Rise

Welcome Remarks

Keynote Address: Engagement Is Equity: Reconnecting the Member Experience to What Matters Most

We’ve separated two conversations that were never meant to be apart. Member engagement and health equity are often treated as parallel initiatives—different departments, different KPIs, even different conferences. But for the individuals we call “hard to reach,” that distinction is the problem. These are not two strategies. They are one. 

• Reframe health equity as a relationship-centered strategy—not a distribution of benefits. 

• Understand why “hard to reach” often means “never engaged”—and how to shift that dynamic. 

• Explore what authentic engagement looks like at the frontline—where CBOs aren't a referral partner, but the entry point. 

• Explore practical shifts healthcare leaders can make to partner with social care not as philanthropy—but as system infrastructure. 

Rick Whitted, Chief Executive Officer 
US Hunger 

Redefining Member Experience: Adapting to this Administration’s Changes in Real Time

• Explore this new Administration’s latest changes and what they mean for member experience 
• Discuss the need for fresh consideration of where we need to go to better determine how we can get there within your individual organization—and as together as an industry  
• Consider strategies to help mitigate and proactively address changing priorities, measures, and language 

Melissa Smith, Founder, Senior Advisor 
Newton Smith Group 

Katie Martin, VP, Quality Management
Parkland Community Health Plan

The Science of Respect: How Elevating Human Dignity Transforms Member Engagement

Details coming soon. 

Tools & Technology Spotlight

Leading service providers will showcase their offerings in a quick-pitch setting. Evaluate the latest and greatest tech tools to bring back to your organization.

Collaborating to Engage

• Consider marketing campaign strategies that feature strong collaboration between risk, strategy, and quality 
• Discuss how to integrate strong member engagement strategy as a multiplier for quality and risk 
• Explore the Venn diagram of risk and quality with member engagement and experience at the center 

Lela Criswell, Member Engagement Manager 
Kern Health Systems 

Resourcefulness in Action: Rethinking Available Resources to Engage Members in New Ways

• Discuss how to use your internal data along with external sources to engage with members 
• Explore innovative approaches to providing care to different member populations using resources you already have access to 
• Consider underutilized state and local programs that can help members in new ways 

Jennifer Hawkes CPC, CRC, Manager, Member Engagement  
Blue Cross of Idaho 

Katie Lavelle, VP of Health Plans
Medline

Creating Accessible Systems of Care for Populations with Disabilities

• Assess current best practices and key considerations for documenting disability status in healthcare settings and for providing appropriate accommodations 
• Discuss current initiatives for improving healthcare and strategies for advancing equitable care for people with disabilities 
• Identify and better understand quality disparities; you can’t improve what you can’t measure 

Carol Haywood, PhD, OTR/L, Assistant Professor
Center for Health Services and Outcomes Research in the Institute for Public Health and Medicine
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

Andy Witt, MHA, Regional Director, Quality
Northwestern Memorial Healthcare

Smarter, Kinder, Faster: Using AI to Redesign Member Engagement in Medicare and Medicaid

• Identify practical, high-impact use cases for AI in Medicare Advantage and Medicaid engagement, from onboarding to retention 
• Design AI-augmented strategies that align with Stars, CAHPS, and quality initiatives while preserving empathy and cultural sensitivity 
• Understand HIPAA, privacy, and security considerations in deploying AI within member engagement programs 
• Develop an AI governance model that includes data governance, ethical guardrails, and cross-functional oversight across compliance, clinical, and IT teams 

Moderator: 
Tina Dueringer, CEO, Principal Advisor 
Dueringer Advisors, Inc 

Panelists: 
Jake Mead, CEO 
Impact Sales Partners 

Samrat Kulkarni, Data Scientist and AI Consultant  
Former Al @CVS Health 

Beau Munoz, MD
Independent Healthcare Technologist

Roundtable Discussions

Participate in a facilitated roundtable discussion and deep dive with peers on timely topics in the industry. 

Navigating Social Media and Member Experience
Katie Martin, VP, Quality Management
Parkland Community Health Plan

Building and Leveraging Trust
Shannon Decker, PhD, MBA, MBA, MEd, MEd, Founder & CEO
VBC One

Engaging your Providers to Improve the Member Experience
Ryan C. Dodson, CRC, Chief Operating Officer/Co-Founder
New Vision Healthcare Solutions