Schedule

Sunday January 11

11:00 am Golf  
6:30 pm Reception Mar Vista

Monday January 12

7:30 am Breakfast Mar Vista
8:30 am Welcome
Facilitator: Jackie Rice, Vice President, Chief Information Officer
Frederick Health
La Cappella
8:45 am

Keynote Speaker: 
Earning A Seat at the C-Suite Table: Pivoting from a Transactional Relationship of IT support and Stability to a True Strategic Partnership
Kenn McFarland, Chief Executive (retired), East Campus Medical Center for UC San Diego Health

 La Cappella

10:00 am Break  La Cappella
10:15 am

Education Session #2
Stefanie Fine, Senior Director, Nursing, Physician and Ancillary Standards, HCA Healthcare
She will present about the strategic process of bringing 190 hospitals up with Expanse, while maintaining operations.

 La Cappella

11:30 am Reverse tradeshow  Pacific Ballroom
12:30 pm Lunch  Mar Vista
2:00 pm Reverse tradeshow  Pacific Ballroom
3:30 pm MEDITECH / MUSE Executive Advisory Council
(Facility members only)
 Balboa
6:00 pm Dinner  Mar Vista

Tuesday January 13


7:30 am Breakfast Mar Vista
8:30 am

Education Session #3
Leigh Williams, VP & CIO
Augusta Health
Driving innovation through digital transformation in healthcare

La Cappella

9:15 am Reverse tradeshow Pacific Ballroom
10:45 am

Innovation in Action: Balancing Innovation with Operational Integrity
Facilitator: Jackie Rice, Vice President, Chief Information Officer, Frederick Health 

La Cappella

12:15 pm Summary La Cappella
12:30 pm Lunch Mar Vista

* The scheduled times are subject to nominal changes.

Headshot of Jackie Rice, BSN, RN

Facilitator

Jackie Rice, BSN, RN

Vice President & Chief Information Officer, Frederick Health

Jackie Rice, BSN, RN is a nationally recognized healthcare technology leader who blends clinical expertise with strategic IT vision. As Vice President and Chief Information Officer at Frederick Health, Jackie drives enterprise-wide initiatives in cybersecurity, digital transformation, and interoperability, ensuring secure and innovative platforms that enhance patient care and operational efficiency across 26 locations, including a 269-bed hospital.

With over 20 years of nursing experience before transitioning into Information Services, Jackie brings a clinician’s perspective to technology adoption, bridging the gap between care delivery and digital innovation. She has led groundbreaking projects such as integrating genomics into Frederick Health’s Electronic Health Record (EHR), enabling precision medicine and personalized care at the community level.

Jackie is a sought-after speaker on topics including cybersecurity, health IT strategy, and digital care innovation. She has served as President of the Maryland HIMSS Chapter Board of Directors and continues to champion technology strategies that align with Frederick Health’s mission to positively impact community well-being.

Recent Awards & Recognitions:

  • Becker’s Hospital Review – CIOs to Know (2025): Featured among top CIOs nationwide for leadership in healthcare technology.
  • HITMC Provider Trailblazer of the Year (2023): Honored for pioneering genomics integration into clinical workflows.
  • Capital ORBIE Awards Finalist (2023 & 2025): Recognized for exceptional leadership and innovation in healthcare IT.
Headshot of Kenneth McFarland, CPA, MBA

Keynote

Kenneth McFarland, CPA, MBA

Former Chief Executive at East Campus Medical Center for UC San Diego Health.

An accomplished health care executive with proven success in leading large, complex organizations. Kenn has over 28 years of health care leadership experience, which includes building physician and administrative alignment, fiscal management, championing technology and system initiatives, developing talent, mergers and acquisitions, and assimilating newly merged organizations.

Leading up to Kenn’s recent retirement, he served as Chief Executive at East Campus Medical Center for UC San Diego Health. Kenn led over 800 team members and 400 physicians to deliver world-class care to patients in the San Diego region and beyond. Kenn oversaw the high-quality programs and services including an emergency department accredited for geriatric care, comprehensive behavioral health, inpatient critical care, telemetry, and general medical along with surgical, Cath-Lab and endoscopy outpatient services. .

Prior to UC San Diego Health, Kenn served as Chief Executive Officer of the Fountain Valley Regional Hospital and Medical Center in Orange County, California. Earlier in his career, Kenn held various senior leadership roles with Mission Hospital in South Orange County, California. While there, he served as President and Chief Executive Officer, spending over 18 years with the St. Joseph Health System (Providence).

Kenn holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of California Irvine with a focus in finance and economics and a Bachelor of Science in accounting and finance from California Polytechnic University (Cal Poly) Pomona, California. He is a licensed CPA in the states of California and Hawaii.

Kenn serves, and has served, on numerous healthcare advocacy and community boards.

Headshot of Stefanie Fine, MHA-NI, RN, PCCN, LNC

Speaker

Stefanie Fine, MHA-NI, RN, PCCN, LNC

Senior Director of Nursing, , Provider, Surveillance, and Ancillary Clinical Documentation Standards, HCA Healthcare

Stefanie Fine serves as Senior Director of Nursing, Provider, Surveillance, and Ancillary Clinical Documentation Standards for the corporate MEDITECH Expanse program within HCA Healthcare’s Digital Transformation and Innovation team. In this role, she leads the design and development of documentation workflows and content development to support clinical practice across nursing, providers, therapies, and surveillance in the next-generation MEDITECH Expanse platform. Her work centers on enterprise standardization, reducing documentation burden and inefficiencies, advancing innovation initiatives, and ensuring alignment with evidence-based practice and regulatory requirements.

Stefanie joined HCA Healthcare in 1997 as a registered nurse in cardiovascular and intensive care. Over the past 28 years, she has served in progressive clinical, quality, operational, and informatics leadership roles. She has been a consistent champion of innovation, collaboration, and patient-centered care delivery. 

Headshot of Dr. Kristin Conley, DO, FACP

Panelist

Dr. Kristin Conley, DO, FACP

Chief Medical Information Officer, Frederick Health Hospital System

Dr. Kristin Conley, DO, FACP, serves as Chief Medical Information Officer at Frederick Health Hospital System. As a Fellow of both the American College of Physicians and the American College of Health Data Management, Dr. Conley is a recognized leader in health IT innovation. She has championed the early adoption of transformative technologies—including Meditech Expanse, DAX (Ambient Listening), and Traverse Exchange—to advance interoperability and enhance the provider experience. Dr. Conley was recognized by Becker’s in 2025 as a “Top CMIO to Know. ” She is a leader in artificial intelligence, empowering providers to use Ambient Listening for more efficient, patient-centered care. Her efforts have positioned Frederick Health at the forefront of personalized medicine, with pioneering work in genomics and digital health. Outside of her professional achievements, Dr. Conley is the proud wife of a Navy Emergency Physician and mother to three active children who compete in swimming, baseball, and basketball, and she enjoys cheering them on at their events.

Headshot of Dr. Kristin Conley, DO, FACP

Panelist

Randall “Randy” Brandt, PA-C, FACHDM

Family Medicine Physician Assistant, Mile Bluff Medical Center

Randall “Randy” Brandt, PA-C, FACHDM, Lead APP & IT–Provider Liaison is a dedicated healthcare leader, innovator, and community servant with more than 30 years of experience as a Family Medicine Physician Assistant at Mile Bluff Medical Center in Mauston, Wisconsin. Known for his passion for improving healthcare delivery, Randy has held multiple leadership roles, including Lead Advanced Practice Provider, Urgent Care Director, and member of the Medical Executive Board.

Bridging clinical care and technology, he collaborates closely with Mile Bluff’s IT department to implement solutions that enhance provider efficiency, improve patient outcomes, and streamline workflows. He has been instrumental in advancing EHR functionality through initiatives such as MEDITECH Expanse Navigator, AI-driven documentation, patient engagement, and interoperability. Randy serves on MEDITECH’s Physician Advisory Committee, Patient Safety Advisory Board, and Interoperability & Data Collaborative, and is a Fellow of the American College of Health Data Management. As a Director at Large for MUSE International, he promotes education and collaboration across healthcare IT organizations.

Headshot of Tito Perez

Panelist

Tito Perez

Corporate Director, Information Services, Emanate Health

Tito Perez is currently the Corporate Director, Information Services at Emanate Health. He has close to 30 years of experience in Healthcare Information Services with 17 years in leadership roles. He is a leader in Enterprise Applications, such as workforce management, revenue cycle, supply chain, finance, and ancillary services, emphasizing interfaces and interoperability, and regulatory reporting services. In recent years, Tito has expanded his leadership into Data Management, understanding the importance of patient data, not only for immediate effective and efficient care, but how it can be aggregated into a tool for continuous monitoring and preventative solutions. Tito’s motto is to always remain curious, be open to discovering and learning from others, and simplify the complicated.