2026 At-A-Glance Schedule

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View Monday schedule

View Tuesday schedule

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Register for Convention

Sunday, Sept. 13
Featuring:

Chris Sund

View the full Sunday schedule here

3:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Registration and Information Booth Open
Third Floor Foyer

3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Pre-Conference Session

The Leadership Exchange

Speaker: Chris Sund
Location: Windows Room
CEUs: 1.5 for All

Monday, Sept. 14
Featuring:

Cara Silletto

100+ exhibitors

Fight Night: Game On

View the full Monday schedule here

7:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Registration/Information Booth Open
Third Floor Foyer

8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Opening General Session

It’s Not About Birth Year – The Evolution of Employees from A to Gen Z

Sponsored by:

Speaker: Cara Silletto
Location: Iowa Ballroom
CEUs: 2.0 for All

11:00 a.m. – Noon
Breakout Session 1A

The Power of Small Moments – Turning Good Care into Great Experiences
Speaker: Chris Sund
Location: Salon ABC
CEU: 1.0 for All

PDPM Basics: Understanding Nursing Home Reimbursement Through Case Studies
Speaker: Michelle Stober
Location: Salon FGH
CEU: 1.0 for ADM, N

11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Breakout Session 1B

Finding Value in All DISC Behavioral Styles
Speaker: Cara Silletto
Location: Salon DE
CEUs: 1.5 for All

Infection Prevention Program in 7 Steps
Speaker: Missy Travis
Location: Windows Room
CEUs: 1.5 for ADM, N

11:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
IHCA Trade Show
The Des Moines Room

Visit more than 100 exhibitors at the IHCA Annual Trade Show to explore the latest products, services and technologies for long-term care. Meet with industry partners, ask questions and discover solutions to support your day-to-day operations.

Noon – 1:30 p.m.
Trade Show Lunch
The Des Moines Room

1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Breakout Session 2

Trauma-Informed Care – Eating Disorders in the Elderly
Speaker: Barbara Speedling
Location: Salon ABC
CEU: 1.0 for All

Organizational Excellence Driven by the Baldrige Framework
Speakers: Karen Kiel Rosser, Ron Smith
Location: Salon DE
CEU: 1.0 for All

HR 101 – Building a Strong Foundation for Your Workplace
Speaker: Laura Folkerts
Location: Salon FGH
CEU: 1.0 for ADM, DH, N

Say Farewell to F880 Citations
Speaker: Missy Travis
Location: Windows Room
CEU: 1.0 for ADM, N

2:45 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Administrator + Owner Trade Show Reception
Waterloo Room and Des Moines Room

Sponsored by:

3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Breakout Session 3A

Be Investigation Ready – What HR Needs to Know and Do Before the Charge Arrives
Speaker: Mark Hudson
Location: Salon FGH
CEU: 1.0 for ADM, N, DH, SS

Talk That Talk – Nurse Communication Skills that Change Outcomes
Speaker: Veronica Ceaser
Location: Windows Room
CEU: 1.0 for N

3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Breakout Session 3B

Rethinking Staff Development – Why Inservice Doesn’t Work
Speaker: Barbara Speedling
Location: Salon ABC
CEUs: 1.5 for All

The Future of Value-Based Care – What Nursing Home Operators Need to Know for 2027
Speaker: Eric Palm, Keith Persinger
Location: Salon DE
CEUs: 1.5 for ADM

4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Trade Show Reception
Des Moines Room

Sponsored by:

8:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fight Night - Game On
Iowa Ballroom

Sponsored by:

Tuesday, Sept. 15
Featuring:

Craig Karges

Quality Award Celebration

Music Bingo

View the full Tuesday schedule here

7:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Registration/Information Booth Open
Third Floor Foyer

8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Tuesday General Session

Ignite Your Intuition

Sponsored by:

Speaker: Craig Karges
Location: Iowa Ballroom
CEUs: 2.0 for All

10:45 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Complimentary Headshots
Waterloo Room

Sponsored by:

11:00 a.m. – Noon
Breakout Session 4A

Dynamic Behavior Support Planning – Engaging, Educating and Empowering Staff for Safer Behavior Health Outcomes
Speaker: Veronica Ceaser
Location: Salon AB
CEU: 1.0 for ADM, N, DH, SS

Home Health & Home Care Survey Readiness – Top Deficiencies and Conditions of Participation
Speaker: Jennifer Osburn
Location: Salon C
CEU: 1.0 for HH, ADM, N

Balancing Home Life and Safety in Long-Term Care Settings
Speaker: Missy Travis
Location: Windows Room
CEU: 1.0 for ADM, N, DH, ALMC

Food Safety Fun and Games
Speaker: Julie Halfpop
Location: Dubuque Room
CEU: 1.0 for ADM, D

11:00 a.m. - Noon
Annual Business Meeting
Salon DE

Sponsored by:

11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Breakout Session 4B

Your Favorite F-Word – F-Tags
Speaker: Allison Fox
Location: Salon FGH
CEUs: 1.5 for ADM, N, DH

The Stars of YOUR Show
Speaker: Kim Warnecke
Location: Davenport Room
CEUs: 1.5 for ALL

Making Confident Level of Care Decisions
Speaker: Amy Skelton
Location: Council Bluffs Room
CEUs: 1.5 for ALMC, N, SS

Focus – A Practical Approach to Program Development and Quality Improvement
Speaker: Carla Bacon Smith
Location: Cedar Rapids Room
CEUs: 1.5 for AP, ADM

Noon - 1:30 p.m.
Lunch
Des Moines Room

Sponsored by:

1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Breakout Session 5

Successful Discharge Begins on Admission – Improve Outcomes through Effective Care Navigation and Live Analytics
Speaker: Michele Self
Location: Salon AB
CEU: 1.0 for ADM, N, SS

OASIS Based Quality Measures in HHQRP and HHVBP
Speaker: Jennifer Osburn
Location: Salon C
CEU: 1.0 for HH, ADM, N

Growth and Sustainability – Defining Measurable Success in Assisted Living and Skilled Nursing
Speaker: Avi Olitzky
Location: Salon DE
CEU: 1.0 for ALL

Reducing Antipsychotics Without Increasing Chaos
Speaker: Allison Fox
Location: Windows Room
CEU: 1.0 for ADM, N, DH

The Interview Process and Retention
Speaker: Jo Ellen Whitney
Location: Davenport Room
CEU: 1.0 for ADM, N, DH, ALMC

Documentation that Protects Residents, Staff and Reimbursement
Speaker: Tasha Janssen
Location: Dubuque Room
CEU: 1.0 for ADM, N, DH, SS

Proactive vs. Reactive Management
Speaker: Chad Zuehlke
Location: Council Bluffs Room
CEU: 1.0 for N, ADM, DH

A Natural Connection – Programming to Promote Engagement in the Outdoor World
Speaker: Carla Bacon Smith
Location: Cedar Rapids Room
CEU: 1.0 for AP, ADM, ALMC

3:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Breakout Session 6A

Demystifying and Maximizing IPAs to Ensure Accurate PDPM Reimbursement
Speaker: Jim Shearon
Location: Salon AB
CEU: 1.0 for ADM, N

The Reimbursement Engine – Medicare Payment Updates for Home Health and Home Care
Speaker: Jennifer Osburn
Location: Salon C
CEU: 1.0 for HH, ADM, N

Leading Through Transition – Strategic Leadership for the Next Decade of Long-Term Care
Speaker: Avi Olitzky
Location: Salon DE
CEU: 1.0 for ADM, ALMC, N, DH

Practical Workers' Compensation Strategies for Long-Term Care Leaders
Speaker: Joni Ploeger
Location: Davenport Room
CEU: 1.0 for ADM, ALMC, N, DH

Service Plans that Stand Up to Survey
Speaker: Amy Skelton
Location: Council Bluffs Room
CEU: 1.0 for ALMC, N

3:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Breakout Session 6B

From Report to Resolution – An Inside Look with Iowa’s Licensing Investigators
Speakers: Kathleen Beebout, Michelle Roberts
Location: Salon FGH
CEUs: 1.5 for ADM, N

Data, Deadlines and Dollars – Mastering the SNF QRP
Speaker: Amy Miller
Location: Windows Room
CEUs: 1.5 for ADM, N, DH

The First 72 Hours – Managing a High-Risk New Admission
Speaker: Tasha Janssen
Location: Dubuque Room
CEUs: 1.5 for ADM, N, SS

Impact – Designing a Fall Prevention Program for Seniors
Speaker: Carla Bacon Smith
Location: Cedar Rapids Room
CEUs: 1.5 for AP, ADM