Add-On Experiences
Roll Up Your Sleeves and Put Ideas into Action
Conference add-on experiences provide participants with special access to leaders in the field who spearhead innovative efforts to improve community health and reduce disparities in health outcomes. By joining a workshop and/or a community immersion experience, attendees can dive deeper into issues that interest them and which also serve their organizations’ unique needs.
All add-on experiences require advance registration and are only available for those who are also registered for the conference. Seating is limited and availability is first-come, first-served. To sign up for an add-on experience, include the workshop and/or field trip of your choice in your registration package when you register.
Pre-Conference Intensive Workshops | Tuesday Morning, May 4
Pre-conference intensive workshops offer conference attendees the opportunity to take a deep dive into specific topics by learning from experts and engaging with other attendees. Each four-hour workshop costs $275 per attendee.
Nonprofit Hospital Community Benefit: Requirements and Key Principles for Improving Health Together
8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PT
Join the Catholic Health Association for an interactive workshop that builds on its popular Community Benefit 101 program. This workshop provides a high-level introduction to hospital community benefit requirements and their important role in improving community health. It then explores how nonprofit hospitals can work alongside local organizations, public health and community members to identify, prioritize and address community health needs so all may flourish.
No single organization can address the differences in how well and how long we live alone. During this session, leaders from the Catholic Health Association, Lyon Software and several hospitals will speak about the mission and legal imperatives for hospital community benefit, shedding light on the key principles for building partnerships that advance community health and well-being.
Join this workshop to:
- Understand the fundamentals of community benefit: what it is, what it involves and how it's reported.
- Explore ways to address health disparities in health outcomes across all aspects of community benefit programming.
- Learn the strategies community stakeholders need to work together to improve community health and reduce disparities in health outcomes.
Taking Action on Maternal Health
8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PT
What if maternal care were designed not only around clinical needs, but also around the everyday factors that shape a woman's health, including access to transportation, housing, healthy food and a trusted support network? During this interactive workshop, community and population health leaders will translate maternal health priorities into actionable strategies to improve health and reduce disparities in health outcomes.
Together, participants will explore how hospitals can work with community partners to strengthen access to care and build support systems for women and families before, during and after pregnancy. Participants should bring their communities’ challenges, insights from their community health needs assessment (CHNA) and their organizations’ experiences.
Through facilitated small-group discussions and human-centered design activities, participants will collaborate with peers to connect data with the lived experiences of mothers and families to develop practical solutions that build on their respective communities’ strengths.
Join this workshop to:
- Learn from experts in the field – Hospital leaders will share real-world approaches, lessons learned and what it takes to put these strategies into practice.
- Connect assessment to action – Use CHNA findings, community input and organizational experience to identify maternal health priorities.
- Design solutions with peers – Use interactive canvases to explore community collaboration, person-centered care, and the collection and use of data to drive action.
- Build a path forward – Identify partners, anticipate implementation challenges and outline next steps to adapt a strategy within your organization or community.
- Leave with fresh perspectives, new connections and an initial action plan to advance maternal health in the communities you serve.
Building a Sustainable Grants Portfolio to Support Community Partnerships and Advance Community Health
8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. PT
Join the American Hospital Association’s Grant Services team for this interactive workshop designed to help healthcare and community leaders, practitioners, and program and project team members cultivate and sustain grant funding pipelines. As the grant funding environment becomes more competitive, the need for community partnerships and programs continues to grow. This makes developing a strategic approach to prospecting and applying for grant opportunities critical to success.
Designed for those with beginning- to intermediate-level grants experience (but open to all), this high-energy workshop is packed with tips, tricks and tools to support all kinds of healthcare and community organizations on their grant funding journeys.
Participants will engage in facilitated dialogue and hands-on activities driven by real-world examples designed to help them learn how to leverage grant funding to advance their work.
Join this workshop to:
- Assess potential funding opportunities using a structured decision-making framework that incorporates community priorities and partnership readiness.
- Develop strategies for cultivating and managing funder relationships in collaboration with community partners.
- Evaluate grant proposals through the perspectives of funders and reviewers.
- Leverage resources and tools from the workshop to develop an actionable plan to strengthen funding sustainability.
Speakers
- Bethany Lee — Senior Writer, HRET
- Kristin Preihs — Vice President, HRET
- Dan Weiss — Senior Program Manager, HRET
Community Immersion Experiences | Wednesday Afternoon, May 5
Community immersion experiences offer conference attendees the opportunity to visit local hospitals and community organizations to experience programs first-hand. Attendees will leave the hotel by bus and should wear comfortable clothing and shoes. Each experience costs $175 per attendee.
Building Pathways to Health and Economic Mobility with Hope Builders
Hosted by staff from Providence St. Joseph Health and Hope Builders
Join Providence St. Joseph Health and Hope Builders for a first-hand look at an innovative workforce development model that is transforming lives across Orange County. During this immersive experience, attendees will visit Hope Builders, a nationally recognized nonprofit organization that equips young adults facing barriers to employment with the skills, training, and support needed to launch careers in health care, information technology, and skilled trades.
Participants will explore how Providence and Hope Builders have partnered to strengthen workforce pipelines and expand economic opportunity. Through a guided tour, discussions with program leaders, and conversations with graduates and participants, attendees will learn how health systems can invest in workforce development as a strategy to strengthen communities and build a sustainable future workforce.
Attendees will leave with practical insights into developing partnerships that create shared value for patients, communities, and employers while improving economic mobility and community well-being.
From Community to Kitchen: Improving Health Through UCI Health's Teaching Kitchen
Hosted by UCI Health Family Health Center – Santa Ana
Join UCI Health Family Health Center – Santa Ana for an immersive experience exploring how a community teaching kitchen can help turn nutrition guidance into practical, everyday habits that support better health. During this experience, attendees will tour the health center's 1,100-square-foot teaching kitchen and learn how hands-on nutrition education is being used to support individuals managing conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and heart disease. Through demonstrations and conversations with care team members, participants will see how food can be a powerful tool for improving health outcomes and supporting long-term wellness. The discussion will highlight how the teaching kitchen is integrated into a broader community-centered approach to care. Attendees will learn how the health center engages patients in shaping programs, delivers nutrition education, and builds trust through services designed around community needs.
The experience will also showcase how partnerships between community health centers, hospitals, and local organizations can expand access to preventive services and strengthen connections between clinical care and everyday health. Participants will gain insight into the opportunities and challenges of implementing food-as-medicine strategies and how these efforts can support healthier communities.
Attendees will leave with practical ideas for developing or expanding teaching kitchen programs, strengthening community partnerships, and using nutrition-focused interventions to improve population health. By bringing together education, preventive care, and community engagement, the UCI Health teaching kitchen offers a compelling example of how health systems can support lasting behavior change and advance whole-person health.
Attendees will leave with practical insights into developing partnerships that create shared value for patients, communities, and employers while improving economic mobility and community well-being.