At RISE National 2026, handpicked industry experts will provide the guidance, training, and education you need to navigate today’s evolving health care landscape with confidence. Several concurrent sessions and pre-conference workshops are already confirmed ... explore the anticipated session themes, focus areas, and workshop formats. This year, your all-inclusive ticket gives you access to every session, ensuring you don’t miss a moment of learning and networking.

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Monday - March 23, 2026

8:00 AM

8:00 AM – 4:30 PM

Information Desk Open

9:00 AM

9:00 AM – 4:30 PM

Women's Day

Click Here to View The Full Agenda and Session Details

Included with your all-inclusive ticket, our brand-new Women’s Day is designed for anyone passionate about addressing the challenges women face in today’s workplace and unlocking new paths for career growth. Learn directly from leadership coaches, health care executives, and motivational speakers who will share actionable strategies and inspiration. Whether you’re just starting out or are an established senior leader, these sessions offer the tools, insights, and community to help you thrive.

  • Welcome and Opening Remarks
  • Leading in the Aftermath: Post-Crisis Trauma-Informed Leadership  
  • Championing Access: One Woman’s Mission to Change Healthcare
  • Leveraging YOU: Turning Personal Perspective into Professional Power
  • Fireside Chat
  • Roundtable Discussions - Choose Your Own Adventure!
  • The Power of the Ask: Gain Hands-On Negotiation Skills 
  • Closing Remarks

 

 

Photo of Chanda Hinton

Speaker

Chanda Hinton

Executive Director at Chanda Center for Health Chanda Plan Foundation

Photo of Jennifer Sarrett

Speaker

Jennifer Sarrett

Founder at Disruptive Inclusion

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Speaker

Katharine Manning

Author of The Empathetic Workplace  at President of Blackbird DC 

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Speaker

Laura Cooley

PhD, Editor-in-Chief at Journal of Patient Experience

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Speaker

Natasha VanWright

RN, SVP Clinical Operations at Belong Health

9:00 AM – 4:30 PM

Workshop A: Risk Adjustment Practitioner

  • The essentials of and differences between Medicare Advantage, Commercial and Medicaid risk adjustment  
  • Understanding how risk scores are calculated
  • Understanding the different payment models, and how plans are paid 
  • Provider engagement strategies that will impact your risk adjustment initiatives 
  • Member engagement and SDOH 
  • Risk adjustment vendor selection and management
  • Strategies for ongoing, thorough vendor management
  • Initial steps for preparing for a RADV 
  • Which staff is essential to oversee your RADV audit prep?
  • Staying ahead – key items to monitor well in advance of an actual audit 
  • The future of risk adjustment – what you need to know to stay ahead of changes
Photo of Laura Sheriff

Speaker

Laura Sheriff

Healthcare Expert

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Speaker

Susan Waterman

Trainer, Director, Risk Adjustment at Baylor Scott & White

9:00 AM – 4:30 PM

Workshop B: Advanced HCC Auditor

With the switch from V24 to V28 and unprecedented scrutiny on the work we do in Risk Adjustment now is the time to consider attending our always popular HCC Coding for Accuracy workshop!   

 If you are responsible for the coding, auditing, analytics, or financials of your program you can’t miss this discussion!  Join us for an introduction to best practices, the opportunity to work through case examples, and to share experiences with your peers. This workshop will zero-in on regulatory compliance while teaching you how to optimize the accuracy of the information gathered and submitted at the practice level. You will also learn about the way charting is often done, how to overcome “disconnect” with the clinicians and how their typical charting practices and EMRs can create significant problems, and how RADV views documentation in contrast with the way clinicians were taught and EMRs were built initially.  

Please note: Attendees are encouraged to bring questions to pose to our expert workshop facilitators and to the table for the group. We provide your workbook which includes copies of the slide deck. You will not need your coding manuals, but most people take notes on their laptop or tablet.

You will learn the answers to:  

  • How will the transition to V28 impact your organization?  We will provide an overview of the financial overlay – HCC codes mapping to risk adjustment scores  
  • Why is Clinical Documentation Integrity more important than ever?   Join us to discuss A single coding and documentation process for Risk adjustment  
  • How challenging is accurate coding?  You will have the opportunity to review real life examples of accurately coding from various portions of the encounter. 
  • Why are providers burning out?  Learn about the clinical documentation barriers clinicians and practices face.   

 

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Speaker

Colleen Gianatasio

Value Based Care Expert

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Speaker

Donna Malone

AAPC Approved Instructor, AHCCA, RAP, Director Risk Capture – Population Health at Mass General Brigham

12:30 PM

12:30 PM – 4:30 PM

Workshop C

12:30 PM – 4:30 PM

Workshop D: Doing More with Less: Lean Methodologies and Project Management in Healthcare

Healthcare organizations are under more pressure than ever to deliver high-quality outcomes with limited resources. This interactive workshop will give attendees the chance to roll up their sleeves and apply lean methodologies and project management techniques directly to real-world healthcare challenges.   

Through exercises, group discussions, and hands-on tools, participants will leave with practical strategies they can implement right away.  

  • Practice applying lean principles to identify inefficiencies and maximize value 
  • Use project management strategies to navigate policy shifts, staffing challenges, and resource constraints 
  • Walk away with templates, frameworks, and actionable takeaways to keep your organization agile and resilient
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Speaker

Celina M. Sullivan

JD, BSHCM, Sr Dir, Program Management at Kaiser Permanente

12:30 PM – 4:30 PM

Workshop E

4:30 PM

4:30 PM – 6:30 PM

Hoops & Happy Hour - Welcome Cocktail Reception

Step into the spirit of March Madness at our welcome cocktail reception in the Exhibit Hall! Enjoy cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and plenty of opportunities to connect with peers and vendors in a friendly, lively atmosphere. Rep your favorite team - whether it’s your alma mater or your bracket pick - and join us for an evening of camaraderie and conversation with colleagues, speakers, and sponsors.

4:45 PM

4:45 PM – 5:30 PM

Food Packing Event

Tuesday - March 24, 2026

7:30 AM

7:30 AM – 5:00 PM

Main Conference Registration

8:00 AM

8:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Exhibit Hall Opens

8:00 AM

8:00 AM – 9:00 AM

Networking Breakfast in Exhibit Hall

9:00 AM

9:00 AM – 9:10 AM

Welcome Remarks

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Speaker

Liz Haynes

Risk Adjustment & Stars Government Programs at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City

9:10 AM

9:10 AM – 10:00 AM

Keynote Address

Keynote

10:00 AM

10:00 AM – 10:45 AM

Keynote Address

Keynote

10:45 AM

10:45 AM – 11:15 AM

Networking Break in Exhibit Hall

11:15 AM

11:15 AM – 12:00 PM

Track 1: Risk Adjustment and Program Integrity

A Year in Review Under the V28 Model: Transforming Risk, Quality, and Care Delivery

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Speaker

Doug Wackowski

VP of Service Solutions at Advantmed

11:15 AM – 12:00 PM

RISE Innovation Theater 2

Behavioral Health Access: Innovative Partnerships to Meet Growing Demand

  • Learn best practices for integrating behavioral health into your existing infrastructure 
  • Develop a successful behavioral health partnership to effectively engage patients into care 
  • Define key metrics for expanding behavioral health access and outcomes at scale 

 

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Speaker

Claudio Stefan

VP of Enterprise Growth and Operations at Sondermind

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Speaker

Steven Boos

MBA, MHA, Director, Program Operations- Value Based Care at Piedmont

11:15 AM – 12:00 PM

RISE Innovation Theater 1

Building A Better Choice In Health Care

  • Learn the tactics that drove a 175% Medicare membership increase at Peak Advantage in only nine months 
  • See how coordinated gap-closure and referral processes boosted patient outcomes and satisfaction 
  • Discover engagement strategies that deepened trust among local seniors and key community partners 
  • Get practical steps to unite hospital departments, from Case Management to Marketing, for seamless care and efficient operations 

 

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Speaker

Kelley Hicks

RN, Value Based Care Coordinator, Population Health at WVU Medicine Wheeling Hospital

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Speaker

Melissa Bazzo

Director, Medicare at Peak Health

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Speaker

Tami Magruder

BSN, RN, Director Quality/Population Health at WVU Medicine Wheeling Hospital and Reynolds Memorial Hospital

11:15 AM – 12:00 PM

Track 2: Stars, Quality and Member Outcomes

The New Performance Equation: Risk × Quality = Value

  • Discover how aligning risk adjustment and quality improvement multiplies impact—driving faster care gap closure, stronger Stars performance, and long-term financial success 
  • Learn how AI-powered workflows can help deliver revenue integrity at scale while supporting RADV compliance and reducing audit exposure 
  • See how integrated platforms equip healthcare leaders with transparency and confidence to make data-driven financial and operational decisions in value-based care 

 

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Speaker

Paul Burke

Chief Product Officer at Reveleer

11:15 AM – 12:00 PM

Track 4: AI Automation and Data Strategy

The Transparency Imperative: Building Trust Through Connected, Auditable Data Ecosystems

  • Discover how real-time data connectivity across clinical, claims, and social sources creates transparent audit trails that support appropriate risk score capture and withstand regulatory scrutiny 
  • Learn from MA plans that have reduced RADV risk while improving risk score accuracy through comprehensive data transparency initiatives 
  • Understand how to build privacy-preserving data infrastructure that enables both prospective interventions and retrospective validation, ensuring every HCC is supported by accessible, verifiable documentation

Presented by Datavant

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Speaker

Patty Brennan

SVP, Risk Adjustment Solutions at Datavant

11:15 AM – 12:00 PM

Track 3: Value-Based Partnerships and Provider Alignment

Transforming Healthcare Data Acquisition: A Blueprint for Building Payer-Provider Collaboration to Achieve Chart Retrieval Goals

  • Accelerate retrieval timelines through cross-functional collaboration 
  • Reduce provider burden and strengthening payer-provider integration 
  • Drive cost reduction and efficiency with intelligent technology 
  • Deliver transparency and demonstrating measurable ROI

Presented by Virtix Health 

12:00 PM

12:00 PM – 1:45 PM

Interactive Roundtables

Select from Different Presentations Spotlighting Health Care’s Most Influential Technology and Solution Gurus Presenting Tools to Elevate Your Plan’s Initiatives.  

Pull up a chair and settle in for this unique opportunity to select three interactive, speed-networking type presentations featuring the latest technologies and solutions for boosting your plan’s risk, quality and data management endeavours. A bell will ring three times within this special 60-minute session, alerting you to transition to the next roundtable of your choice.

12:00 PM

12:00 PM – 1:45 PM

Networking Lunch in Exhibit Hall

1:45 PM

1:45 PM – 2:30 PM

Track 2: Stars, Quality and Member Outcomes

Elevating Engagement: How Payers and Providers Are Reimagining Member Experience for 2026 Star Success

  • Explore how payers and providers are adapting to the evolving weighting of experience in the Star Ratings formula 
  • Discuss practical approaches for aligning clinical outcomes and member engagement strategies 
  • Learn how organizations are building systems that listen, connect, and deliver equitable, value-based care
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Speaker

Laura Cooley

PhD, Editor-in-Chief at Journal of Patient Experience

1:45 PM – 2:30 PM

Track 4: AI Automation and Data Strategy

Harnessing AI to Transform RADV Audit Readiness, CDI, and HEDIS: Driving Accuracy, Compliance, and Quality Outcomes

  • RADV (Risk Adjustment Data Validation) Audit Readiness: Learn how AI-powered chart reviews uncover missing or unsupported codes to reduce audit risk, support compliant revenue recapture, and strengthen regulatory adherence. 
  • CDI (Clinical Documentation Improvement): Discover how AI-driven, real-time chart review guides providers to close documentation gaps, improve coding accuracy, and optimize HCC capture of patient complexity. 
  • HEDIS (Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set): Understand how AI automates measure abstraction from structured and unstructured data to proactively close care gaps, elevate HEDIS scores, and improve STAR ratings.
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Speaker

Khush Singh

Bulwark Health

1:45 PM – 2:30 PM

Track 1: Risk Adjustment and Program Integrity

Lead with Quality, and Risk Will Follow: A Multi-Modality Strategy for Social Needs, Quality, Risk Adjustment, and Cost Reduction

  • Closing quality gaps through in-home visits, telehealth, encounter facilitation, shipped labs, and health fairs provides efficient, scalable, and member-friendly ways to improve HEDIS® and Stars performance 
  • Members with open quality gaps often have risk-adjustable conditions, making these same clinical touchpoints an ideal opportunity to accurately capture risk while reducing RADV exposure and avoiding concerns about “diagnosis harvesting.” 
  • Investing in preventive care and SDoH gap closure is the most cost-effective approach, helping close gaps earlier, improve outcomes, boost Star Ratings, and generate long-term revenue through compliant, proactive risk adjustment 

 

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Speaker

John Criswell

Founder, CEO, Chairman at Porter

1:45 PM – 2:30 PM

RISE Innovation Theater 2

Physician-Led Programs: Driving Quality and Sustainability

  • See how physician-led programs ensure quality care while meeting risk adjustment standards 
  • Explore how to use data and metrics to guide performance, improve compliance, and support patient outcomes 
  • Understand how building strong, clinically sound programs today positions providers for long-term success regardless of policy changes 
  • Learn from examples like early dementia screening programs that improve detection and patient support.
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Speaker

Nirmala Kishun

Senior VP, Population Health at MCR Health

1:45 PM – 2:30 PM

Track 3: Value-Based Partnerships and Provider Alignment

Shifting to the left: Comprehensive In-Year Gap Closure for Risk and Quality

  • Build comprehensive patient profile: Leveraging multiple data sets and implementing strategies from pre-visit to post-visit to help build comprehensive patient profiles at the point of care.  
  • Enable shift to value-based care: Implement programs and best practices to help providers navigate through the shift to value-based care and boost provider education year-over-year, assisting your team to stay up to date on the latest strategies. 
  • Mitigate risk and improve documentation: Evaluate and refine your tactics for effective documentation specificity gap closure using various care modalities, such as pre-visit, concurrent, in-office and in-home approaches to facilitate complete and accurate documentation and be prepared for CMS/HHS/OIG audits.
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Speaker

Arati Swadi

MBA, Vice President of Risk Adjustment at Optum

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Speaker

John Barkley

VP of Risk Adjustment & Data Integrity at Emblem

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Speaker

Judith Cox-Lee

Director of KS/MO Region at Optum Care Midwest

1:45 PM – 2:30 PM

RISE Innovation Theater 1

The Netflix Effect in Population Health: Hyper-Personalized Journeys for Better Outcomes

  • Recognize the limitations of standardized population health programs and why personalization is now essential 
  • Explore how data-driven segmentation, AI, and consumer-inspired strategies can be used to curate hyper-personalized “health playlists” to create more compelling education, outreach, and care management strategies 
  • Evaluate success through metrics that capture clinical outcomes, engagement and satisfaction
Photo of Natasha VanWright

Speaker

Natasha VanWright

RN, SVP Clinical Operations at Belong Health

2:30 PM

2:30 PM – 3:00 PM

Networking Break in Exhibit Hall

3:00 PM

3:00 PM – 3:45 PM

Track 4: AI Automation and Data Strategy

Activate Real-time EHR Integration to Enable Concurrent Risk Adjustment Accuracy and Improve Care Management

  • Reduce administrative burden within your providers' workflow 
  • Streamline prior authorization efficiency 
  • Improve RADV preparedness and risk score accuracy
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Speaker

Kathryn Eshelman

MD, VP, Clinical Informatics at Inovalon

3:00 PM – 3:45 PM

Track 3: Value-Based Partnerships and Provider Alignment

Assess Analyze Act: Strategy to Achieve Better Compliance & VBC Outcomes

  • Build a unified platform for collecting robust & comprehensive supplemental data sets across your entire provider network, to achieve better risk, quality, and cost/utilization benchmarks for your members 
  • Access actionable data for improving compliance for closing gaps across quality, coding, pharmacy, care management, and population health while complying with regulatory requirements like medical prior authorization 
  • Analyze the data sets using sophisticated modeling techniques & standards based on regulatory and performance metrics 
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Speaker

Rohit Shinde

Vice President at Healow, LLC

3:00 PM – 3:45 PM

RISE Innovation Theater 1

Kickbacks in Medicare Advantage: The New Enforcement Frontier

  • Explore why DOJ and OIG are intensifying scrutiny of kickback schemes in Medicare Advantage 
  • Examine major settlements and court rulings that are shaping compliance expectations 
  • Evaluate the role of insurance brokers and brokerage firms in alleged kickback schemes 
  • Identify proactive steps plans and providers can take to avoid violations and strengthen compliance programs
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Speaker

Gregory A. Mason

Esquire at Pietragallo Gordon Alfano Bosick & Raspanti, LLP

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Speaker

Max Voldman

Partner at Whistleblower Partners LLP

3:00 PM – 3:45 PM

RISE Innovation Theater 2

Medicaid in Transition: Policy Shifts, Vulnerable Populations, and the Path Ahead

  • Examine how the “One Big Beautiful Bill” and new government rules could reshape Medicaid and its connection to Medicare Advantage 
  • Discuss the latest developments on Medicaid work requirements and the implications for managed Medicaid plans 
  • Explore how new legislation and federal initiatives around AI will influence care delivery, compliance, and oversight 
  • Consider the unique needs of individuals aging into Medicare from Medicaid and how to better support some of the nation’s most vulnerable populations

3:55 PM

3:55 PM – 4:40 PM

RISE Innovation Theater 1

Bridging Benefits: Strengthening Coordination Between VA and Medicare Advantage

  • Explore how VA and MA plans can collaborate to improve the veteran care experience 
  • Understand where veterans’ benefits and MA coverage intersect 
  • Share strategies for accurate coding and risk capture across both systems 
  • Identify opportunities to build a more seamless path forward for veteran populations
Silhouette of a person

Speaker

Ray Shackelford

Medicare Product Development Partner at Select Health

3:55 PM – 4:40 PM

Track 1: Risk Adjustment and Program Integrity

How Autonomous AI Coding Makes NLP Obsolete by Solving the Risk Adjustment Trilemma: Speed, Accuracy, and Value

  • Quantify the Cost of Inefficiency: Learn to quantify the financial drain of outdated NLP and manual coding, revealing the true cost of these inefficient processes 
  • Avoid Financial Leakage and Mitigate Audit Risk: Discover how novel AI can eliminate coding waste and improve data accuracy, boosting financial performance and reducing millions in RADV Audit clawbacks 
  • Your Path to Autonomous Coding with Neuro-Symbolic AI: Learn how to transition from manual to autonomous coding on a unified platform, achieving unprecedented efficiency and full auditability 

 

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Speaker

Michael Clark

President & CGO at RAAPID INC

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Speaker

Wynda Clayton

Director, Risk Adjustment at RAAPID INC

3:55 PM – 4:40 PM

RISE Innovation Theater 2

Risk Mitigation and Coding Accuracy: Getting it Right the First Time

  • Master best practices to meet CMS scrutiny and ensure precise diagnosis coding 
  • Identify vulnerabilities early and implement proactive strategies to reduce compliance risks 
  • Build stronger partnerships with providers to align on coding accuracy and streamline claims submissions
  • Understand how accurate coding and effective collaboration drive compliance and organizational success
Photo of Deb Curry

Speaker

Deb Curry

Director of Risk Adjustment Programs at Medical Mutual

3:55 PM – 4:40 PM

VBC Workshop

4:45 PM

4:45 PM – 6:00 PM

Networking Cocktail Reception in Exhibit Hall

Join us for drinks, hors d’oeuvres, and face-to-face networking with peers.

Wednesday - March 25, 2026

7:30 AM

7:30 AM – 11:00 AM

Exhibit Hall Open

7:30 AM

7:30 AM – 9:00 AM

Networking Breakfast in Exhibit Hall

8:00 AM

8:00 AM – 11:00 AM

Help Desk Open

9:15 AM

9:15 AM – 9:20 AM

Day Two Welcome Remarks and Day One Takeaways

Photo of Liz Haynes

Speaker

Liz Haynes

Risk Adjustment & Stars Government Programs at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City

9:20 AM

9:20 AM – 10:20 AM

Keynote Address

Keynote

10:20 AM

10:20 AM – 10:50 AM

Networking Break in Exhibit Hall

11:35 AM

11:35 AM – 12:15 PM

Member Panel: From Metrics to Meaning: What Members Want from Health Plans in 2026 and Beyond

In this powerful panel, we hear directly from members and caregivers about their experiences navigating health plans, providers, and support systems. Panelists will share what builds (and breaks) trust, what meaningful engagement feels like, and how healthcare organizations can move from transactional encounters to lasting relationships.  

  • Understand member perspectives on communication, access, trust, and care coordination 
  • Explore how lived experiences shape engagement, adherence, and satisfaction 
  • Identify actionable ways health plans and providers can co-create systems that support whole-person health and improve outcomes
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Speaker

Erica OIenski

Board-Certified Patient Advocate

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Speaker

Laura Cooley

PhD, Editor-in-Chief at Journal of Patient Experience

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Speaker

Naomi Williams

Patient Advocate

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Speaker

Pamela Corcoran

Patient Advocate

12:15 PM

12:15 PM – 12:30 PM

Closing Remarks

Photo of Liz Haynes

Speaker

Liz Haynes

Risk Adjustment & Stars Government Programs at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City

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