Thursday September 5, 2024
Benefits Symposium 2025
The ASHHRA Benefits Symposium is an exclusive two-day experience designed specifically for hospital and health system benefits leaders to engage in interactive sessions and peer-sharing aimed at advancing benefits and employee well-being programs.
The 2025 Benefits Symposium will be held on
January 27 – 29, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn.
Invited attendees will be provided with:
Complimentary registration
Travel reimbursement (up to $500)
Accommodations at The Noelle Nashville
All meals and entertainment
Opportunities to strategize and network with healthcare HR peers from across the country.
Complete the Attendee Interest Form if you are interested in attending the 2025 Benefits Symposium.
For details about the 2024 Benefits Symposium and the attendees, click here.
Establishing Value as a Healthcare Cost Containment Priority
Healthcare costs are eating into wages. Explore value-led healthcare strategies that optimize care, reduce ineffective spending, and allow employers to invest in what matters.
Healthcare costs consume an increasing share of Total Rewards spend, making it difficult to invest in wages, benefits, and rewards that keep pace with evolving employee needs and expectations. Join your peers from leading health systems to explore the power of value-led benefits and how this framework:
- Challenges traditional benefit management by introducing a value-led approach to evaluate your health and wellbeing programs.
- Delivers the focus and precision your health plan management strategy needs to drive cost savings.
- Guides innovative benefits partners in developing offerings and business models that meet your specific needs.
- Lowers costs and improves overall employee wellbeing for leading health systems.
Schedule-at-a-Glance*
Monday, Jan. 27
- Check-in: By 4:00 p.m.
- 4:30 – 6:00 p.m.: Welcome Reception | Introductions
- 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.: Dinner
Tuesday, Jan. 28
- 8:00 – 9:00 a.m.: Breakfast
- 9:00 – 10:00 a.m.: Education
- 10:00 – 10:10 a.m.: Break
- 10:10 – 10:55 a.m.: Education
- 10:55 – 11:05 a.m.: Break
- 11:05 – 11:50 a.m.: Education
- 11:50 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.: Break
- 12:00 – 12:45 p.m.: Education
- 12:45 – 2:15 p.m.: Lunch/Roundtable
- 2:15 – 3:00 p.m.: Education
- 3:00 – 3:10 p.m.: Break
- 3:10 – 3:55 p.m.: Education
- 3:55 – 4:15 p.m.: Debrief Topics, Open Forum
- 4:15 – 6:15 p.m.: Mental Refresh
- 6:15 p.m.: Walk to dinner venue
- 6:30 – 8:00 p.m.: Dinner (Off-site)
Wednesday, Jan. 29
- 8:00 – 9:00 a.m.: Breakfast
- 9:00 – 10:00 a.m.: Roundtable Discussion
- 10:00 – 10:30 a.m.: Final comments/Adjournment
*Schedule-at-a-Glance subject to change.
Program
Monday, Jan. 27
4:30 – 6:00 p.m. Welcome Reception | Introductions
4:30 – 6:00 p.m. Welcome Reception | Introductions | Trade Room at the Noelle
6:00 – 8:00 p.m. Dinner | Ice Breaker
6:00 – 8:00 p.m. Dinner | Ice Breaker | Saidee Gallery at the Noelle
Tuesday, Jan. 28
All events from 8:00 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. at 501 Commerce, 11th Floor
Directions
8:00 – 9:00 a.m. Breakfast
8:00 – 9:00 a.m. Breakfast
9:00 – 10:00 a.m. Education
9:00 – 10:00 a.m. Education
Health System Employer Benefits Trends and Strategies
This session will kick off with market insights into healthcare trend drivers and benefits and wellbeing strategies implemented or being considered by health system employers. We will review key themes and benchmarks from Aon’s 2024 Benefits Survey of Hospitals, which covers the entire United States and provides insights from 157 health systems, representing over 1,500+ hospitals and 3.3+ million employees. Cost containment is top of mind for health system employers. We will review a value-led framework that can be applied to healthcare cost containment strategies that optimizes care, reduces ineffective spending, supports employees, and allow employers to invest in what matters.
OBJECTIVES
- Understand trends shaping the future of benefits and wellbeing offerings backed by benchmarked data from Aon’s Benefits Survey of Hospitals.
- Learn how health systems are shaping and designing their future benefits offering to add value for employees while managing costs.
- Learn about how a value-led healthcare framework can optimize care, reduce ineffective spending, and allow employers to invest in what matters.
PRESENTERS
- Mary Clark
SVP, Healthcare Vertical Growth Leader, Health & Benefits Practice
Aon
- Sheena Singh
SVP, National Healthcare Industry Vertical Leader, Health & Benefits Practice
Aon
10:10 – 10:55 a.m. Education
10:00 – 10:45 a.m. Education
Top 3 Health Benefit Strategies for Mayo Clinic and Houston Methodist
Houston Methodist and Mayo Clinic are two of the most awarded hospital/health systems over the past 100+ years, in the top 20 each year in U.S. News and World Report Best Hospitals Honor Roll. Attracting, retaining and engaging top healthcare talent is the key to success for all hospitals and these hospitals have created a culture of support not only for patients, but for employees. Health benefits are one of the most important rewards to this employee value proposition. Learn from Janay and Cheryl, benefit leaders at Houston Methodist and Mayo Clinic, the top three health benefit strategies for 2025 and beyond.
OBJECTIVES
- Learn more about the overall benefit strategy from leading hospital health systems.
- Learn about the top three strategies for health benefits and why they made the top three.
- Have a chance to interact, ask questions and participate in an open dialogue with top hospital benefit leaders.
PRESENTERS
Moderator:
- Eric Parmenter, Ph.D., MBA, CEBS, SPHR
VP, Hospitals and Health Systems
Quantum Health
Panelists:
- Janay Andrade, MBA
Dir. of Benefits and Physician Services
Houston Methodist Hospital
- Cheryl Nienhaus, MBA, CEBS, PHR
Dir. of Health and Welfare Programs
Mayo Clinic
11:05 – 11:50 a.m. Education
11:05 – 11:50 a.m. Education
Next-Generation Mental Health: Breaking Traditions, Driving Impact
Health systems are evolving their approach to mental health benefits to meet their workforce’s growing and diverse needs and better support the communities they serve. These efforts foster healthier, more engaged caregivers by driving meaningful, measurable outcomes. This session will explore next-generation mental health benefits and discuss what it takes to go beyond traditional models, integrating cultural understanding, expanding access to care, and fostering healthier, more engaged teams.
Join industry leaders–Kari DuBro from Nationwide Children’s Hospital and Nicole Schell-Dreyer from UCHealth–as they share insights from their experiences redefining mental health strategies within their systems. Learn how they addressed cultural nuances, improved access to care, and built a strong financial case for mental health programs to support their diverse populations and drive measurable clinical and economic impact.
Whether your health system is reevaluating current mental health offerings or exploring new ways to support caregivers, this session will provide valuable guidance and actionable strategies to inspire meaningful change.
OBJECTIVES
- Explore strategies for effectively presenting the value of mental health initiatives to finance teams, including financial impacts and the risks of inaction.
- Understand the importance of culturally responsive care in creating equitable and accessible mental health solutions that support the well-being of your healthcare staff and their families.
- Gain practical insights into innovative approaches that expand access, boost engagement, and foster resilience within caregivers while driving meaningful change.
PRESENTERS
Moderator:
- Michael Hoppe
U.S. Healthcare Practice Leader
Lyra Health
Panelists:
- Kari DuBro
Employee Wellness Program Manager
Nationwide Children’s Hospital
- Nicole Schell-Dreyer, FACHE
VP, Total Rewards
UCHealth - Claire Stovall
Business Development Director
Lyra Health - Lisa Soucy, CHWC
Business Development Director
Lyra Health
12:00 – 12:45 p.m. Education
12:00 – 12:45 p.m. Education
What Digital Health Programs Must Get Right to Drive “Triple Aim” Outcomes
Chronic musculoskeletal (MSK) pain among caregivers is prevalent and substantially impacts employee wellbeing. To address this reality, health systems often provide generous insurance coverage and access to domestic care. Yet MSK pain remains prevalent and persists as a top three cost for health system employee benefit plans.
Join our panel of health system benefit leaders to discuss how applying a Value-Led Benefits approach to this challenge is delivering uncommon results for their employees and their plan.
OBJECTIVES
This panel discussion will explore:
- What “Value-Led” objectives guided the strategy and priority when considering an MSK program.
- What digital health programs must get right to drive sustainable care engagement, clinical, and cost outcomes.
- Best practices for engaging members who will benefit the most from program participation.
- Strategies for coordinating digital care with your existing benefit programs and domestically provided care.
PRESENTERS
- Nick Palmer
RVP, Health Systems
Hinge Health - Chad Pyle
RVP, Health Systems
Hinge Health - Charlie Toney
AVP, Employee Benefits
Lifepoint Health - Teresa Tracy
Sr. Consultant, Rewards
Stanford Health Care
12:45 – 2:15 p.m. Lunch/Roundtable
12:45 – 2:15 p.m. Lunch/Roundtable
2:15 – 3:00 p.m. Education
2:15 – 3:00 p.m. Education
Breaking the Financial Wellness Paradox: How a Top 10 Hospital Is Helping Employees Who Need It Most
The paradox of employee financial wellbeing is clear: employees who are financially healthy have access to a wealth of financial wellness solutions, while those who are financially struggling—those who need help the most—are left without meaningful support. This gap costs hospital systems millions annually through higher turnover, absenteeism, safety incidents, healthcare costs, and decreased productivity.
Financially struggling employees, often living paycheck to paycheck, are focused on immediate needs—like paying for an unexpected medical bill, a car repair, or rent—not long-term retirement planning. Traditional financial wellness tools, like webinars and coaching, miss the mark for this group. Instead, they need relevant, safe financial solutions that address urgent challenges now, preventing a downward financial spiral.
In this engaging session, discover how a top 10 hospital system is addressing the real needs of their financially “sick” employees—who often make up 30% to 50% of the workforce. Learn how targeted financial navigation support not only improves employee well-being but also reduces costly turnover, mental stress, and absenteeism.
Equip your organization with actionable strategies to help employees bring their best selves to work every day. It’s time to bridge the financial wellbeing gap—and drive measurable results for your workforce and organization.
OBJECTIVES
- Identify proven strategies to improve employee health and wellbeing while reducing and maintaining costs.
- Discover best practices to better understand and meet your employees’ individual and ever-evolving needs.
- Examine methods for increasing member engagement while reducing the burden for HR teams.
PRESENTERS
- Tom Mudd
VP of Sales
Brightside
- Graham Chalfant
SVP, Employer Solutions
Brightside
3:10 – 3:55 p.m. Education
3:10 – 3:55 p.m. Education
Keeping Care In-House at Lifepoint Health
Lifepoint Health is a diversified healthcare delivery network comprised of more than 50,000 dedicated employees, 60 community hospital campuses, more than 60 rehabilitation and behavioral health hospitals and 250 additional sites of care, including managed acute rehabilitation units, outpatient centers and post-acute care facilities. When it comes to managing its health plan for employees, like most hospital health plans, Lifepoint strives to keep as much care in house, called domestic utilization, as possible. Lifepoint uses its plan design through “tierage” and leverages care navigation and technology through “steerage” to increase in-system utilization. Learn from Ashleish Alexander how Lifepoint Health thinks about these levers to optimize its health benefit plans and keep more care in-house.
OBJECTIVES
- Learn more about Lifepoint Health strategies to improve domestic utilization.
- Learn about “tierage” and “steerage” levers with technology and human intervention to keep care in-house.
- See a demonstration of the Care Finder tool powered by Embold Health with the power and flexibility to improve domestic utilization for hospital employee plans.
PRESENTERS
Moderator:
- Eric Parmenter, Ph.D., MBA, CEBS, SPHR
VP, Hospitals and Health Systems
Quantum Health
Panelists:
- Ashleish Alexander, MPA
Dir. of Employee Benefits
Lifepoint Health - Matthew Resnick, M.D., MPH
Chief Medical Officer, SVP of Health Plans
Embold Health - Laura MacDonald
VP, Strategic Partnerships
Embold Health
3:55 – 4:15 p.m. Debrief Topics/Open Forum
3:55 – 4:15 p.m.: Debrief Topics / Open Forum
4:15 – 6:15 p.m. Mental Refresh
4:15 – 6:15 p.m.: Mental Refresh
6:15 p.m. Walk to dinner venue | Meet at hotel lobby
6:15 p.m.: Walk to dinner venue | Meet at hotel lobby
6:30 – 8:00 p.m. Dinner
Wednesday, Jan. 29
All events in Lona (Lower level of the Noelle)
8:00 – 9:00 a.m. Breakfast
8:00 – 9:00 a.m.: Breakfast
9:00 – 10:00 a.m. Roundtable Discussion
9:00 – 10:00 a.m. Roundtable Discussion
Pharmacy Benefit Management Strategies
Join us for an engaging and insightful roundtable discussion on the latest strategies in pharmacy benefit management (PBM), with a special focus on GLP-1 receptor agonists. Led by Aon’s Pharmacy Practice Leader, Phil DeNucci, we will discuss ways to stay ahead of the curve in PBM and make a positive impact on your workforce’s health.
10:00 – 10:30 a.m. Final Comments/Adjournment
10:00 – 10:30 a.m. Final Comments/Adjournment
FAQs
ASHHRA will make reservations for all selected participants at The Noelle and cover room and tax for two nights (Monday and Tuesday night).
Selected participants have the option to extend their stay beyond the two nights covered by ASHHRA at their own expense. Details on how to do so will be provided by ASHHRA.
All healthcare HR benefits leaders are encouraged to apply. ASHHRA receives many qualified applicants and will accommodate as many attendees as possible. Submission of your application does not guarantee an invitation. ASHHRA’s goal is a diverse attendee pool and selection will be based on geographic location, system/organization, region/market, site/location and specialty. Preference will be given to ASHHRA members.
Yes, we encourage you to apply.
Expect an intimate group of approximately 35 of fellow healthcare HR benefits administrators. Attendees will be joined by ASHHRA staff and representatives from host companies. The roster will be shared with confirmed attendees.
Attendees will be hosted at The Noelle in Nashville, Tenn., where much of the symposium programming will also take place. The event will begin with a welcome reception on the first night, one followed by an educational dinner with one of our hosts. Day two will consist of networking, roundtables, hosted education with meals, and a dinner in the evening. The event will conclude on day three over breakfast at The Noelle, to give attendees one more opportunity to connect with final discussions.
The symposium is a unique opportunity to take a brief break from your daily routine while growing your professional connections in the beautiful city of Nashville. This is an excellent opportunity to network with peers and truly problem solve with ideas for solutions back home.
ASHHRA will make reservations for attendees at The Noelle and cover room and tax for two nights. All meals will be provided, beginning with the welcome reception on the first day to the breakfast on the third day. Attendees will be provided with an expense reimbursement form for travel expenses, for which ASHHRA will cover up to $500 for travel (airfare, ground transportation, parking, etc.). Attendees will be responsible for all other incidentals beyond these covered expenses.
Yes, you have the option to extend your stay at The Noelle. The symposium is adjacent to a weekend, giving attendees an opportunity to extend their visit to Nashville before or after their session. The hotel will make every effort to accommodate these extensions, including offering the group rate, however, this is not guaranteed. If you would like to extend your stay beyond the two nights covered by ASHHRA, you may contact ASHHRA on how to do so.
Recommended attire is business casual along with comfortable walking shoes. Layers are recommended as the temperature in the rooms may fluctuate.
Thank you to our sponsors:
