the science of what it is, where it comes from, and how it influences our social judgments is critical to reducing its impact in our lives. This session will help attendees understand what implicit cognition is, see the helpful side of this normal brain function, and explore how it leads to unfair biases within our society with particular focus on applications in healthcare contexts.

Learner Objectives:

1. Recognize that people generally think racism and sexism are things of the past and discuss social cognitive explanations (optimism bias & confirmation bias) for this illusion of progress.
2. Differentiate implicit and explicit cognition and demonstrate several ways our implicit cognitive system acts outside of conscious control to help us think quickly and efficiently.
3. Understand research that suggests negative racial and gender category associations remain in our awareness, result in implicit bias, and affect judgments and behavior toward others outside of conscious awareness or control.

QAPI is not a semi-annual meeting. QAPI is how we do business every day. It is how we improve processes for our residents and staff. In this session you immerse yourself in a case scenario and use the FISHBONE and 5 Why's Root Cause Analysis tools. You will wrap-up creating your first PDSA and understand improvement is not a "one and done" action plan.

Learner Objectives:

1. List data needed to understand what contributed to a negative resident outcome.
2. Create a FISHBONE RCA tool with the data collected.
3. Apply the 5 why's RCA tool to one bone of the FISHBONE.
4. Develop a corrective action plan.