2026 HHAC Annual Conference

Strengthen your program's disaster preparedness and response through this focused session designed for DME providers. Learn why disaster plans are vital to your program's health and how to meet regulatory requirements. Explore various disaster types and assess their potential impact on patient care. Grain tools to build and maintain an effective emergency response team, streamline communication, and keep patients at the center of response efforts. Understand the importance of a stand-down plan and how to conduct a post-incident review to improve future preparedness. Leave equipped with actionable strategies to enhance resilience, continuity of care, and operational readiness.

We will evaluate how leaderships trickles from top down, how to successfully grow your culture, increase retention of staff AND patients to grow your brand!

Christine Merriman, Private Duty Nursing
Dr. Paul Hutchings, Long Term Home Health and Therapies
Amanda Smith, IHSS and Personal Care/Homemaker

Remote Supports significantly enhance the independence of older adults within their own homes. Some of the services that are provided include 24/7 live virtual care, combining the benefits of technology with targeted in-person support. These offerings are designed to boost safety, decrease the likelihood of rehospitalization, and alleviate feelings of loneliness. A range of payment options are available, including private pay and Medicaid waivers, to make these services accessible.

Pain Management: The Basics and Beyond.

This session focuses on key concepts of pain management that are essential for optimal medication use, yet often go unrecognized by hospice and palliative care teams. Metabolic considerations, dosing parameters, and toxicity profiles are reviewed. This session will ensure that both seasoned clinicians and those newer to hospice and palliative care feel confident in their ability to safely and effectively manage their patients’ pain.

This presentation provides a practical, regulation-based review of the most common survey questions and compliance challenges faced by Colorado home care agencies. Using real-world scenarios, it walks participants through key regulatory interpretations related to QMAP use, IHSS oversight, Start of Care requirements, documentation expectations, and telehealth limitations. The session also addresses complex operational issues, including shared location compliance, Geographic Service Area (GSA) expansions, and coordination when multiple agencies serve the same client.Attendees will learn how surveyors evaluate operational separation, clinical oversight, staff credentials, and provider communication—and how deficiencies are developed when these elements break down. The session concludes with guidance on handling mistreatment allegations, understanding background check requirements, and strengthening documentation to avoid common citation pathways.The presentation closes with an interactive “Ask a Surveyor” segment, allowing participants to apply regulatory principles to agency-specific situations and clarify compliance expectations directly.

Montessori is more than folding towels. We’ll dive into examples of Montessori for engagement, care delivery and as interventions for behavioral expressions. This will be an active session with a brief introduction to Montessori methods, then we’ll pivot into examples, break out into groups to discuss case studies, and we’ll participate in hands-on engagements

This session delivers a zero-cost formula for driving accelerated growth in community-based healthcare agencies. It diagnoses critical roadblocks (leadership, talent, culture, planning) and reveals a winning formula focused on lead measure utilization. The strategy leverages unique agency differentiators, shifts focus to reach/frequency/messaging for quality sales calls, and integrates clear accountability systems. The presentation concludes by providing a blueprint to overcome the root cause of underperformance: messaging.

In today's ever-changing healthcare market, service quality and clinical outcomes are the primary factors impacting agency reimbursement. Quality isn't just a goal – it is essentially the currency businesses can use to attract and retain customers. With reimbursement increasingly tied to quality metrics, agencies must proactively manage and improve their quality programs to ensure fiscal stability. This session will explore how a strong quality program can protect revenue and optimize operations for increased financial stability.