Cat Armato is an experienced executive with 18 years in the home care and hospice industry. She has served in various roles during that time including Vice President of Operations and Chief Compliance Officer for a nationwide health care provider. In 2012, Cat became a consultant and has assisted multiple organizations with their compliance and quality efforts, including program assessment to full program development and implementation. Cat also has experience as a compliance consultant for large organizations under Corporate Integrity Agreements. ​ Cat has expertise in providing guidance and support to providers and their legal counsel during investigations by the Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General, Zone Program Integrity Contractors (ZPIC), Specialty Medical Review Contractors, Medicaid Integrity Contractors, and Medicare Administrative Contractors. She also has extensive experience in due diligence evaluations.

Stacy Ashworth, MS, RN, HCS-D, COS-C, is a dedicated registered nurse with a Master's of Science in Health Care Administration and greater than 10 years of experience within home health, hospital, skilled nursing facility, and private office settings. She is solidly credentialed and diversely experienced with a comprehensive background in cardiac, chronic disease, ICU/PCCU, home health, OASIS-C-1, HCS-D, and long-term care. Stacy is experienced in the establishment and growth of start-up agencies with Medicaid certification including, but not limited to, the development and establishment of the mission statement, business plan, policies/procedures, and continuing education programs as mandated by the Bureau of Senior Services. She possesses extensive knowledge of Medicare home health regulations and Joint Commission standards. Stacy has a strong background in chronic disease management education with experience developing and delivering training programs to staff, community organizations, and medical providers on a range of chronic disease management topics.

Chris Attaya joined SHP in 2014 after spending 28 years in executive and consulting positions within the home health and hospice industry. In his role, he is responsible for product development and client relationships to help organizations achieve increased operational and financial performance through the use of SHP’s industry leading analytics platform and benchmark data. Prior to SHP, Chris was the Chief Financial Officer at the VNA of Boston and had worked at Partners Health Care at Home as CFO and Chief Executive Officer. He received a B.A. in Public Health from Tufts University and an M.B.A. from the Graduate School of Management at Boston University concentrating in health care finance.

Kristi Bajer, RN, BSN, started in home care as an RN case manager, over the last 10 years she has been Director of Nursing, Administrator, and most recently a Regional Director over six agencies in Texas. As a director, she facilitated multiple no deficiency accreditation surveys by The Joint Commission. She also researched the top DRGs causing readmissions in her service area and created evidence based programs, cutting re-admissions by nearly 70%. Kristi is now Vice President of Clinical Operations with OperaCare LLC, where she assists agencies that need to re-engineer their care delivery processes as well as providing training and coaching on OperaCare implementation and building Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI) programs using data to drive success and protect agencies from government audits.

Duane Blackwell has been in home health since August 1997 when he was hired as Chief Executive Officer of Thompson Home Health, a multi-provider Louisiana-based home health company. At that time, the industry was undergoing a dramatic transition from a cost-based system to prospective payment. Duane’s previous career in commercial banking seemed a good fit for what was to be a tectonic shift in the way home health was delivered. In 2003, he assisted in the successful sale of Thompson to a private equity firm, staying on as CEO for five years following the sale. In 2008, Duane established SOSO Solutions, LLC, a consulting practice focused primarily on the serving needs of post-acute care providers, including home health and hospice companies. SOSO’s areas of focus include strategic planning, financial management, the management of change, and sales and business development. SOSO continues to serve a client base centered in the Gulf South. ​ In 2015, Duane partnered with Dr. Cordt Kassner and Dr. Warren Hebert to establish National Home Health Analytics; a Medicare Clams and Cost Report research and consulting company focused on delivering industry transparency. A native of Hattiesburg, Miss, Duane earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and a Master of Business Administration from The University of Southern Mississippi. Duane is a Past President of The Homecare Association of Louisiana.

Jerry Bridge is a nationally recognized motivational speaker, humorist and author. He is well known for turning complex topics into fun, engaging thought provoking programs and for his ability to help people reduce stress, improve productivity and build teamwork. Over the past 25 years Jerry has presented inspiring keynotes, content rich workshops and webinars for tens of thousands of health care executives, managers and administrative staff. Jerry integrates over 25 years of specialized training and development with Landmark Education Corporation, a leader and innovator in the field of transformational education. Jerry is a master coach, covering topics from communication to productivity and well being. Jerry's new book, WHO CARES? MATTERS OF HEART, HUMOR & RECONCILIATION, has been widely recognized by health care professionals as an inspiring, uplifting memoir for anyone with a family caregiving challenge or story. A Baby Boomer from Baltimore, Jerry’s never lost his fondness for his hometown teams, blue crabs and Maryland hospitality. Jerry has travelled the world running marathons, raising money and resources for ending hunger. He is a drummer, knows his way around a kitchen, and has performed standup at the world famous Comedy Store. Above all else, Jerry’s passion is to lead inspiring, motivating programs that empower people while having lots of fun in the process.

Ashley Briones, MBA, PHR, SHRM-CP, has over nine years of experience working for a 600-plus employee home health agency that services patients in 23 counties of Florida. By working with managers and using the behavioral-based and structured interview technique to recruit office staff, home health aides, and licensed professionals, the agency has successfully improved employee retention. With her role as HR Business Partner, she acts as a trusted advisor consulting to business leadership in the areas of compliance, compensation, talent acquisition, retention, and employee relations. She provides coaching and development to line staff, management, and leadership, and recommends and implements resolution of specific policy-related and procedural problems and inquires. She is responsible for implementing rollout of new or updated HR programs and initiatives. She also analyzes business challenges and HR programs to identify improvement opportunities, develop metrics, and recommend solutions in alignment with organizational goals and objectives.

Charles Canaan, RN, MPH, has over 20 years of diverse nursing experience in a variety of health care settings, to include inpatient, outpatient, home, and organizational settings. His education includes a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va., and a Master of Public Health Degree in Health Promotion and Education from the University of South Carolina. He currently provides education and consultation to Medicare Part A and Part B providers with learning needs.

Matthew Capell brings more than 20 years of experience in general management, business development, and investing in the health care, financial services, and technology sectors to his position at LTCG. In his role, Matt is responsible for developing and executing an integrated provider strategy that delivers additional value for the company’s clients. This includes the expansion of many early innovations developed by LTCG, such as its contracted and credentialed providers, several pilot programs to promote recovery and reduce rates charged by home care providers, and initiatives to reduce fraud and leakage. He also oversees LTCG’s entire provider management team including individuals responsible for provider credentialing, eligibility, and contracting. Prior to joining LTCG, Matt served as Chief Executive Officer and on the Board of Directors of FHS SeniorCare Payment Solutions, a revenue cycle management company that helped senior care providers manage billing and collections with over 400 third-party payers. He is a frequent speaker for industry organizations such as the Private Care Association, the Home Care Association of Florida, and the Pennsylvania Homecare Association. Matt earned his MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business and holds degrees in economics and psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Dawn Cheek RN, BSN, has more than 30 years of experience in health care operations, including 15 years in management roles. She has a broad base of clinical compliance and documentation improvement for providers nationwide. She has expertise in utilization review processes, home health and hospice appeals, and implementation of Medicare regulations for medical necessity and RAC preparation. She provides extensive knowledge of clinical operations, and home care and hospice documentation regulations. Her nursing background, coupled with her leadership experience of front-line staff and medical record documentation review, allows her to effectively educate on clinical documentation review, clinical operations, and agency compliance.

Kathleen Cody-Guastella has been part of the home care world since 1984. Beginning her career as a visiting nurse with the VNA in Miami, she had no doubt her heart belonged in home care. She moved into management as an administrator for a national home care company. Her journey took her across the country as a home care consultant before becoming the first OASIS Education Coordinator for the State of Florida. Along the way she was very fortunate to work with many providers assisting with agency start-ups, quality reviews and operation analysis. Currently, she is the Administrator of Tallahassee Memorial Home Health Care, and finds today’s challenges in home care to be full of opportunities.

Jannice Collins, RN, is a highly accomplished and proactive critical thinker with tested abilities in program implementation, supervision, and regulatory compliance. She is an experienced compliance surveyor of skilled nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, and home care agencies. She is a supportive manager experienced with federal certification, state licensing requirements, and accreditation. Jannice has capably argued cases before administrative law judges. She is a knowledgeable resource for staff coordination, education, critical care competencies, program development, policy and procedure formulation and implementation, public speaking, and marketing of services. She holds a bachelor's degree in nursing from Clayton State College.

Rhonda Crawford, BSN, RN, CHCE, HCS-D, HCS-O, COS-C, is Senior Education Consultant at Foundation Management Services (FMS). She has been working in home care since 1991. She has served in a variety of roles including clinical, administrative, consulting, education, and program development. Rhonda provides regional clinical support to the home care agencies managed by FMS. Her expertise in distilling broad concepts into practical processes and her informal, interactive presentations offer unique perspectives on OASIS and other home care documentation issues.

Christina Crumbley, RN, MSN, HCS-D, HCS-O, is the Chief Operating Officer at Signature HomeNow. Christina has 27 years of nursing experience in home health care, including specialized work in operational and clinical management, education, leadership training, regulatory compliance, and quality assurance. She has provided consulting services as part of various companies as well as independently, focusing on start-up agencies, accreditation, and process improvement both operationally and clinically. She currently oversees home health operations, clinical services, and business development of 11 home health agencies for Signature HomeNow.

As a seasoned sales professional and national trainer for Heartland Home Health and Home & Hospice Advantage, John E. Dalton has developed a clear understanding of each personality type and their influencing factors as related to learning. This experience has not only led him to understand his audience when presenting material, but it has also provided him with the insight to explain the key factors with each unique generation in the workforce.

William A. Dombi, Esq., specializes in legal, legislative, and regulatory advocacy on behalf of patients and providers of home health and hospice care. With over 40 years of experience in health care law and policy, Dombi has been involved in virtually all legislative and regulatory efforts affecting home care and hospice since 1975, including the expansion of the Medicare home health benefit in 1980, the formation of the hospice benefit in 1983, the institution on Medicare Prospective Payment System for home health in 2000, and the national health care reform legislation in 2010. With litigation, Dombi was lead counsel in the landmark lawsuit that reformed the Medicare home health services benefit, challenges to HMO home care cutbacks for high-tech home care patients, lawsuits against Medicaid programs for inadequate payment rates, a nationwide class action against then-HCFA for its failure to enforce the federal HMO Act, litigation directed against the “Interim Payment System” for the Medicare home health benefit, and a lawsuit addressing the so-called Medicare “case mix creep adjustments” in 2008-2010. In addition to litigation, Dombi offers extensive community and professional educational services through lectures, publications, teleconferences, and videos. He is the editor and lead author of HOME CARE & HOSPICE LAW: A HANDBOOK FOR EXECUTIVES, the only comprehensive legal treatise on the topic. His lectures include market trends in home care, compliance, risk management, patient rights, fraud and abuse, health care reimbursement, legislative and regulatory reforms, and legal issues in telehealth services. He is admitted to practice in Connecticut and Washington, D.C. He is also admitted to numerous federal courts including the U.S. Supreme Court and several Courts of Appeals. He serves on the Advisory Board for BNA’s Health Law Report and Medicare Report. He also is a longstanding member of the American Health Lawyers Association and the American Bar Association.

Linda Donev started her career in home care with Kelly Assisted Living Serves in 1985. She transformed an under-performing location in South Florida into one of the most profitable in the country. Linda served as Regional Manager at Kelly Assisted Living Services and was responsible for 22 offices. In 1988, she started FirstChoice Health Care Services and, with her partners, grew that business to $12 million in annual revenues before its sale in 1994. Over the next few years she consulted for start-up and growing home care businesses. Linda joined Stratis Business Systems in 1999 which designed, marketed, and supported home care software solutions. Stratis became part of the Matrixcare family in 2015. Linda earned a Bachelor of Health Sciences at Florida Atlantic University.

A member in the firm’s Health Law Practice Group, Lani Dornfeld’s practice is focused on handling regulatory, corporate, and transactional matters for her clients, including hospitals, long-term care facilities, home health agencies, hospices, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, substance use disorder treatment facilities, physician and dental groups, and physicians, dentists, and other individual health care practitioners. Lani has extensive experience counseling clients on regulatory and compliance matters, including HIPAA, OSHA, and corporate compliance, and assists with the development and implementation of policies, procedures, and training required by these laws. She also works with clients to investigate and manage regulatory compliance issues, including privacy and security breach situations and responses. Additionally, Lani helps clients address fraud and abuse issues including Anti-Kickback Statute and Stark Law compliance, 501(c)(3) regulatory compliance, Medicare issues, professional licensure actions, bioethics and patient care issues, informed consent, and guardianships. ​ Lani also has represented clients in purchase and sale transactions throughout her career as a health care attorney. She manages merger and acquisition transactions from start to finish, including due diligence, contract preparation and negotiation, and managing the closing and beyond. These transactions include the sale and purchase of health care facilities, medical and dental practices, home health agencies, hospice agencies, and other health care businesses. Lani also prepares and negotiates buy-in and buy-out documents, employment agreements, restrictive covenant (non-compete and non-solicitation) agreements, shareholder agreements, operating agreements, and related corporate documents, and prepares documents related to corporate governance, including bylaws and conflicts of interest policies. ​ A frequent lecturer and occasional adjunct professor, Lani is a sought-after speaker on a variety of health care topics, including HIPAA and information privacy, medical records law, corporate compliance, informed consent, guardianship law, advance directives, and fraud and abuse topics. She lectures regularly to local, state, and national audiences. She also trains medical and dental practices and other health care providers on HIPAA and corporate compliance, policies, and procedures. Lani also has written a number of articles on these and other health care topics.

Krisdee Foster began her career with Palmetto GBA in 2002 as a Senior Provider Relations Representative in the Provider Outreach and Education Department. During this time she was responsible for 16 states focused mainly in the southwestern United States where she conducted Medicare workshops for home health and hospice providers. In 2011, she left Palmetto GBA to be a stay-at-home mom to her two beautiful children. She enjoyed over five years of being home and doing some contractual work both with Palmetto GBA as the Social Media Representative and with several other companies located in Columbia, SC. In 2016, Krisdee returned to Palmetto GBA once again as a Senior Provider Relations Representative focused mainly on the Medicare Pre-Claim Review Demonstration project. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration/Sport and Entertainment Management from the University of South Carolina.

Melinda Gaboury, COS-C, is Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Healthcare Provider Solutions, Inc. (HPS). Melinda and Mark Cannon founded the company in 2001 to provide financial, reimbursement, clinical, and cost reporting services to the home health, hospice, and rehabilitation therapy industries. Melinda’s priority remains bridging the gap between clinical and financial issues in home health agencies. She is a speaker for multiple state home care associations and serves on the National Association for Home Care & Hospice Financial Managers Association Work Group and is ex-officio on the advisory board. She also serves on the Board of Directors of the Home Care Association of Florida. Melinda is also the author of THE HOME HEALTH POCKET GUIDE TO OASIS-C2.

Mark Goodson, RN, has been practicing nursing for 36 years. Currently he is holding a position as Area Director of Clinical Services for Complete Home Care.

Kelly Grahovac serves as a Senior Consultant for The van Halem Group where she focuses on audits, appeals, education, and training across multiple lines of business and various specialties. Kelly is a known lecturer in the home medical equipment industry, speaking at national conferences as well as for state associations and for private organizations. Kelly has nearly 10 years of experience at one of the nation’s leading Medicare contractors where she worked for the Durable Medical Equipment Regional Carrier, Qualified Independent Contractor, and Medicare Administrative Contractor. She has since brought this knowledge and experience over to The van Halem Group, where she has been working since 2013 to assist providers as they navigate the ever changing health care payor landscape.

Terry Greenhalgh has more than 20 years of home health care experience. Over the years she has worked as a rehab coordinator, quality improvement supervisor, patient services director, and administrator. Terry is now working as a consultant. She provides home health agencies with training and education, development of Plans of Correction and assists with surveys. Her focus is on Additional Documentation Request reviews and appeals, inclusive of appeal presentation to the Administrative Law Judges.

J’non Griffin is a 30-year veteran of home care as a registered nurse. She received her Master’s Degree in Health Care Administration in 2005. She has experience as a field nurse, director, and executive with home health and hospice agencies, both large and small. She has served as Director of Staff Development and Appeals for home health and hospice agencies. She has taken part in mock surveys for agencies and prepared agencies for accreditation. She has been directly involved in accreditation surveys, acquisitions, and many regulatory crises with state survey agencies and the intermediary.

Bryan Groleau has been a Certified Lymphedema and Wound Therapist since 2003, trained in the Casely-Smith method of Complete Decongestive Therapy (CDT) through the Lymphology Association of North America (LANA). Bryan’s expertise is in lower extremity lymphedema and wound care including obesity-related lymphedema, lipedema, stage III elephantiasis, geriatric mixed edemas, lymphatic filariasis, and lymphedema in the home health setting. Throughout his career, Bryan has treated extensively in both outpatient and home care settings. He has managed teams of lymphedema and wound therapists for multiple clinics and home health agencies. Currently, Bryan is a Senior Clinical Education Manager for mediUSA and also serves on the medi for help medical missions project to treat and educate on lymphedema and wound care for those with lymphatic filariasis in Léogâne, Haiti. Educating clinicians on advanced lymphedema and wound care is a passion of Bryan’s. His vast experience in various settings, scenarios, and with atypical diagnoses lends practical knowledge to those needing clarity with this patient population.

Donah Heiberg, MSW, works within the Bureau of Field Operations with the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA). Ms. Heiberg has worked with AHCA since 1995. She has held positions within the Agency working with both training, course development, and quality improvement. Ms. Heiberg has a served as AHCA's State Training Administrator, Informal Dispute Resolution Coordinator, Complaint Unit Manager, and has held management positions in both the Miami and Tallahassee field offices. Ms. Heiberg is a subject matter expert in several survey areas, including nursing homes, intermediate care facilities for the intellectually disabled, end-stage renal dialysis, residential treatment centers for children/ adolescents, and psychiatric residential treatment facilities.

Melissa Hernandez has been in the medical field for over 25 years starting as a phlebotomist, then emergency medical technician, and finally completing her RN. Melissa spent many years in emergency medicine before moving to ambulatory surgery. After a short time, she transitioned to home health. Melissa found her passion in home health and decided it was where she belonged. After becoming a clinical manager for a home health agency, Melissa began working on the Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI) side of home care. She eventually moved on to a third-party chart auditing agency. She began there as a coder/OASIS reviewer and left as the Vice President of Quality Services, where she oversaw a staff of 200 auditors. Melissa has extensive experience in coding and OASIS auditing, home health regulations, business development, staffing model development and implementation, employee/customer relations, and education. Melissa has held several different roles in her career including charge nurse, forensic nurse, emergency nurse-pediatric care, trauma nurse critical care, nurse manager, post anesthesia care unit coordinator, case manager, clinical manager, quality team leader, director of quality services, and vice president of quality services. Melissa has a degree in nursing, holds her HCS-D coding certificate, HCS-O OASIS certificate, and is an ACHC-certified consultant for home care, hospice, and private duty.

Elizabeth E. Hogue, Esq., is an attorney in private practice with extensive experience in health care. Prior to becoming an attorney, she was employed as a personnel manager by a Blue Cross-Blue Shield plan. She studied at the University of Maryland School of Law, concentrating in health law, and gained considerable clinical experience, course work, and employment experience in this area. Following her admission to the Bar, she developed an active practice in health law. She represents clients all over the country. Her clients are professional associations, physicians, managed care providers, and institutional health care providers, including hospitals, long-term care facilities, home health agencies, durable medical equipment companies, private duty agencies, and hospices. She has also represented a number of individual providers and case managers concerning health-related issues. Ms. Hogue gives approximately 20 presentations each year on health-related topics, including future trends in the health care industry. Her numerous articles are regularly included in trade association publications and other journals. She has written extensively on health-related topics. Her books include: NURSING CASE LAW REPORTER; INFORMED CONSENT; LEGAL LIABILITY; MEDICARE/MEDICAID FRAUD AND ABUSE; CONTRACTING WITH MANAGED CARE PROVIDERS; ETHICS MANUAL; TERMINATION OF SERVICES TO PATIENTS: USE OF POLICIES AND PROCEDURES TO AVOID LIABILITY FOR ABANDONMENT; CASE MANAGEMENT: LEGAL ISSUES; HOW TO DEVELOP A FRAUD AND ABUSE COMPLIANCE PLAN; HOW TO FORM ALLIANCES WITHOUT VIOLATING THE LAW; WOUND CARE: LEGAL ISSUES; and, HOW MARKETERS CAN GET REFERRALS WITHOUT BREAKING THE LAW. Ms. Hogue is a member of the American Health Lawyers Association.

Adrian Killebrew is a savvy professional whose ability to connect others and build relationships has allowed organizations to establish meaningful business connections nationally. Adrian is a business development executive for Axxess, the fastest growing home health care technology company in North America, where he oversees relationships and partnerships with key industry associations, regional consultants, and national vendor partners. Adrian has been delivering organizational management and business development strategies for over 15 years. He brings expertise from the healthcare technology, wireless, and association management industries working for organizations such as Verizon, Dallas Regional Chamber, and Axxess. Adrian is currently in the pursuit of a Doctorate in Management with an emphasis in Organizational Leadership. Adrian is also the Founder and Executive Director of IRON Dallas. His personal brand is in lock-step with his commitment to investing in the community by empowering others through mentorship and professional development programs. He serves on the board of the Dallas Arboretum and is a member of the Texas Association for Home Care and Hospice PAC Council. Adrian is an alumnus of Leadership Dallas and Mayor’s Star Council and has been recognized by the Dallas Business Journal as a 40 Under 40 business leader. He is not only committed to his own success, but he is equally committed to the success of others.

Bob King, Esq. is an attorney and the founder of Legally Nanny®, the leading law firm representing home care agencies, nanny agencies, and household employers. Bob works with home care agencies nationwide on a wide range of employment law issues, including wage and hour matters, contracts, handbooks and applications, and defending Department of Labor and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission audits, litigation, and class action lawsuits. Bob is a former member of the Board of Directors of the Home Care Association of America and speaks throughout the U.S. on home care legal issues.

Pamela King, MBA, CPM, is the Health Information Technology (HIT) Outreach Coordinator with the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA). Pam has over 20 years of experience in areas of health care administration and health information exchange. Her current focus is predominantly on strategic planning and adoption of technology within health care. She is responsible for educating health care providers and administrators on the benefits of using Health Information Technology (Health IT) to improve patient care, including the use of Electronic Health Records (EHR), Florida HIE Services, ePrescribing, and Telehealth. Her main area of focus is on Florida HIE Services, which facilitate an environment for all health care stakeholders to participate in Health IT across the health care industry moving stakeholders toward more efficient and effective care. When not spreading the good news about Health IT, you can find her working to prevent homelessness through a community not-for-profit, Wisdom’s Wellsprings; clothing those in need at McKenzie’s Clothing Closet; and, playing with her family –– mainly her two beautiful grandchildren.

Brandi Kurtyka is co-founding Chief Executive Officer of myCNAjobs and a national caregiver recruitment speaker. As God-fearing Christians, Kurtyka and her husband were called to pave the way to provide the best care by empowering those that deliver it. Prior to myCNAjobs, Brandi led digital marketing for the world's largest marketing research agency and served in various executive roles for both health care and recruitment companies in Chicago. She's on mission to arm health care recruiters with more insight about caregiver motivations to fuel the hiring and retention of a workforce plagued with high turnover.

Jason Lewallen has roughly 15 years of sales experience, most of it acquired as a traveling musician. In 2008, the music industry was hit hard by the recession. No longer able to make ends meet with music alone, Jason moved to Florida where he began his career in home health. He learned the ins and outs of home health marketing and quickly found his passion in the sales process. His love of sales brought him from Florida to Tennessee to take over business development efforts for PlayMaker CRM. Over the next three years, he helped grow the company, expand their outreach, and build synergetic partnerships within the industry. Jason has helped hundreds of agencies grow and rise to their potential. He is an industry author, a technology evangelist, a seasoned speaker, and a trusted voice. His passion comes in the form of assisting agencies to have the resources and finances they need to fulfill their unique mission.

Shannon Liem is a licensed speech language pathologist in Florida with over 25 years in health care experience. She has worked for Aegis Therapies for over 22 years and has been primary support for home health and clinical education since 2010. She is COS-C-certified and has been a clinical trainer for her company for over 15 years.

Sharon Litwin, RN, BSHS, MHA, HCS-D, is Founder and Senior Managing Partner at 5 Star Consultants, a national consulting and coding firm specializing in home care and hospice services since 2003. Sharon is a former ACHC and CHAP surveyor, performing Medicare-deemed surveys for over a decade. Sharon has been in the home care and hospice industry for over 25 years. In her consulting firm, Sharon assists home care and hospice agencies in providing quality, meeting regulations, ICD-10 coding, OASIS, increasing outcomes and Star Ratings, and having continued survey readiness. Sharon and her staff perform ICD-10 coding and OASIS reviews, Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI), clinical record reviews, mock surveys, and help agencies across the country stay in compliance. Sharon is a regular speaker to education companies, state and national associations, and published author in industry-related publications.

Tina Marrelli is the author of 13 health care books. Some of these books include the "red book”, HANDBOOK OF HOME HEALTH STANDARDS: QUALITY, DOCUMENTATION, AND REIMBURSEMENT (6th Edition, 2018), NURSE MANAGER’S SURVIVAL GUIDE (4th Edition, 2018), and A GUIDE FOR CAREGIVING: WHAT’S NEXT? PLANNING FOR SAFETY, QUALITY, AND COMPASSIONATE CARE FOR YOUR LOVED ONE AND YOURSELF. Tina received her BSN degree from Duke University and has master’s degrees in Health Administration and Nursing. Tina has been the editor of three peer-reviewed publications and has practiced as a visiting nurse and manager in home care and hospice for many years and still makes home visits as a consultant. Tina is the President of Marrelli and Associates, a consulting and publishing firm, and Chief Clinical Officer of e-Caregiving Solutions, a web-based education and support system for family and friend caregivers.

Kimberly McCormick, RN, BSN, a highly accomplished nurse consultant in the home health industry, is Executive Clinical Director for Home Health Strategic Management (HHSM). Her 24 years of experience in home health, eight spent as administrator of a home health agency, has given her the experience and the knowledge to provide unrivaled insight into the home care arena. Kimberly served as an Associate Consultant with Home Health Strategic Management for two years, during which she has established herself as an expert in the area of utilization management of home health services. During her time as Administrator, she achieved deficiency-free surveys by The Joint Commission, deficiency-free Department of Health and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) surveys, and a 0.42% error rate on an ADR audit. Kimberly authors the HHSM nursing newsletter and is presenting nationally on home care topics and care models proposed by CMS and the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission for the future of the home health industry.

Michael McGowan is a former Region IX OASIS coordinator for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the State of California, and President of Opera Care, LLC, based in Socorro, NM. The company utilizes OASIS-based predictive analytics to exploit the entirety of the Home Health Prospective Payment System, establish financial predictability, minimize Additional Development Requests (ADR) and audit risks, standardize the delivery of care, and monitor OASIS outcomes. OperaCare's remote monitoring services mimic fiscal intermediaries and audit contractor activities to pre-identify an agency's risks and validate the care they deliver.

Linda Murphy, RN, BSN, COS-C, CDP, RN-BC, is currently the CEO of Concierge Home Care, a regional home health care consortium. As the CEO of Concierge Home Care, Linda Murphy is both passionate and dedicated to her profession and serving members of the community. Linda’s health care profession started after finishing her degree from University of Florida and accepting a position with Shands Hospital at the University of Florida. She served as an emergency room charge nurse for 14 years, until she made the decision to take a leave of absence to travel across the country as a professional cyclist. Her journey as a professional cyclist won her the Worlds in 2002 but it all came to a halt when she was diagnosed with stage III breast cancer. During her recovery, Linda discovered the true difference home health care can do for someone, recovering in their home. She believed everyone deserved to heal in the comfort of their own home and as a field nurse she wanted to provide the same care that she had received while in recovery. She spent the next 12 years working for a large publicly traded home health care company, Almost Family. She assumed directorship of one of their small agencies located in Gainesville. Linda wanted to revitalize the gaps in care so she implemented many new programs such as in-home palliative care and an oncology program. DWithin three years, Linda and her team grew from a 30-patient census to over 750 patients, plus opened several offices in the surrounding territories. Linda continued to expand her leadership roles and in 2015 she was responsible for sales and operations of 31 offices throughout Florida. In June 2015, Linda was given the opportunity of a lifetime to apply her extensive knowledge base in the post-acute arena as the CEO of Concierge Home Care. With her 30 years of experience, she has helped expand Concierge Home Care throughout the state of Florida with offices in Jacksonville, Orange Park, Gainesville, Ocala and Leesburg/Villages. Concierge also has private care divisions in Daytona, Jacksonville, Tampa, Fort Myers, and The Villages. With pride, she announces her most recent accomplishment, the addition of a third division of care, Concierge Solutions. Concierge Solutions will provide value based options for physicians and population health models partnering with primary care practices throughout North Central Florida. Linda has been involved with multiple bundling projects and ACOs. She has initiated several pilot programs that have yielded reduced re-hospitalization rates while optimizing symptom management. Linda has been published on multiple occasions and spoken on behalf of the Home Health Quality Improvement National Campaign for best practices to improve patient outcomes. Her passion and servant leadership continues to touch everyone around her as she strives for optimal patient care and bridging all gaps to promote those patients healing at home. When she is not preoccupied with improving the lives of others, Linda spends time on her small horse farm with her husband, Chris, of 31 years. She is the mother of three amazing boys and proclaims to live her life to the fullest each and every day.

Eric Nelson has been a licensed physical therapist in the state of Florida since 1996. He has worked in the home health setting since 1997 as a direct caregiver, regional direction of rehabilitation, administrator, and regional director of operations for home health agencies. His current role with Aegis Therapies is the National Director for the home health division. He is LSVT®-certified.

Teresa Northcutt has provided educational programs on OASIS assessment, ICD-9 and ICD-10 coding, agency communications and processes, documentation, quality improvement and Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI), and care transitions for regional and state conferences. With over 35 years of experience as clinical services and quality improvement/education manager with home health agencies (independent, hospital-based, and governmental), a hospital patient educator and quality improvement facilitator, and a program manager with Primaris, the Missouri QIO, Teresa brings comprehensive and contemporary knowledge of home care and quality improvement methods. Teresa joined Selman-Holman and Associates in 2011, and is certified in OASIS competency (COS-C), Homecare Coding Specialist-Diagnosis (HCS-D) and Homecare Coding Specialist – Hospice (HCS-H).

Merrily Orsini is recognized widely as an innovative aging care thought leader with a laser sharp understanding of the market. In 1981, she started her first aging care business, a geriatric care managed home care agency that she grew exponentially and successfully sold, earning her a prestigious EY Entrepreneur of the Year Award. In 1998, she founded corecubed, a marketing firm dedicated exclusively to helping aging care providers grow their businesses, where she is now President and Chief Executive Officer. ​ Orsini has held many roles in the industry, including service for numerous national organizations. Currently, Orsini is an industry representative member of the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (NAHC) 2.0 Strategic Planning Event. She was recently chair of the Private Duty Homecare Association of America while on the board of NAHC. She also served as the Chief Strategic Officer for Private Duty for NAHC in 2011 and 2012. Her firm, corecubed, was the agency of record for the Home Care Association of America from its inception through 2008. In 2017, Merrily was honored to receive the Silver Lifetime Achievement Stevie Award for Women in Business. Created in 2002 to honor the achievements and positive contributions of organizations and working professionals worldwide, the Stevie® Awards are the world’s premier business awards.

Laura Page-Greifinger, RN, BSN, MPA, has more than 30 years of experience in senior-level health care management experience, including the development of multiple new programs and the provision of a variety of services and programs resulting in positive client outcomes. These services encompassed integrated health care services designed to mesh with individual operating entities’ missions and goals. At times these programs were the first of their kind in a region, necessitating education at all levels of professionals and community organizations, as well the education of referral inlets. Laura’s focus is post-acute organizational structure, the education and support of staff needed to succeed in this structure, key indicator development, quality outcomes for patients within the structure, project management, financial analysis, and profitability. This is the basis for QIRT’s quality cycle management (QCM©) approach to post-acute organizational support: a reimagining of operations from end-to-end. Laura, founder and principle of QIRT, has served on multiple boards of directors and has been faculty for community health programs at the baccalaureate and graduate level. The most current years of Laura’s career have been devoted to consulting with corporate entities to lay the foundation for industry success. Laura’s extensive experience in the post-acute health care field has given her expert perspective on processes and an understanding of the uniqueness of each agency, clinician, and patient.

Aaron Parsons is a Manager at Audacious Inquiry (Ai) and has been actively involved in health information technology projects in Florida since 2011. Aaron has developed policy and provided operational support for numerous public health initiatives, including the Florida Medicaid Electronic Health Records Incentive Program, electronic prescribing, Direct Messaging, and the Encounter Notification Service. In his current role, Aaron serves as the Ai Outreach Manager for the Florida HIE. Prior to his work in health policy, Aaron was a researcher and undergraduate instructor in political science at Florida State University in Tallahassee.

Sue Payne joined the Corridor team as the Vice President of Clinical Services & Innovation in December 2016 after Transpirus (where she was the Senior Vice President of Clinical Services) was acquired by Corridor. Corridor provides support services nationally to the home health and hospice industry, which includes operations consulting, revenue cycle management, education, and coding/OASIS review services. In her role, Sue is responsible for identifying and implementing clinical/operational business development options to meet client needs. Sue has over 25 years in home care operations and strategic leadership. Prior to her role at Corridor, Sue was the Vice President of Home Health at Advanced Home Care and at Life Care at Home, both of which are multi-state home care providers. Previously, she was the Administrative Director at Bon Secours Home Care, a multi-site hospital-based home care agency. She has experience with hospital-based, long-term care-based and privately-held home care companies. Sue was the recipient of the 2011 Leadership Award from the Association for Home & Hospice Care of North Carolina. She has presented nationally at Press Ganey, Visiting Nurses Association of America, American Congress of Healthcare Executives, and state associations on topics such as preventing avoidable readmissions, value-based purchasing, staffing retention, and early careerist mentoring. She currently serves as a VNAA board member and co-chair for VNAA Governance Committee. Sue has a B.S. degree in Nursing from Radford University, a M.B.A. from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga and holds a Certification in Home Health/Hospice from the National Association for Home Care & Hospice.

Cheryl Reid-Haughian has extensive experience in the home health care and technology industries. She has been involved in a variety of research initiatives testing the impact of technology-enabled clinical information systems. Her most recent work includes working collaboratively with nurses to design and implement a technology-enabled clinical information system for a large Canadian home health care provider. At CellTrak, Cheryl provides leadership to customers, helping them develop strategies to ensure safe, quality care delivery optimizing the use of technology.

During the last 15 years, David Rendall has spoken to audiences on every inhabited continent. His clients include the U.S. Air Force, the Government of Australia, and Fortune 500 companies such as Microsoft, AT&T, United Health Group, Fannie Mae, and State Farm. ​ Prior to becoming a speaker, he was a leadership professor and stand-up comedian. He also managed nonprofit enterprises that provided employment for people with disabilities. In between presentations, David competes in ultra-marathons and Ironman triathlons. ​ David has a doctor of management degree in organizational leadership, as well as a graduate degree in psychology. He is the author of four books: THE FREAK FACTOR, THE FREAK FACTOR FOR KIDS, PINK GOLDFISH, and THE FOUR FACTORS OF EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP.

Chad Roberts, PT, COS-C2, started his career with ARMG in 2006. He currently serves as the Corporate Vice President of Home Care Operations. Prior to joining ARMG, Mr. Roberts worked extensively in private and hospital-based outpatient and acute care clinics before entering private practice for himself. Mr. Roberts is responsible for helping ARMG clients achieve excellence in home care operations to include clinical programs, outcomes and value based care programs, operational strategies, and compliance. He has been instrumental in helping agencies adopt and implement strategies necessary for compliance with ever-changing state and federal regulations. Mr. Roberts’ lectures around the country on therapy related OASIS items and provides education to clinical staff to include defensible documentation and compliance with Medicare initiatives. Chad is a certified OASIS clinician and continues to provide hands-on patient care whenever he has the opportunity. Mr. Roberts graduated from Florida A&M University.

Eric Scharber is a Principal at Simione Healthcare Consultants, leading all talent acquisition and employee retention efforts for the home care and hospice industry through Exact Recruiting, a Simione Talent Solution. He oversees executive search and non-executive recruiting services, as well as recruitment process outsourcing, compensation analysis, and employee satisfaction survey services. After founding Exact Recruiting in 2005, Eric led the firm to become the top recruiting and executive search entity for the home care and hospice industry, serving clients across the U.S. and placing more than 1,500 professionals in 12 years of operation. Eric has spent his entire professional career in the healthcare recruiting, staffing, and executive search industry — with the bulk of that time spent solely on home care and hospice. Earlier in his career, he honed his recruiting skills as an executive search consultant and recruiting manager for other healthcare recruiting companies that also specialized in home care and hospice. During this time frame, he began to develop a network of contacts that has enabled him to be successful in countless searches for his current clients. Eric is passionate in his goal of surpassing his client’s expectations and assisting them with talent acquisition and employee retention strategies. He is an active member the Home Care Association of Florida and supports many other industry associations, meeting with members of Congress to discuss home health and hospice legislation and regulations, health care reform, co-pays, and other issues that are directly impacting the home care and hospice industry. Eric earned a B.S. in business administration with specialization in marketing and public relations from the University of Florida.

Joe Schnur is an experienced executive leader and innovative problem-solver. Prior to joining Tellus, Joe spent nearly 20 years leading both growth and new business endeavors for GE Healthcare. There, he successfully built and led a national team of commercial leaders that drove business development for GE Healthcare’s largest global client, booking revenue in excess of $400 million per year.

Dr. Michael Shen is the Chief Medical Officer of Duxlink Health, a multi-specialty telemedicine service in Sunrise, Fla. He pioneered an interreality care program with an integrated on-site and online care. As a clinical cardiologist, he was trained at Yale University, and worked as the Director of Imaging and Cardiac Informatics at Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and as head of Cardiac Imaging & Procedure Utilization at Cleveland Clinic in Florida for over 15 years. As an inventor, he has eight patents on telemedicine and analytics. Professionally, he has served on the Board of American Society of Nuclear Cardiology, Medical Director Institute, Health Information Management System Society, and is a Founding Member of the Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography. He received many awards, including Marquis Who’s Who in Science & Engineering, Salute to Medicine at Cleveland Clinic, and was named among America’s Top Physicians and Top Cardiologists.

Kimberly R. Smoak has been with the Agency for Health Care Administration since August 1995. She is the Bureau Chief of Field Operations located in the Division of Health Quality Assurance, and is responsible for the oversight of field operations and the complaint administration unit. She is responsible for ensuring both federal and state survey work is completed timely, monitors quality improvement/quality assurance indicators for the division, training of survey staff and other agency staff, data management, and support functions. Ms. Smoak is also the State Survey Agency Director for the State of Florida. Ms. Smoak holds a Masters of Science in Health with the program emphasis in Aging Studies. She is also a Qualified Intellectual Disability Professional. In 2009 and 2017, she received Survey & Certification Achievement Awards, presented by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, for her work in survey and certification.

Sparkle Sparks is a physical therapist working in home care since 1994 as direct care provider, staff educator, Prospective Payment System analyst, OASIS and ICD-9/10-CM coding instructor and consultant. She draws from this extensive background to provide practical education that is both fun and effective. Sparkle is nationally known for her humorous approach and ability to explain difficult topics in terms that all in home care can understand. She has served as an advisor to and member of the Board of Medical Specialty Coding. She is a graduate of the American Health Information Management Association Academy for ICD-10-CM Coding where she earned the designation of AHIMA Approved ICD-10-CM Coding Instructor. Sparkle holds the Certificate for OASIS Specialist-Clinical (COS-C) designation and is a Senior Associate Consultant with OASIS Answers, Inc.

Angelo Spinola is nationally recognized as one of the leading practitioners regularly representing the home care industry across the country in connection with a variety of labor and employment law issues. Angelo regularly represents home care providers to defend collective and class actions brought under the Fair Labor Standards Act and various state wage and hour laws, respond to wage and hour investigations by the Department of Labor, and develop compliance measures that minimize wage and hour exposure. Angelo represents hundreds of home care providers in Florida and throughout the U.S.

Michelle Stone-Smith is a proven visionary health care leader with more than 24 years of technical and administrative health care experience in diverse, constantly changing environments. Ms. Stone-Smith is a Senior Consulting Manager with McBee. She holds her MBA in Strategic Leadership. In addition to her post-acute care leadership abilities, she also has experience working for a Medicare fiscal intermediary, auditing provider claims for compliance, and analyzing government contracts for operational requirements and cost reimbursement.

Melanie Stover has been presenting on the topics of home health, hospice, and private duty for the last 18 years. She is passionate about spreading the message how home-based health services impact families lives –– for the better! Melanie is an OT and the founder of Home Care Sales, a firm that specializes in growth strategies for the home care industry. She is an author of REVVING UP REFERRALS, GAINING REFERRALS FROM TARGET MARKETS, DX SELL™, DIAGNOSIS-BASED SELLING, THERAPY DEPARTMENTS – A SECRET SOURCE OF REFERRALS AND CARE PARTNERS, and HOW TO BECOME A TRUE CARE PARTNER WITH YOUR REFERRAL SOURCES FOCUSING ON HRRP. Her mission is to help all agencies develop their skills in communicating their unique message so that every person who deserves your services –– GETS THEM! She has spoken at California Association for Health Services at Home, the National Association for Home Care & Hospice, the Home Care Association of Florida, the Texas Association for Home Care & Hospice, the Home Care Association of America, and many corporate retreats and strategic meetings.

Vicky Trevarthan has diversified knowledge and experience expanding over 25 years with national leaders in home health care. Vicky’s successes started as a clinical field nurse and expanded to corporate consultant. She is a former ACHC surveyor. She consults home care agencies on Quality Assurance and Performance Improvement (QAPI), regulatory compliance, and survey preparedness. Vicky is an excellent educator and is able to teach your staff with easy to learn methods. She resides in Florida.

AnnaMaria M. Turano is the Vice President of Marketing for Synzi. She is responsible for leading all marketing and branding initiatives for the company. AnnaMaria was previously with Stratus Video as the Vice President of Marketing and led the effort to separate the Telehealth division and rebrand the new company as Synzi. Prior to her client-side roles, AnnaMaria co-founded MCAworks, a strategic marketing consulting firm advising Fortune 500 companies on developing growth strategies. As a partner at MCAworks, she led market expansion opportunities for B2B, B2C, and B2B2C clients in technology, health care, and financial services – domestically and internationally. Her roster of clients included Verizon, Bright House, Sage, Lexis-Nexis, Shutterstock, TheLadders, Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, Nationwide, VSP, and MasterCard. A published writer, she is the co-author of STOPWATCH MARKETING: TAKE CHARGE OF THE TIME WHEN YOUR CUSTOMER DECIDES TO BUY (Portfolio: 2008) and a featured contributing author to SHOPPER MARKETING (Kogan: 2010; 2012). AnnaMaria has also been featured in Brandweek, AdAge, CBS News, U.S. News & World Report, CNET, Women’s Wear Daily, and on First Business TV. AnnaMaria has also been an Adjunct Professor of Marketing at New York University, Fordham University, and the University of Tampa. She received both her B.A. and M.B.A. from the University of Chicago.

Jennifer Warfield is the education director at PPS Plus in Biloxi, Miss. Certified as an official ICD-10 trainer, Jennifer frequently travels across the country to home health agencies and associations, providing education on important industry topics, including coding, OASIS, and documentation. Jennifer received a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of South Alabama in Mobile, a Home Care Coding Specialist – Diagnosis (HCS-D) certification from the Board of Medical Specialty Coding, and earned her Certificate for OASIS Specialist-Clinical (COS-C) from the OASIS Certificate & Competency Board. She is author of two coding guidebooks, TIPS, TRICKS & TIDBITS FOR HOME HEALTH PROFESSIONALS.

Theresa Waugh is a leading practitioner in the home care field who regularly represents clients in the home care industry on a wide variety of labor and employment matters. Theresa regularly represents home care providers defending actions brought under the Fair Labor Standards Act and various state wage and hour laws. Theresa also frequently helps home care clients being investigated by the US Department of Labor and state agencies. She also regularly assists clients in developing compliant processes and documents to minimize wage and hour exposure. While now resident in Florida, Theresa previously practiced in Connecticut and she represents home care providers in Florida and throughout the U.S.

Chad Whitefield, PTA, is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Advance Rehabilitation Management Group (ARMG), a national provider of consulting, management, and staffing solutions for the home care industry. Since 1997, ARMG has assisted clients across the country with the unique challenges related to the rehabilitation component of operations, outcomes, and compliance. Chad has successfully helped clients of all sizes ranging from private operators to publicly-traded corporations build and manage high-performance therapy teams. Chad has lectured on many of the challenges facing home care today to include Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement Model (CCJR), 5-Star Ratings, and Pre-Claim Review. Beyond consulting and education, ARMG clinical staff are also responsible for the direct care and management of hundreds of thousands of therapy visits each year (many of which are in Florida), assuring that they practice what they preach.

Dynamic, energetic, and passionate about driving sales, Shelle Womble possesses an incredibly in-depth understanding of the home care industry, from top to bottom, and all the little nuances in between. With over 25 years of multi-state experience in the aging care arena, Shelle has worked her way through a variety of sales management positions, from district regional manager of a single-unit agency, to director of operations and general manager for 50 branch locations in 11 states for a large home care franchise, and most notably, as national sales director. ​ Award-winning for her success in divisional leadership, Shelle’s broad range of experience in achieving positive growth in a variety of settings, combined with her knowledge of all the components of home care and how they work together, provides an unparalleled level of insight for the home care clients she serves. She is excited to partner with corecubed to help home care agencies across the country bolster their sales teams and get the results they want.

Stefanie Woodrow, RN, is a Senior Healthcare Consultant for Absolute Healthcare Associates, LLC. She has more than two decades of experience in the home care industry. She began specializing in home care in 1994. Since 2005, Woodrow’s concentration has been in the hospice and home care space, including both certified and non-certified providers. While working as a provider in home care and hospice, she has worked in the capacity of RN Case Manager, Clinical Manager, QA Director, Director of Education, Director of Operations, and Chief Operations Officer. In 2012, she stepped out of the provider role, and began consulting with agencies across the country, in efforts to help them with compliance within their operations.