April 21-22 in French Lick, Indiana
Rooted in Resilience
CEUs: This event is approved for 7.5 CEUs for Indiana licensed administrators, social workers, occupational therapists, and SHRM approved for HR professionals.
Schedule
Tuesday, April 21
11:30am – 1:00pm
Attendee Check-in/Registration & Exhibits
1:00pm – 2:30pm
Opening Keynote:
Lead Fully Charged by Marli Williams
Lead Fully Charged: How to Navigate Change & Challenge with Confidence
In today’s fast-paced and ever-changing world of long-term care, nursing home administrators are being asked to do more with less, balancing regulatory changes, staffing shortages, rising demands, and the pressure to deliver exceptional resident care every single day. The weight of responsibility is immense, and without the right tools, burnout and exhaustion can creep in quickly.
In this inspiring and practical keynote, leadership expert and master facilitator Marli Williams introduces the Lead Fully Charged Framework, a human-centered approach to managing your energy, not just your time. Through engaging stories, interactive insights, and actionable strategies, you’ll learn how to recharge yourself and your teams so you can lead with clarity, resilience, and confidence.
You’ll discover how to:
- Recognize and recover from the energy drains that cause stress and burnout
- Protect your energy with clear boundaries and intentional focus
- Reignite motivation and morale across your staff and teams
- Foster a culture of trust, positivity, and resilience within your organization
This isn’t just another leadership session, it’s a powerful reset. Walk away feeling energized, equipped, and empowered to navigate change and challenge with confidence, while continuing to create the meaningful impact your residents, families, and teams depend on.
Sponsored by TeamHealth
2:30pm – 2:45pm
BREAK / Exhibits
2:45pm – 4:15pm
General Session:
Expanding Your Window of Tolerance by Dennis McIntee
Expanding Your Window of Tolerance: Leading with Calm When it Counts Most
Every healthcare leader knows what it feels like to be stretched thin. Patients, staff shortages, shifting priorities, nonstop calls all while trying to stay calm and compassionate. (In healthcare, pressure is part of the job. The pace is fast, the stakes are high, and emotions often run even higher.) Some leaders seem to handle it with steady grace, while others find themselves running on fumes. What separates them isn’t talent or toughness. It’s something deeper: the size of their “window of tolerance.” This window represents that space where you think clearly, stay grounded, and lead with confidence even when the pressure is relentless. When you slip outside that window, it shows up fast: tense interactions, emotional fatigue, and decisions made in the heat of the moment. Stay there too long, and burnout takes hold not just for you, but for the whole team watching you lead. In this session, we’ll explore what it really means to expand that window, and why it may be the most overlooked leadership skill in healthcare today. With humor, insight, and real-world examples, we’ll look at how widening your emotional capacity directly impacts team morale, retention, and resilience. Because when leaders manage stress well, they don’t just survive, they set the tone for a healthy, stable culture where people want to stay. You’ll walk away encouraged, grounded, and equipped with simple, practical strategies to bring your best self and your best leadership even on the hardest days.
Learning Outcomes:
- Why Narrow-Window Leadership erodes trust, engagement, and focus
- How to quickly recognize when you’ve drifted outside your optimal zone and get back on track
- Use The Stress Converter™ to manage stress in real time and prevent burnout
- Build a culture that supports emotional health, retention, and sustainable Performance
Sponsored by Krieg DeVault
4:15pm – 5:30pm
Cocktails & Conversations/Exhibits
Wednesday, April 22
8:30am – 9:00am
Attendee Breakfast & Exhibits
9:00am – 10:15am
Breakfast Keynote Session
National Healthcare Update by Clif Porter
National LTC Update
Join AHCA/NCAL President & CEO, Clif Porter, as he gives a national and industry update relevant to the long term care industry. Paul Peaper, IHCA/INCAL President, will also be providing a state update.
Sponsored by Hylant
10:15am – 10:30am
BREAK / Exhibits
10:30am-11:30am
General Session
Rooted in Resilience: Building Nursing Staff Development & Mentorship Programs That Strengthen Retention by Eleisha Wilkes
Rooted in Resilience: Building Nursing Staff Development & Mentorship Programs That Strengthen Retention
This session explores how intentional nursing staff development and mentorship programs serve as the foundation for workforce resilience, retention, and leadership growth in long-term care. Participants will learn practical, scalable strategies to support new and existing nursing staff through structured onboarding, competency development, mentorship pairing, and career pathway planning. Emphasis will be placed on building sustainable systems that reduce turnover, strengthen engagement, and support quality outcomes.
Learning Objectives
- Develop actionable strategies to implement or strengthen mentorship and staff development initiatives within their facility.
- Describe the key components of an effective nursing staff development and mentorship program.
- Explain how structured mentorship supports retention, engagement, and clinical performance.
12:00pm – 1:15pm
Luncheon Keynote Session
Emotional Wellness for Exhausted Caregivers by Mike Veny
Fill Your Cup: Emotional Wellness For Exhausted Caregivers
You’ve heard the saying: You cannot pour from an empty cup. As a caregiver, your cup may be empty, or close to it. After pouring yourself into your job and your residents, there is often little left in that cup for you, your family, and others. It may have led you to question your career choice and possibly even your true passion and purpose in life. Filling your cup can be challenging, but it can be done. This presentation will provide caregivers with tools and strategies for protecting and promoting their emotional wellness while supporting the wellbeing of their residents. First, you will learn how to let go of worry and get control of your time. Next, you will learn how to take care of yourself. Finally, you will learn strategies for supporting your residents’ emotional wellness.
Learning Objectives:
- Identify strategies for supporting emotional wellness, including conversations about mental health.
- Identify strategies for spending your time and energy efficiently, productively, and peacefully.
- Identify strategies for managing stress and preventing burnout.
Sponsored by Renewal Rehab
1:15pm – 1:30pm
BREAK
1:30pm – 2:30pm
Closing Keynote Session
Hiring for Heart: Innovating Recruitment of Frontline Workers by Farron Barnhardt
Hiring for Heart: Innovating Recruitment of Frontline Workers
This session will give providers innovative recruitment ideas that will lead to long-term retention of frontline workers. Knowledge will be given on how to identify “heart” and mission alignment in the hiring process, and how providers can move beyond worker skills to focus on long-term fit and cultural alignment. Mr. Barnhardt will provide the audience with recruitment tools that increase loyalty and reduce early turnover. Outcomes of this session include stronger teams, improved satisfaction, and reduced turnover costs.
Speaker Information
Marli Williams
Marli Williams
Marli Williams, is a powerhouse in transformational leadership, a master facilitator, and a true champion of those who lead and serve others. With over two decades of experience helping individuals, teams, and organizations step into their fullest potential. She holds a Master’s Degree in Education and has empowered thousands through her high-energy keynotes, retreats, and leadership trainings. Marli is also the host of the globally ranked Let’s Lead Together Podcast and the creator of The Connect Deck, a powerful tool for igniting meaningful conversations. Known as The Ambassador of Being Stoked, Marli brings her signature blend of inspiration, real talk, and contagious enthusiasm to empower leaders to step boldly into their vision without sacrificing joy, authenticity or their sanity in the process. Get ready to feel seen, supported and seriously inspired.
Dennis McIntee
Dennis McIntee
Dennis McIntee, a business consultant, gifted keynote speaker, executive coach and author, travels across the world speaking at leadership summits, management training events and healthcare conferences, to name a few. His three-decade career included stints in Africa, Poland, Germany, and throughout greater Europe where he coached and consulted with growing leaders. Through his experience, Dennis developed a systematic approach to helping his clients reach their goals through coaching, speaking, courses, and teaching techniques that enact transformational change. Ultimately, Dennis is passionate about helping leaders create high-trust, high-performance cultures while becoming the best version of themselves they can be. Dennis is also the author of The 8 Qualities of Drama Free Teams, The Power of Pursuit, and Drama Free Teams in Healthcare. He has been married to his wife, Lisa, for over 30 years and together they have four children. Dennis is an avid runner and enjoys training for races.
Clif Porter
Clif Porter
Clifton (Clif) Porter, II is the President and CEO of the American Health Care Association and the National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL), which represents more than 15,000 not-for-profit and proprietary nursing homes, assisted living communities, and intermediate care facilities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Prior to this role, Porter led the association’s government relations team as Senior Vice President for 11 years. In this position, Porter was intricately involved in many legislative accomplishments, including securing billions in life-saving resources for the sector during the COVID-19 pandemic. With more than 36 years of experience in long term care, Porter began his career in 1989 as an administrator-in-training at a skilled nursing facility. He subsequently served as an administrator at several skilled nursing centers from 1990 to 1998, and then as a regional director of operations in a large urban market from 1998 to 2004. He later joined HCR ManorCare (now ProMedica Senior Care) as Vice President of Government Relations, where he led the company’s advocacy efforts for nearly a decade. Additionally, he has held positions on various state health care association boards. Porter has received several accolades for his advocacy work, including the Industry Ally Award from McKnight’s Long-Term Care News and a spot on The Hill’s Top 100 Lobbyists list. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) School of Medicine in Healthcare Management. He and his wife, Deborah, established the Porter Legacy Scholarship to support diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts for students pursuing bachelor’s degrees in health services at VCU’s College of Health Professions.
Mike Veny
Mike Veny
Determined to overcome a lifetime of severe mental health challenges, Mike’s career began as a professional drummer and evolved into becoming a change maker in the workplace wellness industry. As a child, Mike was expelled from several schools, attempted suicide, and spent time in psychiatric hospitals for extended periods. Now he uses those experiences to power unforgettable wellness solutions that fuse lived experience with rhythm and artistry.
Farron Barnhardt
Farron Barnhardt
Farron brings more than 40 years of experience in senior living operations, with a career rooted in service, leadership, and a deep commitment to the people who make this work meaningful for both residents and team members.
He has spent decades leading communities, supporting teams, and stepping into complex situations where stability, clarity, and strong leadership are needed most. Known for his ability to turn around underperforming environments, Farron approaches each opportunity with a practical mindset, a calm presence, and a focus on doing what works, not just what looks good on paper.
At his core, Farron is a builder of people and teams. He has mentored hundreds of leaders throughout his career, helping them grow in confidence, strengthen their leadership, and navigate the realities of senior living with both accountability and compassion. His experience spans independent living, assisted living, and memory care, giving him a well-rounded perspective on the unique challenges and opportunities within each setting.
Farron believes that strong communities are built through trust, consistency, and a shared sense of purpose. His work focuses on creating environments where teams feel supported, residents feel known, and operations run with both efficiency and heart.
Outside of his professional work, Farron has remained committed to service through hospice involvement and mentoring homeless youth, reflecting the same values he brings into the communities he leads.
Eleisha Wilkes
Eleisha Wilkes
Eleisha Wilkes, RN, GERO-BC, RAC-CTA, RAC-CT, DNS-CT, Senior Clinical Consultant
Eleisha Wilkes is a Board Certified Gerontological Nurse and AAPACN certified MDS consultant with over twenty years of experience in long term care.
She has served as a Director of Nursing, Case Manager and Resident Assessment Coordinator with extensive responsibility and success in driving QA in the areas of person-centered assessment and care planning through effective systems, staff development, and interdisciplinary team collaboration. Eleisha specializes in RAI completion, MDS validation audits, Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement compliance, competency-based staff education programs, and works with clients extensively to facilitate SNF/NF survey readiness. She also contributes to McKnight’s LTC News as the “Ask the Payment Expert” columnist.
Eleisha currently serves as an RN Senior Clinical Consultant with Proactive LTC Consulting.
Hotel Information
Guest rooms available in West Baden Springs Hotel only.
Call 855-435-4167 and use the group code 0426IHC
Nearby Options:
French Lick Best Western 812-936-0520 (no official IHCA rate)
Big Splash Adventure 812-936-3866 (no official IHCA rate)
Exhibitor Information
Download Tabletop Booth Schedule
Shipping Address:
French Lick Resort Attention: Josey Gilstrap / IHCA
8331 t State Rd 56 STE #3
West Baden, IN 47469