Exhibitors, please pick up your badge and set up your table

Be sure to plan your travel so you can join us by 3 p.m.! Join us Monday afternoon for a welcoming regiception and kick off the conference by registering early, enjoying snacks and beverages, and diving into fun activities—including optional permanent jewelry with on-site purchasing. As an added bonus, checking in on Monday lets you skip the Tuesday morning lines and head straight to breakfast or other conference activities on Tuesday morning.

It’s the perfect relaxed setting to start building connections right away. Come find your conference bestie!

Start the conference on a high note! Class & Location TBD

For those who didn’t attend the regiception on Monday, stop by the registration desk to pick up your badge and materials before the day begins.

Visit throughout the day to connect with industry partners and explore resources.

Join us as we officially kick off the Fall Institute and set the stage for several days of education, collaboration, and meaningful conversations focused on the future of Rural Health Clinics.

Leadership in rural healthcare often means working alongside neighbors, friends, and familiar faces, causing personal and professional lines to blur. This session explores the challenges of maintaining professionalism in a "neighborly" environment, including navigating relationships across generations. Participants will gain strategies to lead confidently, set healthy boundaries, and build credibility, all within their close knit communities.

Learning Objectives:

Attendees will learn to navigate generational dynamics with respect, understanding, and confidence while gaining practical tools for setting healthy boundaries without sacrificing personal or professional relationships. Participants will also develop strategies to lead with clarity and credibility, regardless of age or tenure.

Use your networking breaks to connect with peers and visit exhibitors—plus, join our exhibitor game for a chance to win prizes while you explore! Don't forget to check out the Creation Station and The Oasis rooms just down the way from the exhibitors.

In an RHC "Compliance Officer" is rarely a standalone job  - it's a hat worn by a busy Clinic Manager, a Lead Nurse, or a practicing provider. In this session we will breakdown the most intimidating regulatory pillars into manageable bite-sized workflows. We will provide you with practical ways to build compliance into your everyday clinic operations

Learning Objectives:

Attendees will identify the top five high-risk areas within 42 CFR Parts 491 and 405 and learn how to implement low-cost, high-impact workflows to address them. Participants will explore strategies for creating a culture of compliance by integrating compliance into existing processes and empowering all staff to support ongoing compliance efforts. The session will also demonstrate how to simplify documentation through the development of a compliance calendar that streamlines annual requirements, automates routine tasks, and helps maintain continuous survey readiness.

Join us as we recognize the recipient of the Ron Nelson Award, honoring an individual who exemplifies outstanding leadership, advocacy, and dedication to advancing Rural Health Clinics and rural healthcare communities across the nation. Created in memory of NARHC co-founder Ron Nelson, this award celebrates a legacy of service, compassion, and commitment to improving access to care in rural America.

NARHC will host a plated lunch along with our sponsor, Wipfli.

Take a few minutes to recharge, connect with fellow attendees, or prepare for the next session before programming resumes.

NARHC's Executive Director. Nathan Baugh, will open with a broad strategic perspective of federal health care policy trends and how they will impact RHCs. After setting the stage, Nathan will zoom in for a discussion of the latest RHC-relevant legislation/regulation and discuss how RHC operations are impacted. Attendees will also learn how to participate in NARHC's advocacy efforts to improve the RHC program.

Learning Objectives:

Attendees will understand how the growth of Medicare Advantage and policy changes from the One Big Beautiful Bill are impacting Rural Health Clinics. Participants will discuss the latest federal regulatory and guidance updates affecting the Rural Health Clinic program and learn how to engage with NARHC to advocate for the Rural Health Clinic program.

Healthcare organizations across the country are facing staffing shortages, rising costs, increasing regulatory requirements, and growing demands for quality performance. Many leaders assume the solution is hiring more people, but high-performing organizations often achieve better results by redesigning workflows, clarifying accountability, eliminating inefficiencies, and maximizing the capabilities of existing team members.

This session explores practical strategies for improving operational performance without increasing headcount. Participants will learn how to identify bottlenecks, align responsibilities with organizational goals, create meaningful performance metrics, and build systems that improve productivity, quality, and financial outcomes. Through real-world examples from healthcare operations, attendees will leave with actionable tools they can immediately apply within their organizations.

Learning Objectives:

Attendees will identify operational bottlenecks and inefficiencies that limit organizational performance and contribute to staff frustration and burnout. Participants will recognize workflow and accountability structures that improve productivity, quality outcomes, and financial performance without increasing staffing levels, while developing role-specific performance metrics and ownership models that align team activities with organizational goals and strategic priorities.

Our Fall social mixer is a much-anticipated tradition—returning attendees know it’s a highlight! With plenty of food, drinks, music, games, and conversation, this is your Tuesday night plan—no separate dinner needed. It’s the perfect chance to unwind, have fun, and connect with everyone. The location is TBD, but more news is coming soon!

NARHC's Director of Government Affairs will guide you on a one-mile walk to start your day in stride. (Dress warmly)

Visit throughout the day to connect with industry partners and explore resources.

This presentation explores how Rural Health Clinics (RHCs) can strategically evaluate growth opportunities through the expansion of clinics, providers, and service lines. Participants will learn a practical framework for determining when growth supports organizational goals by balancing financial performance, community health needs, provider access, and long-term sustainability. The session focuses on real-world decision-making, highlighting the operational, reimbursement, and regulatory factors that influence expansion opportunities.

Learning Objectives:
Attendees will evaluate potential Rural Health Clinic growth opportunities by assessing financial, operational, strategic, and community health considerations. Participants will identify the reimbursement, regulatory, and designation requirements that influence the feasibility of expanding Rural Health Clinic clinics, providers, and service lines. The session will also provide a practical decision-making framework to help determine when Rural Health Clinic growth initiatives are likely to improve access, strengthen organizational sustainability, and support community needs.

This advanced session we'll explore the unique bill codeine and reimbursement challenges faced by RH CS in today's ever evolving regulatory landscape the session will help attendees confidently navigate the nuanced world of RHC billing and coding in order to optimize reimbursement accuracy Reduce denials and maintain compliance across all payer types.

Learning Objectives:

Attendees will identify key billing and coding challenges unique to Rural Health Clinics and apply current Medicare billing rules specific to the Rural Health Clinic program. Participants will also evaluate complex, real-world scenarios involving telehealth, care management, behavioral health, vaccines, and other common billing situations.

Strong community partnerships are essential to addressing the unique challenges facing Rural Health Clinics and the communities they serve. This interactive session will explore how collaboration among Rural Health Clinics, behavioral health providers, recovery organizations, educational institutions, and other community partners can improve access to care, strengthen local resources, and support better patient outcomes. Through real-world examples and group discussion, participants will share ideas, learn how other clinics are leveraging community partnerships, and explore practical strategies for building sustainable collaborations that address the needs of their own communities.

Learning Objectives:

Attendees will identify practical strategies Rural Health Clinics can use to build meaningful collaborative partnerships that improve access to healthcare, behavioral health, and recovery services across underserved communities. Participants will explore why collaboration is important, examine integrated community-based models—including transportation, peer support, workforce development, and telehealth—and discuss common challenges, lessons learned, and desired outcomes. The session will also examine actionable approaches for developing sustainable partnerships among Rural Health Clinics, community organizations, and educational institutions to strengthen whole-person care and regional health outcomes.

Emergency preparedness in Rural Health Clinics requires more than a written plan. The session will discuss practical approaches to improving clinic readiness, strengthening coordination with hospitals and community partners, and preparing for real-world emergencies in rural settings. Participants will review common gaps, operational considerations, and strategies for supporting emergency preparedness efforts within resource-limited environments.

Learning Objectives:

Attendees will identify key components of an effective Rural Health Clinic emergency preparedness program. Participants will discuss strategies for improving coordination between Rural Health Clinics and community emergency partners while recognizing practical considerations for evaluating and strengthening clinic emergency readiness.

We recommend planning ahead and making reservations at nearby restaurants when possible to maximize your time. Many local restaurants accept reservations through OpenTable, and a list of dining options near the Kentucky International Convention Center can be found through GoToLouisville Dining Guide.

Just look around the average Rural Health Clinic workplace, and you'll see most employees dealing with lots of stress. Well, the good news is that there's a successful strategy for approaching these challenges. That's where "A Dose of Healthcare Humor" comes in.

Hall of Fame Speaker David Glickman will show you how simply changing your perspective can transform the way you handle these everyday frustrations. This program isn't so much a traditional speech as it is a full-blown, high-energy one-man show. It's packed with observational humor, hilarious song parodies, and even a bit of "rock-and-roll" fun to wrap it all up.

Learning Objectives:

Attendees will learn how to find humor in stressful workplace situations and use that humor to change their approach to everyday challenges. Participants will also discover strategies for achieving a greater sense of work-laugh balance, helping to reduce stress and foster a more positive and resilient workplace.

The session focuses on strengthening organizational readiness, improving survey preparedness, reducing compliance risk, and promoting continuous quality improvement. Attendees will explore advanced compliance strategies, common deficiencies, documentation expectations, and practical approaches for sustaining compliance within daily operations. The program emphasizes proactive leadership, and the integration of compliance practices into the clinic culture to support patient safety and high-quality care. 

Learning Objectives:

Attendees will identify compliance vulnerabilities and high-risk areas within the Rural Health Clinic program and develop action plans to strengthen performance and compliance monitoring. Participants will also explore effective approaches for engaging staff in sustaining a culture of compliance, safety, and high-quality patient care.

Reports abound that commercial and managed care payors are implementing “involuntary” down coding policies through which they, often without requesting additional chart information/documentation, down code E/M claims to a lower level of service, thus lower payments are received.  Our primary focus will be on how to learn and apply current AMA documentation guidelines on proper E/M coding based on both time and medical decision making (MDM) that would support compliant billing and pass any pre- or post-payment audit with flying colors. 

Learning Objectives:

Attendees will analyze the legislative and contractual frameworks governing involuntary downcoding policies across commercial, state, and federal payers. Participants will learn how to apply Medical Decision Making (MDM) components to ensure documentation supports higher-level Evaluation and Management (E/M) services when time thresholds are not met. The session will also provide a structured, actionable approach to identifying, researching, and effectively appealing inappropriate payment adjustments.

Rural Health Clinics face unique financial and operational pressures that make an efficient, aligned revenue cycle essential for long-term sustainability. This session explores how front-end operations, clinical documentation, coding, billing, and back-end collections must work together to support accurate reimbursement, reduce denials, and improve cash flow.

Learning Objectives:

Attendees will explain how front-end, clinical, and back-end workflows impact reimbursement accuracy, denial prevention, and cash flow. Participants will apply key performance indicators (KPIs) and reporting tools to monitor revenue cycle performance and support accountability, while exploring strategies to improve alignment and communication among registration, clinical, coding, billing, and finance teams.

Class & Location TBD

Visit throughout the morning to connect with industry partners and explore resources.

The Rural Health Transformation Program was an unprecedented investment in rural health across the country. Nearly a year into its implementation, however, is a critical time to evaluate its successes and challenges. Are dollars reaching rural providers or getting stuck in administrative processes? Are the true needs of rural communities even allowable expenses within the program? This session will explore these questions and more alongside panelists who are experiencing firsthand the positives and negatives of RHTP!

Learning Objectives:

Attendees will assess common implementation challenges and opportunities associated with the Rural Health Transformation Program within rural healthcare settings. Participants will evaluate strategies for effectively utilizing and communicating the impact of Rural Health Transformation Program funding within Rural Health Clinics and rural communities. The session will also identify practical lessons learned from early Rural Health Transformation Program participation to support future planning, engagement, and operational decision-making.

Value-based care continues to play an increasingly important role in the future of Rural Health Clinics. Join a panel discussion exploring how RHCs are approaching value-based care, the opportunities and challenges they face, and considerations for clinics at different stages of the journey. Through a variety of perspectives, attendees will gain insight into how value-based care is impacting Rural Health Clinics and hear practical experiences that can help inform their own organization's approach.

Learning Objectives:

Attendees will gain a foundational understanding of value-based care as it relates to Rural Health Clinics. Participants will explore how Rural Health Clinics can prepare for value-based care initiatives and learn about common activities and considerations involved in participating in value-based care models.

Don’t miss our prize drawing just before the final session! At the end of the last break, we’ll give away a free future conference registration + $100 Visa gift card, and exciting exhibitor-donated prizes. Remember: you must be present to win, so stay with us and wrap up the conference on a high note!

This session will provide an overview of how to integrate part time specialists in Rural Health Clinics. Attendees will be provided practical strategies for working with specialists into care teams and leveraging existing infrastructure to expand specialty access. The discussion will highlight actionable approaches and learnings from an integrated health system with provider based RHCs.

Learning Objectives:

Attendees will describe effective approaches for integrating specialists into team-based care and improving care coordination. Participants will identify strategies for effectively leveraging existing staff, workflows, and infrastructure, while learning how to use data to align specialist availability with patient demand and clinic needs.

As the conference concludes, we encourage you to keep the connections going. Whether it’s planning a lunch, visiting a local attraction, or continuing conversations, take this time to deepen those relationships beyond the final session.