Environment of Care Conference
Building Safety, Empowering Care: Inspiring Innovation in Every Corner of Your Environment
October 21, 2025
CityPlace
112 South 1st Avenue
La Grange, KY 40031
Engage with subject matter experts during this full day of interactive learning regarding the key topics that hospital safety, emergency management, quality, clinical, and environment of care leaders face every day.
Registration Fees:
KHA Member: $200.00
Non-member: $300.00
Registration Deadline: October 14, 2025
Hotel Recommendation:
Hotel: Holiday Inn Express & Suites La Grange
Rate: See website for best room rates
Continuing Education
American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) Qualified
By attending the Environment of Care Conference offered by the Kentucky Hospital Association, participants may earn up to 4 ACHE Qualifying Education Hours toward initial certification or recertification of the Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives (FACHE) designation.
Kentucky Board of Nursing
The Kentucky Hospital Association is an approved provider of continuing nursing education by the Kentucky Board of Nursing (KBN). KBN approval of a continuing nursing education provider does not constitute endorsement of program content. This educational activity is offered for 4.8 contact hours, with offering number 5-0023-12-25-047, expiration date 12/31/2025. No partial credit will be given. To receive credit, participants must attend the entire educational offering, sign in on the provided attendance log at the start of the conference day with their name and nursing license number, and complete the offering evaluation, which will be provided at the conclusion of the event. Failure to complete any step in the process outlined above will result in non-issuance of CEU credit in accordance with KBN guidelines.
Agenda
8:30 – 9:15 a.m. (ET)
Registration and Breakfast
Breakfast sponsored by Water Saver Solutions
9:15 – 9:30 a.m.
Welcome
Casey Franklin, BSN, RN, CPHQ, WCC, HACP-CMS
Associate Vice President of Quality and Health Professions
Kentucky Hospital Association
9:30 – 10:30 a.m.
High Reliability Thru Human Factors in the Work Environment
Craig Clapper, PE
Founder and Chief Knowledge Officer
Reliability for Life
Keynote sponsored by Schmidt & Associates
Health care continues to face growing pressures to deliver safe, high-quality, and efficient care while protecting patients and caregivers. This session will explore high reliability and High Reliability Organizing (HRO) as solutions to address these needs with a focus on human factors in care environments. Gain practical strategies to drive improvement and potentially reduce loss events by up to 80% in the years ahead.
Objectives
At the end of this presentation, attendees will be able to:
- Define high reliability and High Reliability Organizing – and describe how reliability is a critical success factor in achieving safety, quality, and efficiency.
- Define human factors and explain the role(s) human factors have in the reliability of health care work systems.
- Explain the importance of human factors in the environment of care – and provide examples of human factor solutions for health care safety leaders to promote for safety, quality, experience, and efficiency.
10:30 – 11:00 a.m.
Networking Break with Sponsors
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Stronger than the Storm: A Unified Response When Disaster Strikes
Speakers:
Paul Buta
Assistant Vice President Security Operations
Appalachian Regional Healthcare
Lori Coots
Marketing Director of Emergency Services
CHI St. Joseph Health
Kenneth Kik
HPP Manager
Kentucky Department of Public Health
As Kentucky faces an ever-increasing threat from extreme weather events like floods and tornadoes, the need for proactive, coordinated preparedness has never been more urgent. This education session brings together state officials and hospital leaders for a critical dialogue on readiness and resilience. Through real-world case studies, best practices, and collaborative strategies, the presenters will explore how to enhance hospital and public education, streamline emergency planning, and ensure that health care systems and communities are equipped to respond swiftly and effectively when disaster strikes.
Objectives
At the end of this presentation, attendees will be able to:
- Identify the most crucial tasks to ensure patient safety when a looming crisis or emergency risk is identified.
- List the first steps that must be completed in the wake of a natural disaster to ensure the best possible outcomes for both patients and staff.
- Name available resources for emergency and crisis management in the state of Kentucky that can be employed to ensure daily care operations can be maintained for safety.
12:00 – 1:00 p.m.
Lunch
1:00 – 2:00 p.m.
Inside, Outside, and Everything in Between: An Overview of Safety, Surveillance, and Security in the Health Care Setting
Moderator:
Paul Buta
Assistant Vice President Security Operations
Appalachian Regional Healthcare
Speakers:
Ryan Burke
Director of Safety and Security
Baptist Health Deaconess Madisonville
Marc Lamb
Security Manager
Lake Cumberland Regional Hospital
As health care continues to evolve, so must the spaces that support it. From preventing infections and patient falls to ensuring fire safety, preventing workplace violence, and enhancing emergency preparedness, the physical environment plays a critical role in delivering high-quality care. This panel will address current challenges and emerging trends to promote patient safety and staff well-being.
Objectives
At the end of this presentation, attendees will be able to:
- Explain how the physical environment of care plays a crucial role in ensuring the safety possible space for our patients and colleagues.
- Identify actions that can mitigate unavoidable risks that may exist in a workspace due to the structural or functional layout of the building.
- Name the most impactful best practice standards for safety that can be employed by both clinical and non-clinical teams to maximize the security of patients and safety in any given workspace.
2:00 – 2:30 p.m.
Networking Break with Sponsors
2:30 – 3:30 p.m.
We Need You! And You! And You! A Panel Discussion on Interdisciplinary EOC Collaboration
Moderator:
Casey Franklin, BSN, RN, CPHQ, WCC, HACP-CMS
Associate Vice President of Quality and Health Professions
Kentucky Hospital Association
Speakers:
Blake Cantrell
Director of Pharmacy
Morgan County ARH Hospital
David Hinkle
System Director of Energy and Engineering
Baptist Health System
Jaime Jewell
Director of Environmental Services
TJ Samson Community Hospital
Nicki Shorr
Manager of Quality and Patient Safety
CHI Saint Joseph Health
Troy Stephens
Plant Operations Director
TriStar Greenview Regional Hospital
This dynamic panel will focus on the multifaceted perspectives that go into creating and sustaining a safe environment of care. Attendees will hear how each profession represented by our panelists assess the health care environment and communicate across departments to ensure optimal patient and peer safety. This session will illuminate the role of professional diversity in ensuring the best possible care environments are provided within our communities.
Objectives
At the end of this presentation, attendees will be able to:
- Describe the best interventions for establishing effective and streamlined communication regarding building and sustaining a safe environment of care through interdisciplinary collaboration.
- Identify the various roles that both clinical and non-clinical team members must fulfill to create the safest possible workspace for patients and colleagues.
- List ways to circumvent common pitfalls that lead to failed communication or inefficiencies as pertaining to a safe environment of care.
3:30 – 4:30 p.m.
Racing to Survive: An Escape Room Experience
KHA Quality Team
If there is an outbreak of fires in your hospital, do you know what it takes to get everyone out safely, including yourself? Join your fellow attendees for an exciting escape room experience wherein we will have fun while learning about building fire safety codes, egress route management, fire safety trivia, and a few more surprises as you compete with other teams to find the clues you need to extinguish the fire and escape to safety.
4:30 p.m.
Wrap Up
Casey Franklin, BSN, RN, CPHQ, WCC, HACP-CMS
Associate Vice President of Quality and Health Professions
Kentucky Hospital Association
Special Needs
KHA wishes to take all steps necessary to ensure no individual with a disability is excluded, denied services, segregated, or otherwise treated differently than other individuals because of the absence of auxiliary aids and services. If you need any such assistance or services, please contact KHA at 502-426-6220.
Cancellation Policy
Written notice of registration cancellation must be received five (5) business days prior to program date to receive a refund. A $40.00 processing fee will be processed against each refund. No refunds will be made after October 14, 2025. Substitutions are accepted.
For more information, contact:
Casey Franklin, RN
Associate V.P. of Quality & Health Professions
Kentucky Hospital Association
cfranklin@kyha.com | 270-579-2974
Lauren Wheatley
Director of Education & Events
Kentucky Hospital Association
lwheatley@kyha.com | 502-992-4370