GHPCO 2025 LEAP SUMMIT
"Leading with heart. Inspiring change. Creating with purpose."
(Jekyll Island, GA - August 25th & 26th)
GHPCO is excited to introduce our completely new and reimagined LEAP Summit, an experience like never before!
Join us for a transformative summit, where creativity meets compassion and visionary leadership lights the path forward in end-of-life care.
This year’s single-track conference offers healthcare leaders a focused opportunity to learn from industry experts, exchange proven strategies, and improve organizational efficiency—you will learn tools and best practices, workplace resilience, enhance staff retention, and address key challenges in care delivery. Connect with us to equip your leadership team for long-term success.
Who should attend?
- CEO's & Administrators
- Owner/ Operators
- Operational Officers
- Program Leaders
Why attend?
Learn from industry experts sharing their knowledge and experience in healthcare leadership
Discover proven strategies to boost organizational efficiency and performance
Access tools and best practices you can implement right away
Build workplace resilience to support your staff and teams
Improve staff retention through leadership development and engagement strategies
Tackle real-world challenges in care delivery with innovative solutions
Take advantage of the regular rates while avaiable from June 1st – July 30th, 2025:
- Regular Member Rate: $449.00
- Regular Non-Member Rate: $549.00
· SPECIAL Package Group Discount:
15% discount when registering 5-10 attendees; register over 10 attendees and receive a 20% discount
(Email hannah@ghpco.org for group rates)
To Book Call: 912-635-2600
**Room rates are valid only until July 30, 2025—reserve early**
***To sponsor or exhibit at any GHPCO events during the 2025–2026 membership year, an Affiliate Membership is required.***
Please complete the steps below:
-Apply for the Affiliate Member Application
-Contact hannah@ghpco.org for more information, if you are not already an Affiliate member of GHPCO.
Get to Know Our Speakers:
Dr. Heather Hodges is an organizational psychologist, keynote speaker, artist, and an expert in leadership development for healthcare organizations.
She is the CEO and Founder of Hodges Group International, LLC. She is the author of, “Heart Work: How to Lead People, Build Culture, and Unleash Creativity in Home Care” and the host of the “I’m IN!” podcast.
- Heather lives in Dallas with her husband, and they have two grown sons.
- She is a below-average pickle ball player, but she makes an award-winning coconut meringue pie!
Lanchi is a partner at Arnall Golden and Gregory in the Healthcare practice, and a member of the Hospitals & Health Systems, Post-Acute & Long-Term Care, Healthcare Privacy/HIPAA, and Healthcare Private Equity industry teams. She is also the chair of the firm’s Hiring Committee and serves as the Hiring Partner.
Lanchi has over 20 years of experience working in the healthcare industry and has distinguished herself as a healthcare lawyer who provides full-service regulatory counsel to providers across the healthcare continuum.
Her clients include hospital systems, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, personal care homes, home health agencies, hospice agencies, outpatient rehabilitation therapy providers, and behavioral health providers, among others.
Her clients appreciate her deep knowledge and multifaceted experience in the healthcare industry, which is the result of a joint degree in law and public health and her prior experience as a licensed, practicing physical therapist.
- With this 360-degree background, Lanchi provides a unique vantage point in partnering with her clients to navigate the complexities of the healthcare industry.
Bill is senior counsel at Arnall Golden and Gregory in the Healthcare practice and a member of the Home Health & Hospice and Post-Acute & Long-Term Care industry teams. As a titan in the home health and hospice field, Bill has 40 years of experience shaping healthcare law and policy and a keen understanding of how to help leaders of home health and hospice care providers solve their legal and operational challenges.
Bill is renowned for his commitment to advancing care at home through legal, legislative, and regulatory advocacy. His background spans all key advocacy forums, including Congress, regulatory bodies, and the courts, where he has engineered laws and regulations that directly impact home health and hospice providers. This breadth of experience enables him to offer clients with a practical framework for compliance standards and operational excellence.
Bill has led several associations in the home health and hospice industry, most recently serving as president and CEO of the National Association for Home Care & Hospice (“NAHC”), and concluding his tenure as president emeritus and counsel for the National Alliance for Care at Home. Prior, he served as the vice president for law at NAHC, executive director of the Center for Health Care Law, and executive director of the Home Care and Hospice Financial Managers Association at NAHC.
- In 1977, he co-founded the Legal Assistance to Medicare Patients, a project of Connecticut Legal Services, where he also served as co-director.
For over four decades, Bill has played a vital role in nearly every legislative and regulatory effort impacting the industry, including the expansion of the Medicare home health benefit, the formation of the hospice benefit, the institution of the Medicare PPS for home health, and the 2010 national healthcare reform legislation. He served as lead counsel in the landmark lawsuit that reformed the Medicare home health services benefit, challenges to HMO home care cutbacks for high-tech home care patients, and lawsuits against Medicaid programs for inadequate payment rates.
Kathleen Benton is the CEO at Hospice Savannah, Inc. She is heavily involved in the region through volunteer advisory board roles and professorships at Armstrong State University and the Mercer University Medical School.
Dr. Benton has a master’s degree in medical ethics and a doctorate in public health. She has authored and reviewed many publications relevant to the topics of palliative care, ethics, hospice, and communication.
Her first publication, a children’s book entitled Daniel’s World: A Book about Children with Disabilities, is the closest to heart. She lives her vocation, passionate about helping families through ethical decision-making processes.
- She resides in Savannah with her husband, Rex, and her three children, Julia Grace, Jack, and Andrew.
After 25 years of leading organizations, he’s thrilled to accompany individuals and organizations! Trace is a passionate leadership and executive coach (ICF PCC), public speaker, workshop facilitator, and community networker.
He loves working with C suite leaders; young people exploring their sense of meaning, purpose, and direction; and clergy/nonprofit leaders. Experienced nonprofit executive in academic, social service, and religious contexts as a teacher, leader, fundraiser, pastor, chaplain, and administrator.
Accomplished in strategic planning, organizational realignment/redevelopment, community service, revenue diversification, budget prioritization, social enterprise development, support/nurture professional development of staff, diversity/inclusion strategies, and conflict mediation.
Certified Presence-Based Coach. Formed in the servant leadership model of Robert Greenleaf, committed to the ideals of Jim Collins' "Good to Great", Gene Sharp's theory of nonviolent resistance, and Otto Scharmer's "Theory U".
- Trace is deeply committed to his family and all they represent in the world.
Jason Lesandrini, FACHE, LPEC, HEC, is the Assistant Vice President for Ethics, Advance Care Planning and Spiritual Health at Wellstar Health System in Georgia, where he leads the strategy and implementation of ethics initiatives.
He holds faculty appointments at Mercer University and South College. Jason is a widely recognized expert in outcomes metrics for ethics programs and served as an ethics expert to numerous professional organizations.
Jason is also founder and principal of The Ethics Architect. The Ethics Architect is an outcomes-driven healthcare consulting firm specializing in the assessment and execution of ethics programming, the creation of ethical cultures and developing ethical leaders.
Dive Into the Program Agenda:
From Accidental to Intentional: Building a Proactive Leadership Pipeline in Hospice & Palliative Care
- Led by Dr. Heather Hodges
In hospice and palliative care, we’re not just facing a staffing crisis—we’re facing a leadership development crisis. Many of our frontline supervisors and case managers are “accidental leaders” who’ve never been trained to manage, coach, or develop their teams.
If we want to improve retention, quality of care, and engagement, we have to stop promoting without preparation. Instead, we need to equip our managers with simple tools and structured conversations that turn reactive leaders into proactive ones. That’s how we build the leadership pipeline hospice and palliative care needs to survive and thrive.
- An immersive experience for hospice organizations, this keynote session is designed to empower hospice and palliative care leaders with tools and insights to elevate their leadership and foster a culture of creativity and collaboration within their teams.
- This session is ideal for leaders at any stage of their journey, from executives and senior leaders to brand new managers and aspiring people leaders.
Navigating the Legal Minefield: Proactive Strategies for Mitigating Workplace Litigation Risk –
- Led by Lanchi Bombalier
In today's complex regulatory environment, workplace litigation poses a significant and growing threat to organizations of all sizes. From discrimination claims and wrongful termination lawsuits to wage and hour disputes and harassment allegations, the financial, reputational, and operational costs can be devastating.
This essential session moves beyond basic legal awareness to provide leaders with the strategic foresight and practical tools needed to proactively identify, assess, and mitigate common litigation risks.
We will explore emerging trends in employment law, delve into the root causes of workplace disputes, and equip attendees with actionable strategies for building a legally resilient and ethically sound work environment.
- Learn how to foster a culture of compliance, conduct thorough investigations, implement robust policies, and empower your team to navigate potential legal minefields with confidence.
- This session is critical for any leader committed to protecting their organization and fostering a positive, compliant workplace culture.
Beyond the Buzzwords: Strategic Approaches to Hospice Audits, Payment & Survey Compliance
- Led by Bill Dombi
Hospice agencies are under increasing scrutiny from payors and regulators alike. This session moves beyond basic compliance to offer strategic frameworks for proactively managing the complex interplay between payment audits and survey issues. We'll examine common audit triggers and denial patterns, contrasting them with frequently cited survey deficiencies.
- Participants will learn how to leverage data, implement effective documentation practices, and build cross-functional teams to minimize financial clawbacks and maintain continuous survey readiness.
- Prepare to refine your risk mitigation strategies and fortify your agency's future.
Unlocking Integrated Care: A Leader's Roadmap to Implementing a Successful PACE Program
- Led by Kathleen Benton
The Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) model represents the gold standard for integrated, person-centered care for frail seniors, offering a comprehensive solution that keeps participants in their homes and communities. However, successfully launching and operating a PACE program is a complex undertaking, demanding strategic leadership, meticulous planning, and a deep understanding of regulatory and operational nuances. This vital session is designed for healthcare leaders contemplating or actively pursuing PACE program development. We will provide a comprehensive roadmap, guiding you through the critical phases of planning, regulatory navigation, operational build-out, financial modeling, and interdisciplinary team integration.
- Learn from experienced implementers about key success factors, common pitfalls to avoid, and strategies for building strong community partnerships.
- Equip yourself with the insights needed to navigate the challenges and harness the transformative potential of a PACE program, ultimately expanding access to high-quality, integrated care for your community's most vulnerable seniors.
Workshop Title: Enhancing Employee Retention: Strategies for Success
- Led by Dr. Heather Hodges
In today’s competitive job market, retaining top talent is more crucial than ever. This interactive workshop focuses on effective strategies for improving employee retention within your organization.
- Participants will explore the underlying factors that contribute to employee turnover and learn actionable techniques to create a positive work environment.
Elevating Influence: Cultivating the Next Generation of Healthcare Leaders
- Led by Trace Haythorn
In a rapidly evolving healthcare landscape, the demand for agile, insightful, and inspiring leadership has never been greater. Effective leadership is the bedrock of organizational success, driving innovation, fostering strong teams, and ultimately enhancing patient care. This dynamic session is designed for both emerging and seasoned leaders committed to continuous growth and developing the capabilities of others. We will delve into contemporary leadership models, explore essential competencies such as strategic thinking, emotional intelligence, effective communication, and change management, and provide a framework for personal and professional development.
- Participants will gain practical strategies for self-assessment, mentorship, talent identification, and creating a robust leadership pipeline within their organizations.
- Join us to unlock your full leadership potential and empower your team to navigate future challenges with confidence and vision.
Fortifying Your Team: Cultivating Resilience in a Challenging Healthcare Environment
- Led by Dr. Heather Hodges
In today's fast-paced and often demanding healthcare landscape, staff burnout, compassion fatigue, and high turnover are pervasive challenges. Building a resilient workforce is no longer a luxury but a strategic imperative for sustainable success and quality patient care. This insightful session will equip healthcare leaders with the essential strategies and practical tools to foster and enhance resilience within their teams. We'll explore the science behind resilience, identify common stressors impacting healthcare professionals, and delve into actionable techniques for promoting individual well-being and collective strength.
- Learn how to create a supportive organizational culture, implement effective stress-reduction programs, encourage adaptive coping mechanisms, and empower staff to thrive amidst adversity.
- This session will provide leaders with a roadmap to build a more engaged, robust, and enduring workforce, ultimately leading to improved morale, retention, and patient outcomes.
The Ethics of the Bottom Line: Balancing Financial Imperatives with Moral Imperatives in Healthcare
- Led by Jason Lesandrini
In an era of increasing financial pressures, evolving payment models, and intense competition, healthcare leaders face a perennial challenge: how to achieve financial viability without compromising ethical integrity and the core mission of patient care. This critical session will delve into the complex interplay between financial performance and moral decision-making in healthcare. We will explore common dilemmas where profit margins and patient well-being, staff welfare, or community trust appear to be in conflict.
- Through case studies and practical frameworks, participants will learn how to identify ethical pitfalls, foster a culture of transparent and principled decision-making, and navigate the intricate landscape where economic sustainability meets moral obligation.
- This session is essential for leaders committed to ensuring their organizations not only thrive financially but also uphold the highest standards of ethical practice and maintain the trust of those they serve.
Official LEAP Summit Sponsor:
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