2025 CHA Rural Conference at Annual Meeting
Sept. 24 – 25 | Cheyenne Mountain Resort | Colorado Springs
- 10 – 10:15 a.m. Welcome and Introductions
- Jeff Tieman, president and CEO, CHA
- 10:15 – 11 a.m. Opening Keynote: When Times are Tough…Look Within
- Brian Elms, founder and CEO, Change Agents Training
- Tight budgets. Staffing shortages. Burnout. Reimbursement cuts. Slow tech rollouts. Rising service demands. All of it can make health care work feel overwhelming — and joyless. But what if the answer isn’t just more resources — but better use of what you already have? Nationally recognized innovation and performance expert Brian Elms can’t give you more hours, dollars, or staff — but he can show you how to do much more with what you’ve got. In this high-energy, practical session, Brian will share proven tools and strategies to help you identify inefficiencies, eliminate wasteful work, and reignite purpose. His techniques are simple, scalable, and effective — no matter your role or team size. Drawing from decades of experience driving real changes in governments and nonprofits, Brian’s approach helps organizations improve services fast — benefiting both staff and the people they serve. (0.75 ACHE qualified credit)
- 11 – 11:30 a.m. Networking Break
- 11:30 – 11:45 a.m. John Gardner Award Presentation
- 11:45 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. TBA
- 12:30 – 1:45 p.m. Exhibit Hall and Networking Lunch
- 1:45 – 2:45 p.m. CONCURRENT SESSIONS (1.0 ACHE qualified credit)
- Trustee Track: Governance in Action: The Board’s Role in Clinical Excellence
- Chris DeRienzo, MD, chief physician executive, American Hospital Association
- Striking the right balance of board oversight in clinical operations without overstepping on day-to-day activities are challenging but critical for any hospital. Equally important to understanding data and performance measures is elevating the story of why quality and patient safety matters in your community. This session will provide tools on how to share information, engage audiences, and promote the clinical work of your hospital.
- Clinical Excellence: Grassroots Advocacy: Elevating the Clinical Voice Panel
- Moderator: Amy Lavigne, senior director quality and patient experience, Vail Health
- Panelists:
- Sarah Meirose, senior manager, public affairs, Copic
- Chet Seward, chief strategy officer, Colorado Medical Society
- Danielle Schloffman, director of nursing, innovation and outcomes, UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital, secretary of legislative affairs, Colorado Organization of Nurse Leaders
- Rural Leaders: Reflections on 40 Years in Rural Health Care
- Dave Ressler, CEO, Aspen Valley Health and Jeff Tieman, president and CEO, CHA
- Join us for a candid and inspiring conversation with Dave Ressler as he prepares to retire after more than four decades in health care. With a career that includes nearly two decades at the helm of Aspen Valley Health, Dave has contributed to and witnessed the evolution of Colorado’s health care landscape firsthand. In this fireside chat, he’ll share stories from his career, thoughts on succession planning, and his hopes for the next generation of health care leaders. Don’t miss this opportunity to celebrate a remarkable career and gain lasting insights from one of Colorado’s most respected rural leaders.
- Trustee Track: Governance in Action: The Board’s Role in Clinical Excellence
- 2:45 – 3:15 p.m. Networking Break
- 3:15 – 4:15 p.m. CONCURRENT SESSIONS (1.0 ACHE qualified credit)
- Trustee Track: Grassroots Advocacy: Local Organizing Panel
- Moderator: Zachary D’Argonne, president and CEO, Eastern Plains Healthcare Consortium
- Sara Blackhurst, president, Action Colorado
- Brittany Dixon, executive director, Club 20
- Clinical Excellence: From Competence to Confidence: Developing a Clinical Leader
- Chris DeRienzo, MD, chief physician executive, American Hospital Association
- Kelly Gallegos, chief nursing officer, UCHealth Memorial Hospital
- Clinical excellence requires leadership at every stage of practice. This session focuses on cultivating leadership competencies among clinicians to drive innovation, quality improvement, and organizational alignment. Attendees will explore frameworks for leadership development and strategies for supporting emerging leaders.
- Rural Leaders: TBA
- Trustee Track: Grassroots Advocacy: Local Organizing Panel
- 4:15 – 5:15 p.m. Panel Discussion with House and Senate Health Committee Chairs (1.0 ACHE qualified credit)
- Moderator: TBA
- Panelists:
- Rep. Kyle Brown, chair, House Health and Human Services Committee
- Sen. Kyle Mullica, chair, Senate Health and Human Services Committee
- 5:15 – 5:30 p.m. American Hospital Association Milestone Award
- Mary Naylor, regional executive, Region 8, American Hospital Association
- 5:30 – 7 p.m. Networking Reception
- 7:15 – 8:15 a.m.
- Trustee Breakfast
- CEO Breakfast Roundtable
- Networking Breakfast
- 8:15 – 8:30 a.m. Day Two Welcome
- Dave Ressler, CEO, Aspen Valley Health/board chair, CHA
- 8:30 – 9:30 a.m. TBA
- 9:30 – 10:15 a.m. CONCURRENT SESSIONS (1.0 ACHE qualified credits)
- Trustee Track: TBA
- Clinical Excellence: Realistic Approaches to Rural Value-Based Care
- Moderator: Marnell Bradfield, executive director, Community Care Alliance
- Rural Leaders: Rural Futures Policy Roadmap
- Rural Futures Team
- 10:15 – 10:30 a.m. Networking Break
- 10:30 – 11:15 a.m. Closing Keynote: Be The Best Part of Their Day: Communication Strategies That Inspire Trust and Engagement
- David Schreiner, PhD, president and CEO, Katherine Shaw Bethea
- 11:15 – 11:30 a.m. Closing Remarks and What’s Next
- Josh Hannes, CHA vice president, rural policy and strategy
- 11:30 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. Networking Lunch
Thank You to Our Sponsors and Exhibitors
The high-caliber speakers and activities at the 2025 Rural Conference at Annual Meeting would not be possible without the continuing support of the Association’s exhibitors and sponsors. CHA thanks these organizations and encourages attendees to become acquainted with them.
Who Should Attend
CEOs and other C-Suite executives, administrators, senior executives, trustees, nursing and physician executives, and department heads. Urban hospital representatives are also welcome.
Location
Cheyenne Mountain Resort | 3225 Broadmoor Valley Road, Colorado Springs, CO 80906 | 719.538.4000
Hotel Information
The conference will be held at the Cheyenne Mountain Resort. Reservations may be made online for the discounted room rate of $209 per night (plus a resort fee, taxes, and other fees) until 5 p.m. MT on Tuesday, Sept. 2.
After that time, all reservations will be made on a space-available basis and at the current best available rate.
Continuing Education Credits
By attending the 2025 CHA Rural Conference at Annual Meeting offered by Colorado Hospital Association, participants may earn up to 7.25 American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) Qualified Education Hours toward initial certification or recertification of the Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE) designation.
Americans with Disabilities Act
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, CHA will make every reasonable effort to accommodate your request. For any special requests, contact Colorado Hospital Association at [email protected] or 720.330.6034 before the meeting dates.
Registration Fees
2025 CHA Rural Conference at Annual Meeting Sept. 24 – 25 | Member Rate | Non-Member Rate | Non-exhibiting Associate Partner |
Early Bird: By Friday, Sept. 5 | $465 | $1,860 | $930 |
Standard: Friday, Sept. 5 – Friday, Sept. 12 | $540 | $1,935 | $1,005 |
Onsite: After Friday, Sept. 12 | $565 | $1,960 | $1,030 |
Trustee from CHA Member Hospital or Health System | $100 | ||
Significant Other, Spouse, or Guest | $275 | ||
Faculty | $465 | ||
Student | $265 |
By registering, participants agree to refrain from marketing services and products during the 2025 CHA Rural Conference at Annual Meeting unless they are under contract as an official 2025 CHA Rural Conference at Annual Meeting exhibitor and/or sponsor.
Cancellations
All cancellations and/or attendee substitutions must be submitted in writing to CHA via email at [email protected]. All cancellations received before Wednesday, Sept. 17, will be refunded less a $155 cancellation fee. After Wednesday, Sept. 17, no refunds will be processed. Registration fees cannot be transferred to another CHA program.
Important Dates
- Tuesday, Sept. 2: The CHA discounted hotel rates at the Cheyenne Mountain Resort (the venue where the Rural Conference will be held) are available through this date for a limited number of rooms. Discounted rooms are available on a first-come, first-served basis – please book early to ensure your spot.
- Friday, Sept. 5: Early-bird registration deadline – higher fees will apply after this date.
- Friday, Sept. 12: Standard registration deadline – higher fees will apply after this date.
- Wednesday, Sept. 17: Pre-registration deadline – all registrations after this date must be handled on-site and higher fees will apply.