Conference Day One | Wednesday, November 5, 2025

7:40 am Registration & Morning Coffee

8:25 am What it Takes to Make a Leap a Reality

8:30 am Chair’s Welcome, Opening Remarks & Connection Before Content

Building a TA Optimization Strategy to Advance Talent Planning & Build a Skilled Team

8:40 am Discover: Rethinking Talent Engagement Through Data, Human-Centered Strategy & Scalable Innovation

  • Luigi Lupo Director, Talent Selection, Hackensack Meridian Health, Inc.

Synopsis

  • Discover how Hackensack Meridian Health reduced RN vacancy rates from over 20% to just 5.29% by creating a dedicated non-client-facing function focused on five core pillars: proactive candidate generation, engagement, asset management, streamlined processes, and targeted resources.
  • Gain insights into using precision analytics to move beyond broad, unfocused recruiting, enabling more strategic, localized outreach that delivers real results.
  • Adapting to a more human-centered approach to recruiting through direct-to-interview workflows, empowered recruiters, and the elimination of resume bottlenecks, accelerating time-to-fill and shifting hiring manager behaviors.

9:00 am Discover: Building a Skilled, Engaged & Resilient TA Team to Sustain Hiring Effectiveness—Even with Flat Budgets

  • Viki Kerek Assistant Vice President, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital

Synopsis

  • Strengthening core competencies and implementing upskilling strategies to boost talent acquisition team productivity and performance, while maintaining a zero-percent turnover rate.
  • Building engagement and resilience through intentional leadership, defined career paths, and a culture of recognition to mitigate attrition.
  • See how Cincinnati Children’s introduced a cost-effective ‘committee’ model that enables meaningful career growth and leadership development without relying on traditional promotions

9:20 am Develop: How Can Your Talent Acquisition Team Build the Capacity to Fill Critical Roles & Upskill Internally?

  • Viki Kerek Assistant Vice President, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital
  • Luigi Lupo Director, Talent Selection, Hackensack Meridian Health, Inc.

Synopsis

Question & Answer Session Facilitated by the Focus Day Chair.

9:40 am Action: How Are You Balancing Innovation in External Recruiting with Internal Talent Acquisition Team Development?

Synopsis

Output Focused Action Session Facilitated by the Chair.

10:00 am Speed-Networking & Refreshment Break

Re-Imagining How We Attract High-Quality Talent for the Most In-Demand Clinical Roles

10:40 am Discover: Creative Cost-Effective Hiring Strategies in Healthcare

  • David Crawford Vice President, Talent Acquistion, New York Presbyterian

Synopsis

  • Learn how NewYork-Presbyterian is tapping into underutilized sourcing channels—such as community-based organizations and strategic school partnerships—can expand your talent pool and help fill critical roles.
  • Discover how building internal pipelines and offering upskilling and reskilling opportunities not only reduces attrition but also empowers employees to grow meaningful careers within your organization.
  • Explore how social media can be used as a tool to enhance the brand and widen the talent pool.

11:00 am Discover: Beyond Job Boards – Building Sustainable Talent Pipelines for Mission-Critical Roles Through Community Engagement

Synopsis

  • Identifying under-recognized jobs and introducing lesser-known career paths can open access to talent pools overlooked by traditional sourcing methods—broadening workforce diversity and pipeline sustainability.
  • Explore how collaboration with marketing teams to deploy targeted social media campaigns can align brand messaging with recruitment goals—boosting candidate engagement and employer brand visibility.
  • Learn how US Dermatology Partners uses a resource-driven approach to build lasting candidate relationships—turning past candidates into future hires.

11:20 am Discover: High-Volume Healthcare Hiring on a Budget: Local Events & Targeted Outreach that Work

  • Lisa Fox Director of Talent Acquisition, Empower Pharmacy

Synopsis

  • Learn how Empower Pharmacy scaled high-volume hiring in a competitive healthcare market by designing impactful, community-based hiring events that not only attracted hundreds of qualified candidates but also strengthened local employer brand recognition.
  • How strategic refinement of digital advertising and targeting efforts led to a 20–30% applicant-to-hire conversion rate—enhancing both candidate quality and recruitment efficiency.
  • Finally, explore how embracing flexible hiring models, including student roles, part-time opportunities, and non-traditional talent pathways, unlocked new talent pools, improved workforce agility, and supported long-term workforce planning in a rapidly evolving industry.

11:40 am Develop: What Other Innovative Ways Can We Leverage to Find & Attract Mission-critical Talent?

  • Kelsie Whitfield HR Director, Talent and Engagement, US Dermatology Partners
  • David Crawford Vice President, Talent Acquistion, New York Presbyterian
  • Lisa Fox Director of Talent Acquisition, Empower Pharmacy

Synopsis

Question & Answer Session Facilitated by the Focus Day Chair.

12:00 pm Action: What Effective Sourcing Tactics Will You Revive to Engage the Right Market?

Synopsis

Output Focused Action Session Facilitated by the Chair.

12:20 pm Innovate: How Leading Healthcare Systems Turn Their Workforce into a Hiring Superpower

Synopsis

  • See how top healthcare systems are making employee referrals drive 30% of external hires – while cutting turnover and recruitment costs.
  • Learn how to activate your frontline teams to refer candidates who truly align with your mission, values, and care standards.
  • Explore how Eqo helps healthcare TA teams build sustainable, scalable referral engines that power hiring through trusted word-of-mouth.

12:30 pm Networking Lunch

Rethinking How to Build New Pipelines of the Most Patient-Centric Talent

1:30 pm Discover: Building & Leveraging an Internal Talent Pipeline to Fill In-Demand Clinical Roles & Combat the Talent Shortage

  • Jennifer Weigold Associate Vice President of System Clinical Programs & Recruitment Services, Adventist HealthCare

Synopsis

  • Identify & Develop High-Potential Talent: Learn strategies to spot internal candidates with growth potential and create clear pathways to transition them into high-need roles such as clinical nursing assistants and behavioral health technicians.
  • Build Sustainable Career Ladders: Explore how partnerships with Learning & Development teams are helping build clinical career ladders that support retention and address regional staffing challenges.
  • Promote Programs to Fill Talent Gaps: Gain insight into how Adventist HealthCare markets its internal mobility and career development programs—both internally and externally—to reduce reliance on costly external hires and travel nurses.

1:50 pm Discover: “Grow Your Own”: Building Scalable Internal Pipelines to Secure the Future of Clinical Talent

  • Ellen Courlas Director, Talent Acquisition and Onboarding, Dayton Children's Hospital

Synopsis

  • Partnering with local high schools, community colleges, and workforce boards to spark early interest in healthcare careers and guide students into well-defined education-to-employment pathways.
  • Developing structured career pathways that support new graduates as they transition into high-demand roles—focusing on retention beyond the critical first two years of employment.
  • How Dayton Children’s Hospital is expanding proven internal development models into other hard-to-fill roles like medical imaging.

2:10 pm Develop: How Do We Start Building Our Own Talent Pipelines to Fit Our Company Needs Under Budget Constraints?

  • Ellen Courlas Director, Talent Acquisition and Onboarding, Dayton Children's Hospital
  • Jennifer Weigold Associate Vice President of System Clinical Programs & Recruitment Services, Adventist HealthCare

Synopsis

Question & Answer Session Facilitated by the Focus Day Chair.

2:30 pm Action: What’s Been the Most Effective Way You’ve Found to Grow Talent from Within Your Organization or Community?

Synopsis

Output Focused Action Session Facilitated by the Chair.

2:50 pm Speed-Networking & Refreshment Break

3:20 pm Discover: Implementing a Candidate Care Model to Restore & Reimagine a More Human-Centered Hiring Experience

  • Megan McCall Head of Talent Acquisition & Contingent Workforce, Stanford Health Care

Synopsis

  • Building a candidate care team focused on connection and guidance, replacing rejection and silence with personalized, timely communication touchpoints.
  • Leveraging a strong candidate experience to reduce time-to-fill, stay budget-neutral, and build a waitlist for future requisitions.
  • See how daily communication between Stanford Health Care’s candidate care team and senior talent acquisition leaders provides real-time feedback that drives strategic planning.

3:40 pm Discover: Discover: Rethinking Reductions in Force & Developing a Compassionate Approach to Talent Transitions

  • Ninfa Escobar Director, Talent Acquisition & Organizational Development, The Harris Center For Mental Health & IDD

Synopsis

  • Explore how The Harris Center navigates workforce reductions through transparent communication, personalized transition plans, and dedicated TA partnerships that ensure impacted employees feel supported.
  • Learn how to prioritize internal mobility and career continuity, even during hiring freezes or funding cuts, by aligning talent with transferable roles and reinforcing long-term value.
  • Understand how building lasting relationships through open-door policies, return pathways, and compassionate offboarding keeps displaced talent engaged and strengthens organizational loyalty.

4:00 pm Develop: What More Can We Do to Keep Talent Engaged for Future Opportunities & Reinforce a Positive Experience?

  • Ninfa Escobar Director, Talent Acquisition & Organizational Development, The Harris Center For Mental Health & IDD
  • Megan McCall Head of Talent Acquisition & Contingent Workforce, Stanford Health Care

Synopsis

Question & Answer Session Facilitated by the Focus Day Chair.

4:20 pm Action: How to Ensure Empathy Is Embedded in Every Step of the Recruitment Process.

Synopsis

Output Focused Action Session Facilitated by the Chair.

4:40 pm Chairs Closing Remarks & End of Conference Day One