Connect. Inspire. Lead.
The nation’s only essential conference
Our Programming
Virtual VITAL2021 offers an unparalleled program with multiple daily education sessions focused on policy and finance, innovations in health care, executive leadership lessons, and improving population health. Read more about each track and full session descriptions below.
Continuing Education
America’s Essential Hospitals is authorized to award preapproved ACHE Qualified Education credit (non-ACHE) for VITAL2021 toward advancement or recertification in the American College of Healthcare Executives. To apply continuing education hours toward ACHE Qualified Education credit, attendees should indicate their participation in VITAL2021 when applying to the American College of Healthcare Executives. A uniform certificate of attendance will be available within our online conference platform and can also be obtained by contacting events@essentialhospitals.org. We encourage you to use the uniform certificate of attendance to calculate your total number of earned continuing education units (CEUs) and submit to ACHE.
Schedule at a Glance
Tuesday, June 22
12–12:15 pm
Welcome and President’s Address
12:15–1 pm
Patient Access Strategies to Foster Growth and Patient Satisfaction
1–1:10 pm
Refresh Break
1:10–1:55 pm
Using Civic Engagement to Improve Health
1:10–1:55 pm
Implementing a Behavioral Health Open-Access Intake Phone Line
1:55–2:25 pm
Coffee and Chat with CEO Bruce Siegel
1:55–2:25 pm
Telehealth-Focused Networking Discussion
2:25–3:10 pm
A Few Minutes with Us—A CEO’s COVID-19 Communications Journey
2:25–3:10 pm
Maternal Medical Home: Innovating to Reduce Maternal Mortality
3:10–3:20 pm
Refresh Break
3:20–4:05 pm
State Perspectives on Current Health Policy
4:10–4:15 pm
Closing Remarks
Wednesday, June 23
12–12:15 pm
Welcome and 2020-2021 Chair’s Address
12:10–12:55 pm
Federal Legislative and Regulatory Update
12:55–1:05 pm
Refresh Break
1:05–1:50 pm
Training and Supporting Community Health Workers
1:05–1:50 pm
Building a Foundation for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
1:50–2:20 pm
Mindful Yoga/Meditation Break
2:20–3:05 pm
Foundations of Essential Hospital Financing
2:20–3:05 pm
Optimizing Flow and Capacity During the COVID-19 Pandemic
3:05–3:15 pm
Refresh Break
3:15–4 pm
Barry R. Freedman Leadership Lecture Keynote
Speaker: Ibram X. Kendi
4:05–4:10 pm
Closing Remarks
Thursday, June 24
12–12:50 pm
Welcome and 2021 Gage Awards Ceremony
12:50–1 pm
Refresh Break
1–1:45 pm
Medicare Funding of Residency Training: New GME Rules in 2021
1–1:45 pm
Creating a Culture of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
1:45–2:15 pm
Mindful Yoga/Meditation Break
2:15–3 pm
Reaching High-Risk Populations During Epidemics
2:15–3 pm
Staff Wellness and Resiliency
3–3:10 pm
Refresh Break
3:10–3:55 pm
Ingraining Equity into Quality and Safety: A Systemwide Strategy
4–4:05 pm
Closing Remarks
Friday, June 25
12–12:10 pm
Welcome and 2021-2022 Chair’s Address
12:15–1:15 pm
Leadership Lessons: Combating Racism and Creating Inclusive Health Systems
1:15–1:25 pm
Refresh Break
1:25–2:10 pm
Honoring the Most Trusted Profession: Registered Nurses
1:25–2:10 pm
The Diabetes Epidemic: A Comprehensive Patient Care Model
2:10–2:40 pm
Trivia Break
2:10–2:40 pm
340B-Focused Networking Discussion
2:40–3:25 pm
It Takes a Village: Partnering to Provide Pandemic Child Care for Staff
2:40–3:25 pm
Closing the Loop: Electronic Referrals to Address SDOH
3:25–3:35 pm
Refresh Break
3:35–4:20 pm
Acute Hospital Care at Home
4:25–4:30 pm
Closing Remarks
About Our Tracks
Sessions will focus on solutions to current public policy and financial issues unique to essential hospitals. Past topics have included Medicaid supplemental payments, waiver initiatives, telehealth policy, graduate medical education, and state-level 340B Drug Pricing Program policies.
Sessions will showcase new and promising programs that demonstrate groundbreaking initiatives in caring for vulnerable populations and ensuring equitable access to high-value care. Sessions may focus on innovative programs that integrate clinical practice into the health system’s overarching mission and goals, quality improvement, managing operations during a pandemic or other public health threat, and patient-centered care.
Sessions will target the hard and soft skills necessary to lead complex and evolving hospitals and health systems dedicated to serving their communities. Sessions may focus on lessons learned from leadership experiences and the importance of strategic partnerships, combating structural racism, culture change, reducing employee burnout, and climate resilience.
Sessions will offer expertise on improving the health outcomes for a group of individuals by engaging internal and external stakeholders to serve community needs. Sessions may focus on leveraging policies and procedures at the hospital, local, state, and federal levels to support community well-being; innovative financing models; cross-sector partnerships; and aligning community benefit investment with population health efforts. Programs and practices that address social determinants of health and ultimately aim to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in health and health care will be highlighted.
Questions?
Contact us at events@essentialhospitals.org
America’s Essential Hospitals
401 Ninth St. NW, Suite 900,
Washington, DC 20004
202.585.0100