Meet the Speakers

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8:00 to 9:00 a.m.

Registration

9:00 to 9:15 a.m.

Welcome & Opening Remarks

9:15 to 10:00 a.m.

Session #1

Legislative & Regulatory Update: CMD, CoreQ, PSCS and HIE
Kim Smoak, Deputy Secretary/State Survey Agency Director, Agency for Health Care Administration

Florida is raising the bar on demonstrating the value of high-quality post-acute care with requirements for certified medical directors, resident/family satisfaction measurement, staff safety culture assessment, and a robust health information exchange program.  These are not just compliance checkboxes; they are powerful tools to protect residents, strengthen survey readiness, and improve outcomes. This session will aid in learning the requirements that will set care centers apart as true quality leaders.
 

10:00 to 10:15 a.m.

Break

10:15 to 10:45 a.m.

Session #2

Top 10 Deficiencies
Mary Maloney, Chief - Bureau of Field Operations, Agency for Health Care Administration 

Be ready and prepared to ensure your center does not have a challenge with the top 10 deficiencies cited in Florida’s skilled nursing centers. This session will outline the latest top 10 deficiencies and provide guidance on how to identify strategies to take the steps needed to ensure quality.

10:45 to 12:15 p.m.

Session #3

Best Practices in Elopement Prevention
Michelle Dillehay, Government Analyst II, Agency for Health Care Administration and Wendy Milam, Vice President of Clinical Services, The Lilac Health Group (Ft. Lauderdale), Kelly Ratanasurakarn, Chief Nursing Officer, The Lilac Health Group (Tampa), Robin Allen, Chief Risk Officer, The Lilac Health Group (Tallahassee + Virtual)

Elopement places vulnerable residents at risk for injury, exposure to environmental and other hazards and unfortunately, even death. This presentation will facilitate the safety of residents by reviewing the requirements, minimizing the risk for elopement, and increasing compliance with the rules. 
 

12:15 to 1:15 p.m.

Networking Lunch

1:15 to 1:45 p.m.

Session #4

Updated Survey Guidance: Chapter 7 Memo & Smoking Policies
Kelly McDaniel, RN, BSN, JM, Registered Nurse Consultant, Agency for Health Care Administration

This presentation will offer a general overview of the revisions to Chapter 7, published in QSO-26-03-NH, originally released in January 2026 and revised in April 2026. The memo provided updates on standardized oversight, investigation procedures, enforcement actions, and the Civil Money Penalty Reinvestment Program (CMPRP). The revisions update a wide variety of survey guidance, such as survey team composition, resident privacy and confidentiality, photography during survey, off-hours survey, past non-compliance, severity and scope of deficient practices, and conducting exit conferences.

This presentation will also offer a review of patient safety in relation to smoking and an overview of concerns related to unsafe smoking practices and enforcement of smoking policies.
 

1:45 to 3:15 p.m.

Session #5

Behavioral Health & Fall Prevention: Strategies, Tools & Teamwork for Lasting Outcomes
Dawn Schubert, RN, MSN, CTACC, CHC, CPHQ, Quality Improvement Consultant, Health Quality Innovators (HQI)

This dual-topic session will address two critical challenges facing nursing facilities: meeting the increasingly complex behavioral health needs of residents and preventing falls, one of the most frequently cited and highest-risk compliance issues, with deficiencies commonly tied to F689 – Free of Accident (Hazards/Supervision/Devices). The behavioral health portion will explore practical tools, training, and processes to support effective care, including assessment tools, de-escalation strategies, documentation practices, trauma-informed care, and non-pharmacological interventions. Emphasis will be placed on interdisciplinary collaboration and family involvement to help teams build cohesive care models that respond to the diverse and evolving behavioral health needs of residents. The fall prevention portion will provide a practical, regulatory-aligned approach to identifying resident-specific fall risks, implementing targeted prevention interventions, and supporting CMS expectations through effective QAPI processes. Attendees will explore strategies for distinguishing avoidable versus unavoidable falls, reducing repeat incidents, strengthening post-fall analysis, and promoting consistent implementation of care-planned interventions.

Driven by current surveyor methodologies and real-world practices, this session will equip interdisciplinary teams with actionable strategies to improve behavioral health outcomes, reduce fall-related incidents and regulatory risk, strengthen compliance, and foster a sustainable culture of safety.

3:15 to 3:30 p.m.

Break

3:30 to 4:30 p.m.

Session #6

Ombudsman Program Updates & Q&A
Tracie Rayfield, Statewide Resident Transitions and Diandra Taylor, Director of Training and Development, both with Florida Department of Elder Affairs

This session focuses on improving the consistency, safety, and efficiency of resident transfers and discharges across programs and facilities. The presentation highlights the critical role of communication, documentation, and coordination in ensuring individuals experience seamless transitions.