HAP's 2026 Workforce Summit Register Now

Summit Registration

Welcome
Nicole Stallings, President and Chief Executive Officer, The Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania
 

Collaborative Empowerment: Improving Connection and Belonging Across Organizations
Phil Gwoke, Managing Director, Bridgeworks

Today’s health care workforce spans multiple generations, roles, and lived experiences, all while serving patients with rapidly evolving expectations for communication, care, and trust. Collaboration across these differences is essential to workforce stability, engagement, and patient experience. In this session, Phil Gwoke, Founder of BridgeWorks, will connect workforce collaboration to patient experience, and attendees will leave with practical strategies to strengthen trust, improve communication, and empower teams across clinical and administrative roles, creating a more connected workforce and collaborative care environment.
 

State of the Health Care Workforce: Data, Trends and What's Next
Robert Shipp III, PhD, BSN, RN, NEA-BC, Vice President, Workforce and Clinical Affairs, The Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania

Gain a comprehensive look at the Commonweath of Pennsylvania’s health care workforce—and where we’re headed. We’ll unpack key findings from HAP’s 2026 Workforce Survey, including trends in vacancies, turnover, and hiring challenges across clinical and non-clinical roles. In addition, we’ll explore how state and federal policy is shaping workforce realities on the ground. 
 

Networking Break
 

Ignite Talks: Training the Next Generation and Developing Career Pathways

Building Physician Workforce and Enhancing Community Health by Growing Graduate Medical Education Programs

Danielle Godfrey, MHA, Manager, Rural Graduate Medical Education, St. Luke’s University Health System
Micah Gursky, Director, Business Development & Government Relations, St. Luke’s University Health System

Facing physician shortages and unmet community health needs, St. Luke’s University Health Network launched a comprehensive strategy to expand and redesign its Graduate Medical Education programs. By increasing residency and fellowship positions in high-need specialties, developing rural training programs in areas such as psychiatry and family medicine, launching a Federally Qualified Health Center, and reimagining recruitment and retention efforts, the system strengthened both its workforce pipeline and community impact. The initiative also introduced specialized curricula in Lifestyle Medicine, Patient Safety and Quality Improvement, Community Health, and Rural Medicine to better prepare physicians for local practice. Learn how a deliberate GME growth strategy can improve retention, expand access, and build a sustainable physician workforce for the future.
 

Health Care in High School 

Heather Franci, MBHA, BSN, RN, Chief Nursing Officer, Service Line Director, Heart Center, Lung Center, Brain & Spine, Oncology Services, Penn Highlands Healthcare
Lisa Smith, Director, Talent Acquisition, Penn Highlands Healthcare

This session highlights a hospital-led workforce model designed to build a sustainable talent pipeline. Learn how educational sponsorships for key clinical roles, a rural-focused GME residency hub, a “Bring Them Home” recruitment strategy for local clinicians, and strategic international recruitment work together to strengthen workforce stability and long-term community care.
 

From Classroom to Career: A Roadmap to Success 

Andrew Capalong, MSN, RN, System Director of Workforce Development, Geisinger 
Patrick Ishler, Health Professions Education Coordinator, Geisinger 

This session explores how one organization strengthened its workforce pipeline by expanding high school co-op and nurse extern programs beyond traditional inpatient roles. Through mentorship, career coaching, simulation-based learning, and competency-driven experiences across clinical and non-clinical settings, students gain job readiness, confidence, and exposure to a wide range of health care careers. Evidence shows these programs support smoother transitions to practice while building stronger, more diverse recruitment pipelines.
 

Sustaining Health Care Careers Through Apprenticeships 

Dan LaVallee, Assistant Vice President of Community Engagement, UPMC Health Plan        

Innovative registered apprenticeship programs can open doors to meaningful, family-sustaining health care careers. In this session, leaders will share how UPMC designs and expands apprenticeship initiatives to address critical workforce shortages, create equitable career pathways, and build sustainable talent pipelines across clinical and non-clinical roles. Attendees will gain insight into partnership strategies, funding models, on-the-job training structures, and measurable outcomes that demonstrate the impact of apprenticeships on retention, advancement, and community engagement, leading with practical ideas to implement or enhance apprenticeship initiatives within their own organizations.
 

Networking Lunch
 

Bringing AI to the Frontlines of Workforce Management

Dani Bowie, DNP, RN, NE-BC, Senior Vice President, Workforce AI, Qualivis / Aya Healthcare
Amanda Nye, MSN, RN, NE-BC, Senior Director of System Nursing Operations, WellSpan Health
Allison Silfies, System Director of Staffing and Scheduling, WellSpan Health

Artificial intelligence (AI) is already transforming workforce operations—not in theory, but in practice. In this session, Dr. Dani Bowie, national leader in AI and workforce management, and WellSpan Health will share real-world examples of how AI is being used right now to solve pressing workforce challenges, from forecasting staffing needs before they happen to automating daily schedule adjustments. Attendees will leave with clear, actionable steps to begin or accelerate AI-enabled initiatives in their own organizations.
 

Ignite Talks: Strategies to Enable Better Care

Strengthening Care from Within: Building a Workforce Care Team to Transform the Emergency Department

Bill Osterman, RN, MBA, BSN, Vice President, Nursing Administration/Chief Nursing Officer, Guthrie Robert Packer Hospital
Shelby McCutcheon, Director of Emergency and Critical Services
Dr. Ryna Lesch, Medical Director for RPH ER
Dale Maynard, Educator

Faced with increasing patient volumes and caregiver strain, Guthrie established a dedicated Workforce Care Team designed to support frontline staff, reduce bottlenecks, and enhance overall operational flow. This session will explore the strategy behind launching the team, key roles and workflows, measurable impacts on patient experience and length of stay, and lessons learned along the way. Attendees will gain practical insights into how workforce-focused interventions can drive sustainable improvements in both patient outcomes and caregiver engagement—proving that caring for your workforce is essential to delivering exceptional care.
 

From Instability to Impact: A System-Wide Nursing Workforce Transformation 

Daniel Hudson, MSN, RN, CENP, SVP, Nursing Operations, CNO Ambulatory Nursing, Jefferson Health
Andrew L. Thum, DNP, ML, RN, NEA-BC, Director, Nursing Workforce Operations, Jefferson Health

Join leaders from Jefferson Health to learn how they designed and implemented an integrated nursing strategy to address persistent staffing challenges, strengthen workforce morale, and uphold the highest standards of patient care across the enterprise. Grounded in flexibility, engagement, and shared accountability, this comprehensive approach reimagined traditional staffing models and elevated shared governance as a driver of frontline empowerment. They’ll share their innovative S.E.A.L. (Service, Excellence, Advocacy, Leadership) RN Team model — a dedicated, system-wide staffing resource that deploys experienced, permanent nurses to areas of greatest need and show how the model enhances workforce agility, reduces reliance on contract labor, and ensures consistent, high-quality care delivery across the organization.

Patient-Facing AI Healthcare Agent is Closing Care Gaps, Advancing Equity and Simplifying Care 

Networking Break
 

Ignite Talks: Retention and Wellness

RN Ambassador Program 

Jennifer Smith, BSN, Assistant Nurse Manager, Medical Oncology, Hershey Medical Center, Department of Nursing, Penn State Health
Jenny Zimmerman, MSN, RN, Vice President, Nursing Adult Acute Care & Clinical Nutrition, Penn State Health
Taryn Blydenburgh, MS, PHR, SHRM-CP, Talent Acquisition Manager, Penn State Health 

The RN Ambassador Program empowers experienced bedside nurses—and more recently Patient Care Assistants (PCAs)—to serve as trained, compensated ambassadors who actively recruit, mentor, and support new hires. By leveraging frontline clinicians’ credibility, professional networks, and lived experience, the program transforms recruitment from a transactional process into a relational, peer-driven strategy. RN and PCA Ambassadors partner directly with Talent Acquisition to attend career fairs, host hospital tours, facilitate job shadowing experiences, and engage candidates through authentic conversations about clinical practice, unit culture, and professional growth opportunities.
 

Initiating and Scaling Mental Health First Aid Training Across an Integrated Health System 

Tinamarie Estes-Washington, DNP, RN, PCCN, NEA-BC, Director of Nursing/ Integration Specialist, Forbes Hospital, Allegheny Health Network
Colleen Scarantine, MS, RRT, CPPS, Manager, Patient Safety East, Forbes Hospital, Allegheny Health Network

Health care organizations are facing rising mental health challenges among staff, including burnout and workplace stress. This session highlights Forbes Hospital and Allegheny Health Network’s initiative to implement and scale Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training across their integrated health system. Attendees will learn how the team developed a sustainable, internally-driven program, certifying sixteen 16 instructors to train employees and community members, resulting in increased confidence in addressing mental health crises, reduced stigma, and measurable organizational benefits such as improved patient care and lower staff turnover. Practical strategies for scaling training, engaging diverse audiences, and sustaining long-term impact will be shared.
 

Peer Networking Exchange
 

Adjourn