Agenda

Registration Open

Please note, a separate registration is needed for the INL Workshop.

Institute for Nursing Leadership Workshop

INL Breakfast

Sponsored by Jefferson Health and Thomas Jefferson University College of Nursing

Institute for Nursing Leadership Workshop

INL Welcome Remarks

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Debra J. Barksdale, PhD, FNP-BC, FAANP, ANEF, FAAN

President, American Academy of Nursing

Institute for Nursing Leadership Workshop

INL Keynote: Transforming Policy Through Personal Experience

Sponsored by symplr

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Description

When Mercedes and Leon Wells were discharged from the hospital without physician evaluation, despite Mercedes’ insistence their daughter’s birth was imminent, Mercedes delivered her daughter roadside eight minutes later. Their experience reflects profound systemic failure, and one that affects Black mothers far too often. Today, the Wells are using their voice to advocate for policy change to ensure better health care and accountability. In this opening keynote, attendees will hear how Mercedes and Leon are supporting mothers, working to mitigate health care provider bias, shaping policy, and educating policymakers and the public. Their story underscores the vital importance of listening and believing patients, the power of collective action, and the critical role nursing leaders have to ensure that people, rather than systems, remain at the center of health care.

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Speakers

Mercedes Wells

Founder & Director, Luv to Love

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Leon Wells

Founder & Executive Director, Luv to Love

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Moderator

Kenya Beard, EdD, AGACNP, FNYAM, ANEF, FADLN, FAAN 

President, K Beard & Associates 

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Learn More Here

FAAN Shop Open

Exhibits and Lounge Open

Sponsored by the University of South Florida College of Nursing

Break

INL Breakout Session 1

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Option 1: Agents of Change: Utilizing Your Leadership to Improve Policy

Moderator: Michael Bleich, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FNAP, FAAN

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Option 2: Swimming Upstream: Leading Innovatively

Moderator: Connie Delaney, PhD, RN, FACMI, FNAP, FAAN

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Learn More Here

Break

INL Breakout Session 2

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Option 1: Exercising Courageous Decision-Making in the Advent of Risk

Moderator: Aisha Brooks, DNP, MPH, RN, FADLN, FAAN 

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Option 2: Leading in Times of Disruption 

Moderator: Sylvia Trent-Adams, PhD, RN, FNAP, ANEF, FAAN

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Learn More Here

Lunch on Own

Breakout 1: Open Board Forum

Breakout 2: Experts on the Ground: What to Expect After the 2026 Mid-Term Elections

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Description

Facilitated by top health policy experts with experience both on and off the Hill, this breakout session will focus on the emerging policy landscape being shaped by the 2026 elections. Attendees will hear directly from experts on both sides of the aisle to better understand the climate on the Hill and what nursing professionals should expect in the coming months. During this breakout, participants have the opportunity to engage directly in an informative dialogue.  

Speakers

Elizabeth Lee, MPA

Principal and Chair of Healthcare Group, Venn Strategies

Margaret French

Senior Vice President, Venn Strategies

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Moderator

Mary E. Foley, PhD, RN, FAAN

Clinical Professor Emeritus, University of California, San Francisco School of Nursing

Research Nurse, San Francisco Veterans Administration Health Care System

Innovation Summit: Building the Business Case for Nursing Innovation

Hosted by Edge Runners National Advisory Council

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This session will feature leading nurse innovators who will share how others seeking to advance their model of care can evaluate and demonstrate economic ROI, expand partnerships, and manage sustainableoperations for long-term impact.

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Speakers

Billie Allard MS, RN, FAONL, FAAN

Co-Chair AAACN Care Coordination, Transition Management SIG

American Academy of Ambulatory Care Nursing

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Sheridan Miyamoto, PhD, RN, SANE-P, FAAN

Founder and Director, SAFE-T System

Associate Professor, Penn State University, Nese College of Nursing

Refreshment Interlude

Sponsored by The Ohio State University

Conference Welcome

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Debra J. Barksdale, PhD, FNP-BC, FAANP, ANEF, FAAN
President, American Academy of Nursing

Opening Keynote: Skepticism as Strategy: Health Care Leadership in the Age of the Moral Alibi

Sponsored by Jefferson Health and Thomas Jefferson University College of Nursing

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Description

The 2026 Health Policy Conference Opening Keynote will explore the tensions facing health care as the industry weighs new technology, shifting regulations, tight margins, and the enduring importance of patient care. Dr. Sachin Jain will introduce the concept of the "Moral Alibi," examining how those within the health care system rationalize decision-making factors against their own responsibility to the patient. He will also discuss optimism bias and the need for health care leaders to bring skepticism and demand rigor before adopting new technologies. Attendees will leave with practical strategies for sharpening their own evaluation of technological advances, and for recentering their work on the patient experience in an AI era.

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Speaker

Sachin H. Jain, MD, MBA, FACP

Chief Executive Officer, SCAN Group and SCAN Health Plan

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Moderator

Susan M. Grant, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN
System Chief Nurse Executive, Emory Healthcare

Break

Panel Presentation 1: The Essential Voice in Responsible and Responsive Digital Health Use: The Patient Perspective

Sponsored by Case Western Reserve University Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing

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Description

As the adoption of AI accelerates within the health care industry, patients are also turning to AI as a source of information at a similarly rapid pace. This session will focus on how the health care consumers’ voice must be validated, protected, and supported when AI tools are integrated into their care. Leaders in the patient advocacy space will share trends, concerns, and policies required to maintain privacy, equity, and safety in the delivery of care. Attendees will hear strategies that reinforce accountability to enhance the responsible adoption of AI tools.

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Speakers

Donna Cryer, JD 

Chief Patient Officer, CryerHealth LLC

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Sue Sheridan, MBA, DHL

President and CEO, Patients for Patient Safety US

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Jamie Trotter, MPA

Director of Patient Engagement, Patient Advocate Foundation

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Moderator

Simmy King DNP, MS, MBA, NI-BC, NE-BC, CHSE, FAONL, FAAN

Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer, Riley Children's Health

Day 1 Closing, Award Ceremony, and Mission Reflection

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Stephan Davis, DNP, MHSA, FACHE, ANEF, FADLN, FAONL, FAAN
Chair, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusivity Committee

Conference Welcome Reception

Sponsored by Risepoint

New Fellow Logistics Session & Reception

Sponsored by Florida State University

(New Fellow Inductees Only)

AFFILIATE RECEPTIONS

Creighton University Reception

Hosted by Dean Jessica Clark, DNP, RN.

All Alumni and friends of Creighton University are invited to join us for cocktails and appetizers.

Michigan Nursing Colleges Reception

NurseTRUST Reception

SEC Schools of Nursing Reception

The Ohio State University College of Nursing Reception

UAB Alumni and Friends Reception

Duke University Reception

Indiana University School of Nursing Reception

University of Washington Reception

UNC System Reception

UNC Greensboro, UNC Chapel Hill, and East Carolina University