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.

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

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.

Climbing and Alternative Peak

Colorado’s home care agencies are facing an unprecedented convergence of financial and administrative challenges. Following the 2025 Medicaid rate reductions and mounting regulatory demands, agency leaders are under growing pressure to sustain operations while ensuring compliance and timely reimbursement. This session, led by Paradigm Senior Services, a national leader in third-party payer billing for Medicaid and VA programs, will provide agency executives and billing teams with actionable strategies to improve cash flow, reduce claim denials, and maintain compliance in a tightening reimbursement landscape. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of how to optimize billing processes, manage risk, and leverage technology to safeguard financial health. Leaving this session with a clear roadmap for protecting their bottom line amid policy uncertainty, attendees will be grounded in proven operational strategies, payer insights, and compliance expertise.

Discover how home health, home care, and hospice agencies can harness the power of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies to enhance efficiency and care quality. This session explores practical, affordable strategies to automate administrative tasks, reduce documentation errors, and improve communication across clinical and operational teams. Participants will learn how AI tools can streamline scheduling, operations, and compliance monitoring—allowing staff to focus more on delivering compassionate, high-quality patient care. We’ll also address key legal, ethical, and privacy considerations to ensure responsible implementation that protects patients and staff. By the end of the session, attendees will leave with actionable steps to adopt technology that strengthens outcomes, reduces burnout, and supports a sustainable, patient-centered care model.

In this discussion we will highlight the importance of empathy in combination with creative based education to craft meaningful program success that encourages both empowerment and skill building. This will highlight the importance of a strengths based mindset while utilizing community input to craft programs that honor our community members. We will also examine how to empower staff to remain educated on creative play and empathy driven care as a means to empower those within our program. Finally, we will break down proven and actionable skills to take our programs beyond the status quo and establish ongoing success.

Population is changed by births, deaths, and migration, but is also affected by the economy and jobs. But the aging of the population impacts nearly everything including the labor force, housing, and services required for the people. This presentation will explain how these factors areconnected, show the past demographic trends, and explore Colorado's future population changes.

Many home care and hospice owners have poured their hearts into building successful businesses that provide comfort to patients and meaningful work for their teams. Yet when it’s time to step back—whether through sale, succession, or gradual transition—few feel truly prepared. This session explores how owners can build on the value they’ve created to begin preparing their business for a future sale or succession.We’ll discuss what makes a home care agency attractive to a future owner, how to strengthen leadership and systems to support growth beyond the current owner, and how to align personal financial goals with the next stage of life. Attendees will gain practical tools and insights to begin planning for a transition that preserves what they’ve built and gives them confidence in a secure and fulfilling future.