Meet the speakers: Thought leadership at CareForum Digital
We’re looking forward to learning at CareForum Digital, Sept. 14-16. CareForum brings you one of the most impressive rosters of thought leaders from across acute, post-acute, and community care.
Join us to expand your knowledge with a range of informative and inspiring sessions. Learn about topics ranging from technology best practices to the latest industry trends to interdisciplinary collaboration. CareForum is your opportunity to learn from and network with industry leaders transforming care.
Check out a selection of this year’s exciting CareForum speakers:
Click the linked text below to jump between sections and industries.
— Plenary session speakers
— Home health and hospice
— Long-term care and long-term acute care hospital
— Behavioral health
— Rehabilitation
— Community services
— Human services
— Home care services: home infusion and specialty pharmacy
— See CareForum’s full roster of best-in-class speakers
Plenary session speakers
Celeste Headlee, Award-Winning Journalist, Author, Professional Speaker, and Vocalist
Celeste Headlee is an award-winning journalist, professional speaker, and best-selling author of “We Need to Talk: How to Have Conversations That Matter.” She is co-host of the weekly series “Retro Report on PBS” and season three of the Scene on Radio podcast – “MEN.” Celeste serves as an advisory board member for Procon.org and The Listen First Project. In her 20-year career in public radio, Celeste has been the executive producer of “On Second Thought” at Georgia Public Radio and anchored programs including “Tell Me More,” “Talk of the Nation,” “All Things Considered,” and “Weekend Edition.” She also served as co-host of the national morning news show, “The Takeaway,” from PRI and WNYC, anchored presidential coverage in 2012 for PBS World Channel, and received the 2019 Media Changemaker Award.
Linda Goler Blount, President and CEO, Black Women’s Health Imperative
Linda Goler Blount joined the Black Women’s Health Imperative in 2014. As President and CEO of the only national organization focused on Black women’s emotional, physical and financial health and wellness, Linda has overseen more than $20 million invested in Black women to prevent chronic diseases and HIV, ensure reproductive justice and healthy maternal outcomes and advocate for policies that protect Black women. Before joining BWHI, Linda was the first-ever national vice president of health disparities at the American Cancer Society where she was responsible for developing a nationwide health equity strategy to reduce cancer incidence and mortality among underserved populations. She has extensive international health experience and has served as a consulting epidemiologist to government ministries in Germany, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago, where she lived for four years. A speaker, published author, and advocate, Linda is a champion for the rights of Black women.
David Rendall, Author and Speaker
David Rendall is a speaker, leadership professor, stand-up comedian, and endurance athlete. During the last 15 years he has spoken to audiences around the world. With a doctor of management degree in organizational leadership and a graduate degree in psychology, David has developed a personality theory that focuses on using strengths and weaknesses to enhance career and personal success. Prior to becoming a professor and a speaker, he managed nonprofit enterprises that provided employment for people with disabilities. In between presentations, David competes in ultramarathons and Ironman triathlons. David is the author of “Pink Goldfish,” “The Four Factors of Effective Leadership,” “The Freak Factor,” and “The Freak Factor for Kids.”
Anne Grady, Author and Speaker, Anne Grady Group
Anne Grady is a speaker and author who presents practical strategies that can be applied both personally and professionally to improve relationships, navigate change, and triumph over adversity. And she’ll make you laugh while she does it. Anne is a two-time TEDx speaker, and her work has been featured in numerous media outlets, including Harvard Business Review, Entrepreneur, Forbes, Fast Company and Inc. magazines, CNN, ESPN, and FOX Business. She is the best-selling author of “52 Strategies for Life, Love & Work” and “Strong Enough: Choosing Courage, Resilience and Triumph.”
–> Ready to join us for CareForum Digital? Click here to register today!
Home health and hospice
Mary McGoldrick, MS, RN, CRNI®, Home Health Systems, Inc.
Mary McGoldrick is a pioneer in infection prevention and control in home care and hospice for over 25 years, has published seminal works on infection prevention and control. She served as a home care and hospice surveyor for The Joint Commission for 12 years, and as a subject matter expert on infection prevention and control in home care to the CDC-HICPAC, APIC, and others. Mary will participate in an interview on navigating COVID-19 safely.
Sharon Harder, President, C3 Advisors, LLC
Sharon Harder has over three decades of executive management experience in the healthcare industry. As President of C3 Advisors, LLC, Sharon engages with clients to develop and implement the strategic vision required to improve their profitability and competitive position in the rapidly transforming healthcare marketplace. Sharon will discuss learnings and observations from 9 months of PDGM.
Marcia Levetown, HealthCare Communication Associates
Marcia Levetown, MD, MMM, HMDC, FAAHPM was among the first physicians in the U.S. to be certified in hospice and palliative medicine in 2008. A pioneer in the field since 1994, Dr. Levetown is a Fellow of the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine and served as the inaugural Chair of the Institute of Palliative Care at the Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas. Dr. Levetown will address the topic of advance care planning in hospice.
Carla Cheatham, Carla Cheatham Consulting Group, LLC
As Principal and Lead Trainer for Carla Cheatham Consulting Group, LLC, Dr. Cheatham is a national keynote speaker and consultant focusing on emotional intelligence and resilience. She began her career in social services with an MA in Psychology, certification in trauma counseling, PhD in Health & Kinesiology, and M.Div before working for 10 years as a hospice bereavement coordinator and interfaith chaplain. Dr. Cheatham will share insights on the importance of trauma-informed care.
–> Ready to join us for CareForum Digital? Click here to register today!
Long-term care (LTC) and long-term acute care hospital (LTACH)
Akia Sheema Blandon, DNP, APRN, AGPCNP-C, Vice President of Clinical Services, The Plaza Rehabilitation & Nursing Center
Dr. Akia Sheema Blandon began working in the healthcare industry in 1993 as a Nurse Attendant in Long Island, New York while pursuing her nursing license. She persevered and excelled in nursing while raising her five amazing children. Akia is an Adult Geriatric Nurse Practitioner and is a Doctor of Nursing Practice. She is the Vice President of Clinical services at a very large facility in New York City. Akia also works as an NP for MetroUrgi Care, providing urgent and primary care throughout the tri-state area. She also serves as an adjunct professor at Helene Fuld College of Nursing since 2014.
Cynthia Morton, MPA, Executive Vice President, National Association for the Support of Long-Term Care
Cynthia K. Morton is a national expert on Medicaid, Medicare, and other public policy affecting the long term and post-acute care sector. In more than a decade with American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL), she represented the long-term care profession before Congress, the Washington healthcare community, and the media.
–> Ready to join us for CareForum Digital? Click here to register today!
Behavioral health
Lisa Lowery Deal, PharmD, FASHP, BCACP, BSN, RN, Director of Pharmacy, SUN Behavioral Health Delaware
Lisa Lowery Deal PharmD, FASHP, BCACP, BSN, RN, is currently the Director of Pharmacy at SUN Behavioral Delaware and works as needed as an Emergency Medicine and Pharmacotherapy Specialist at Beebe Medical Center. Dr. Deal received degrees from Virginia Tech, Johns Hopkins University, and the University of Maryland. Dr. Deal has published several articles related to emergency medicine and psychiatric pharmacy. Lisa’s session is titled, Maximizing clinical pharmacy services: Critical checkpoints in medication management in behavioral health.
–> Ready to join us for CareForum Digital? Click here to register today!
Rehabilitation
David Glaser, Fredrikson & Byron’s Health Law Group
David M. Glaser is a shareholder in Fredrikson & Byron’s Health Law Group. David assists clinics, hospitals, and other healthcare entities with negotiating the maze of healthcare regulations and provides advice about risk management, reimbursement, and business planning issues. David’s session is titled, Telehealth, signature requirements, and other payor issues: The law may be more flexible than you think.
Nikki Rassmussan, PT, Cert. MDT, FOTO, Inc.
As Clinical Solutions Consultant at FOTO, Nikki assists clinic leaders and fellow clinicians with creating a culture that embraces the use of patient-reported outcomes and uses data to streamline workflow processes and improve clinical care and practice management. Nikki’s session is titled, Why measurement matters: Creating a practice culture that embraces patient-reported outcomes.
–> Ready to join us for CareForum Digital? Click here to register today!
Community services
Ann Oliva, Visiting Senior Fellow at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
Ann OIiva is the former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Special Needs at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Ann will be part of a panel discussing the current state of human services in the U.S.
Lucy Theilheimer, Chief Strategy and Impact Officer, Meals on Wheels America
Lucy Theilheimer’s CareForum presentation will focus on food security as an essential component of healthcare, and how MOWA is adapting to the impact of COVID-19 to serve a broader population.
John Eaton, Executive Director, Flagler Health+ Care Connect
At CareForum, John Eaton will explain how Flagler Health+ addresses social determinants of health in its community, and why it chose to become the first health system to act as the homelessness management information system lead agency for a continuum of care.
–> Ready to join us for CareForum Digital? Click here to register today!
Human services
Martha Roherty, Executive Director, ADvancing States
Martha Roherty and her staff educate Congress, the administration, other state executive branch organizations, advocacy groups, and the general public on administrative, health, and social policy issues of special concern to the state officials administering the programs for long-term care services.
Merrill Friedman, Senior Director of Disability Policy Engagement, Anthem, Inc.
Merrill Friedman works closely with advocates and stakeholders to ensure the diverse needs and preferences of people with disabilities, older adults, and individuals with specialized healthcare needs are addressed in Medicaid managed care programs.
–> Ready to join us for CareForum Digital? Click here to register today!
Home care services: Home infusion and specialty pharmacy
Connie Sullivan, BSPharm, President and CEO, National Home Infusion Association (NHIA)
Connie Sullivan is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Home Infusion Association (NHIA). Sullivan has over 25 years of home infusion industry leadership, management, and clinical practice experience. Sullivan is responsible for NHIA’s legislative and regulatory advocacy initiatives, and she develops resources that foster innovation and promote the delivery of high-quality patient care within the infusion industry. Sullivan also oversees the National Home Infusion Foundation, a not-for-profit subsidiary of the association devoted to research, leadership development, and education programs. Sullivan is the current Vice-Chair of the United States Pharmacopeial (USP) Sterile Compounding Expert Committee, and a member of the Parenteral Nutrition Expert Panel.
Jonathan Ogurchak, PharmD, CSP, Co-Founder & CEO, STACK
Jonathan’s CareForum session is titled, Specialty pharmacy: The bridge to the patient in a rapidly evolving healthcare ecosystem. With so many variables affecting patients along their diagnostic journeys, particularly with specialty medications, the specialty pharmacy often finds itself a critical piece of the overall experience to get a patient started on therapy.