7:15am – 8:00am
Conference Registration & Networking Breakfast 

8:00am – 8:15am
Chairperson's Opening Remarks 

8:15am – 9:00am
Advancing Care Coordination and Transitions through Command Center Integration
Seamless care coordination and smooth transitions are essential for optimal patient outcomes and experience. This session will explore how command centers can facilitate cross-functional collaboration, streamline communication, and ensure continuity of care across the patient journey. Learn about integrating command center workflows with care coordination models, such as case management and transitional care, to drive better outcomes and reduce readmissions.

Joshua Davis, MBA
Associate Director of Operations
The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania Capacity Management Center 

Amanda Whartenby, MSN, MBA
Associate Director
Penn Medicine Transfer Center 

9:00am – 9:45am
Optimizing Staffing and Resource Allocation through Command Center Insights
Efficient staffing and resource allocation are critical to the success of any healthcare organization. In this session, learn how command centers can provide real-time insights into staffing needs, skill mix optimization, and resource utilization. You will also discover innovative approaches to leveraging command center data to inform staffing decisions, improve workforce satisfaction, and ensure the right resources are available at the right time.

Deanna Covelli, MSN, RN
Manager Arizona Operations Command Center
Mayo Clinic Arizona 

Kathleen Matson, DHA, MSN, RN, NE-BC
Nurse Administrator, Nursing Resources
Mayo Clinic Arizona 

9:45am – 10:15am
Networking & Refreshments Break 

10:15am – 11:00am
Movi Healthcare 

11:00am – 11:45am
The Future of Command Centers: Emerging Trends and Innovations
The future of hospital patient flow command centers is set to revolutionize healthcare management by integrating advanced technologies and data-driven strategies to optimize patient care and operational efficiency. Equipped with real-time analytics, artificial intelligence, and predictive modeling, these command centers will enhance coordination among hospital departments, reducing bottlenecks and improving patient throughput. Leveraging machine learning algorithms and IoT devices, they will proactively manage patient admissions, discharges, and transfers, ensuring timely and appropriate care. The journey toward this future involves exploring innovative approaches that push the boundaries of patient flow management. This presentation will explore the technologies, best practices, and challenges in implementing next-generation patient flow command centers, providing a roadmap for hospitals to achieve excellence in patient care and operational efficiency.

Scott Jahnke
Patient Flow Command Center Director
UCLA Health 

11:45am – 12:30pm
Harnessing the Power of Virtual Command Centers: Remote Monitoring and Telemedicine Integration
The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of virtual care models and remote monitoring technologies. Discover how virtual command centers can extend the reach of your organization, enabling remote monitoring, telemedicine integration, and virtual consultations. This session will explore best practices for implementing and scaling virtual command center capabilities to improve both access to care and capacity management, reduce costs, and enhance patient satisfaction.

Nan Nicponski, MBA, RN
Assistant Vice President, Clinical Command Center
Intermountain Health 

12:30pm – 1:30pm
Luncheon 

1:30pm – 2:15pm
Driving Operational Excellence through Command Center Performance Metrics and Analytics
Measuring the performance and impact of your command center is crucial for continuous improvement and demonstrating value to stakeholders. This session will delve into key performance indicators (KPIs), dashboards, and analytics frameworks for assessing command center effectiveness. Learn how to leverage data-driven insights to identify areas for improvement, optimize processes, and drive operational excellence across your organization.

Tracy Briguglia, MSN, RN, NE-BC
Patient Flow Administrator for Throughput Operations
Upstate University Hospital 

Kyle Choquette, MSN, RN, MBA, CNRN, SCRN, NE-BC
Associate Director of Nursing for Throughput Operations
Upstate University Hospital 

2:15pm – 3:15pm
Panel: Overcoming Challenges and Barriers to Command Center Implementation and Adoption
Implementing a command center is a complex undertaking that requires careful planning, stakeholder engagement, and change management. This panel discussion will bring together experienced command center leaders to share their insights on overcoming common challenges and barriers to implementation and adoption. Topics will include securing executive buy-in, addressing resistance to change, integrating disparate systems and data sources, and fostering a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement.

Panelists:

Kyle Choquette, MSN, RN, MBA, CNRN, SCRN, NE-BC
Associate Director of Nursing for Throughput Operations
Upstate University Hospital 

Nancy C. Rush, RN, BSN, CCM
Barrow Neurovascular Care Coordinator
BNI-Advanced Practice Nursing
Barrow Neurological Institute
Dignity Health I St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center

Marcy van Schagen, MSN, RN, CNML
Director System Capacity & Patient Placement (Transfer Center)
System Patient Transport Team
WakeMed Health and Hospitals 

3:15pm – 3:45pm
Networking & Refreshments Break 

3:45pm – 4:30pm
Leveraging AI and Predictive Analytics in Command Center Operations
Explore how advanced technologies like artificial intelligence and predictive analytics are transforming command center operations. Learn how these tools can help anticipate patient flow, optimize resource allocation, and proactively address potential bottlenecks. Discover best practices for integrating these technologies into your command center workflows and measuring their impact on key performance indicators.

Susan Grimwood, MSN, APRN-C
Executive Director
Logistics, Capacity and Patient Throughput
Sarasota Memorial Health Care System

4:30pm – 5:15pm

Kevin Corbin, MHA, OT/L
Associate Vice President, Operations
UNC Health Care 

Megan O’Connor, DNP, RN, NE-BC
Director, UNC Patient Logistics Center
UNC Health Care 

5:15pm
End of Day One

7:15am – 8:00am
Networking Breakfast 

8:00am – 8:15am
Chairperson's Recap

 8:15am – 9:00am
Designing and Implementing Command Center Workflows for Optimal Efficiency
Well-designed workflows are the foundation of an efficient and effective command center. This session will provide a deep dive into best practices for designing, implementing, and optimizing command center workflows. Learn how to map existing processes, identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies, and leverage technology to streamline and automate key tasks. Discover strategies for ensuring workflow adoption and compliance across the organization.

Cori Garner, MHA, BSN, RNC-OB, NE-BC
Director, Patient Command Center
Advocate Health Care 

9:00am – 9:45am
Managing High Census States and Boarding Patients from a Hospital Command Center
This session will delve into strategies for effectively managing high census states and boarding patients from a hospital command center. Participants will gain insights into the regulatory landscape governing inpatients managed in non-licensed areas of the hospital. The session will provide an overview of essential workflows, including space management, nursing competencies, provider team coordination, equipment allocation, pharmacy needs, and ancillary service line responses. Additionally, it will highlight best practices for documenting and completing care in the electronic health record (EHR). Join us to explore comprehensive approaches for enhancing patient flow and ensuring high-quality care during periods of peak demand.

Deanna Covelli, MSN, RN
Manager Arizona Operations Command Center
Mayo Clinic Arizona 

Benjamin Dangerfield, DO
Medical Director, Arizona Operations Command Center
Consultant, Division of Hospital Internal Medicine
Mayo Clinic 

9:45am – 10:15am
Networking & Refreshments Break

10:15am – 11:00am
Hospital Life Lines
In a time of crisis, Situational Awareness is key to provide an operating picture to incident command and to provide information to senior leadership.  Hospital Life Lines, based upon FEMA Life Lines, can be developed based on existing essential operational  elements to obtain situational awareness. Using a dashboard, Hospital Life Lines can provide a visual depiction of impacted systems during the event and can be used to track the return of systems during recovery.  The Hospital Life Lines have been developed using the FEMA Life Lines model and the six critical elements of emergency response from the Joint Commission.

Chris Eaton
Program Manager, Emergency Management and Business Continuity
Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center 

11:00am – 11:45am

Shelly Keller, MNSc, RN, NE-BC
Patient Care Manager
Operations Center
Arkansas Children's Hospital 

11:45am – 12:30pm
TBD

12:45pm – 2:45pm
Developing a Roadmap for Command Center Maturity – From Strategic Design to Sustained Optimization
In this workshop we will review and apply the various situational and organizational drivers that inform command center development and strategic priorities. We will examine and explore how various size and type of hospital(s) (i.e., bed size, academic affiliation, geographic spread, organizational structure) shape the tactical approach of various types of command centers.

• Introduce a framework for evaluating capacity command center development drivers
• Assess the relative impact of the various factors driving command center development (i.e., ED boarding, LOS management)
• Evaluate development options for command centers based on situational determinants and the organization’s strategic direction

Lanie Crow
Manager
ECG Management Consultants 

Katherine R. Flannery, MD
Senior Staff Physician
Henry Ford Medical Group – Emergency Medicine
Medical Director Utilization Management
Medical Director I1 Observation Unit
Henry Ford Health