2026 Conference Agenda

View full Session Descriptions (PDF)

  

View a printable 2026 Agenda (PDF)

Register for the 2026 Conference


TUESDAY
OCTOBER 6

9:00 AM - 12:00 PM

TPCA Office
Executive Conference Room

TPCA Board of Directors Meeting

11:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Sonesta Hotel

TPCA Partners, Conference Sponsors and Exhibitors Load In

Get checked in at the Registration Desk, and we’ll help you find your booth space.

12:00 - 1:00 PM

TPCA Office

Lunch for TPCA Board of Directors and Pre-Conference Session Attendees


   

1:00 - 4:00 PM

TPCA Office
Main Conference Room

TPCA will be hosting our 2026 pre-conference session at the TPCA office. Please note that separate registration is required.

Pre-conference session attendees will be served lunch from 12:00 - 1:00 PM. The bootcamp session will begin at 1:00 PM.

Mission Meets Margin: Exploring New Revenue Streams for Community Health Centers

As traditional funding sources become less predictable and operating costs continue to increase, community health centers must identify innovative ways to strengthen financial sustainability while remaining true to their mission. This interactive four-hour pre-conference session will explore emerging revenue opportunities, including specialty care services, wellness programs, real estate ventures, foundation initiatives, and other community-based business models.

 

Through facilitated discussion, peer learning, and practical case-based exercises, participants will examine the strategic, financial, legal, operational, governance, and HRSA considerations associated with developing new lines of business.
  
Presenter: Jennifer Genua-McDaniel, Genua Consulting, LLC

3:00 - 5:00 PM

Sonesta Hotel

Registration is Open

4:30 - 6:00 PM

Sonesta Hotel 
Poolside

Woman smiling during the conference meet and greet

Join Us for the Conference Kickoff Gathering!

We're kicking off the TPCA 2026 Annual Conference with a fun and relaxed gathering where health center staff, conference partners, exhibitors, and sponsors can come together to connect and celebrate! As we mark TPCA's 50th anniversary and our conference theme, Deeply Rooted, 50 Years Strong, this special evening is an opportunity to honor the people, partnerships, and achievements that have strengthened Tennessee's community health center movement over the past five decades.

 

This is the perfect opportunity to meet fellow conference attendees, share stories, reflect on our shared legacy, and build new relationships before the sessions begin.

 

All Pre-Conference Session and Conference Attendees, TPCA Partners, and Conference Exhibitors and Sponsors are welcome to join us! Come mingle with colleagues and exhibitors, enjoy light refreshments, celebrate 50 years of impact, and get ready to dive into our best conference yet.

Special thanks to our Kickoff Gathering Sponsor, Azara Healthcare

WEDNESDAY
OCTOBER 7

8:00 AM

Sonesta Hotel

Registration is Open

8:30 - 9:00 AM

Cumberland Ballroom

Business people greet one another at conference

Meet Our 2026 Conference Sponsors

Special thanks to our TPCA Partners: 
Forvis Mazars, CHCollective, Commonwealth Purchasing Group, Help to Moms, NextGen Healthcare, Peregrine Health, Vital Interaction, TN Center for Health Workforce, AHEC at Meharry Medical College, and TN Department of Health.

 

View the 2026 Sponsor Showcase!

9:00 - 10:00 AM

General Session
Cumberland Ballroom

Conference Panelists Speaking to Crowd

AI Is Eating the World: How Health Centers Can Be at the Table and Not on the Menu

Practical Use Cases, Compliance Guardrails, and Financial Impact for FQHCs

Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping healthcare, offering new opportunities to reduce administrative burden, improve workforce sustainability, and enhance operational efficiency. This session provides a practical overview of emerging AI tools, real-world health center use cases, and key compliance considerations.

 

Participants will learn how organizations are leveraging AI for documentation, patient outreach, coding support, and workflow optimization, while gaining a framework for evaluating and responsibly implementing AI solutions within their own health centers.

 

Presenter:  Michael Ceballos, MBA, Facktor

10:30 - 11:30 AM

Breakout Sessions

From Encounter-Dependent to Revenue-Diversified: Financial Strategy for Modern FQHCs

Knoxville Room - Finance

This session explores the often underleveraged revenue streams that exist outside the traditional encounter rate, including fee for service revenue. Participants will gain a practical understanding of how policy, contracts, and operational workflows intersect to enable these revenues.
 
Presenter: Nicole Moscatelli, CHFP, Forvis Mazars

P.A.V.E. the Way to Quality: Prioritize, Align, Validate, Execute

Jackson Room - Clinical Quality

Accurate, actionable data is the foundation of high-quality care and value-based performance. This session introduces the P.A.V.E. framework—Prioritize, Align, Validate, Execute—to help community health centers turn raw data into meaningful quality outcomes.
 
Presenter: Michael T. Edwards, MS Health Safe Net

Workforce Development in Action: Lessons from Matthew Walker Comprehensive Health Center

Chattanooga Room - Workforce

This session will highlight how Matthew Walker Comprehensive Health Center (MWCHC) has built a sustainable talent pipeline through strategic partnerships with educational institutions, hands-on training opportunities, career pathway programs, and intentional staff retention initiatives.
  

12:00 - 1:00 PM

Cumberland Ballroom

People of various ethnicities giving a standing ovation business lecture

2026 Awards of Excellence Luncheon

Each year, TPCA honors health center staff, board members, and community supporters for their exceptional gifts of time, effort, and dedication to the Community Health movement.

 

Nominate your colleagues here!

1:00 - 1:30 PM

Cumberland Ballroom

Business people greet one another at conference

Meet Our 2026 Conference Sponsors

Special thanks to our TPCA Partners: 
Forvis Mazars, CHCollective, Commonwealth Purchasing Group, Help to Moms, NextGen Healthcare, Peregrine Health, Vital Interaction, TN Center for Health Workforce, AHEC at Meharry Medical College, and TN Department of Health.

 

View the 2026 Sponsor Showcase!

1:30 - 2:30 PM

Breakout Sessions

Leveraging Capital Planning to Transform Risk into Readiness

Knoxville Room - Finance

This session will guide participants through the fundamentals of capital planning as a proactive approach to risk mitigation. Rather than reacting to emergencies, health centers can use capital planning to anticipate vulnerabilities, prioritize investments, and build physical and operational strength of their facilities.

  
Presenter: Ann Marie Grimberg, M.eD., Capital Link

Sustainability by Design: Building Behavioral Health Programs for FQHCs

Jackson Room - Clinical Quality

Expanding behavioral health services in a Federally Qualified Health Center requires a deliberate approach to readiness, implementation, and performance management. This session will provide health center leaders with a practical roadmap for launching, strengthening, and scaling integrated behavioral health programs that are clinically effective and financially sustainable.
  
Presenter: Adam Peebles, Peregrine Health

Level Up Your Leadership: Winning the Talent Game in Today’s Healthcare Workforce

Chattanooga Room - Workforce

In this energizing session, leaders are challenged to rethink how they recruit, retain, and grow talent in today’s competitive healthcare workforce. Participants will learn how leadership capacity sets the ceiling for team performance and ultimately determines the kind of talent you attract and keep.
  
Presenter: Yanick Hicks, PharmD, Maxwell Leadership

3:00 - 4:00 PM

General Session
Cumberland Ballroom

Three Chords and the Truth: Adaptive Leadership When the Truth Is the Hard Part

Country music is "three chords and the truth." Same for health center leadership right now. You know the chords. It's the new and changing truth that's giving everyone trouble. Subsidies expired. Premiums climbed. More Tennesseans are uninsured. Federal Medicaid changes are unsettling the assumptions behind your payer mix, staffing, and plans. None of it has a technical fix. This session brings the latest research and practice on leading through uncertainty and complexity, plus real time to think out loud with peers who are carrying the same weight. Bring your hardest questions. Leave with tools, new ideas, and people you can call.

 
Presenter: Ann Loeffler, MSPH, PMP, Facktor

4:00 - 4:30 PM

Cumberland Ballroom

Business people greet one another at conference

Meet Our 2026 Conference Sponsors

Special thanks to our TPCA Partners: 
Forvis Mazars, CHCollective, Commonwealth Purchasing Group, Help to Moms, NextGen Healthcare, Peregrine Health, Vital Interaction, TN Center for Health Workforce, AHEC at Meharry Medical College, and TN Department of Health.

 

View the 2026 Sponsor Showcase!

THURSDAY
OCTOBER 8

8:30 - 10:00 AM

Networking & Facilitated Conversation
with Breakfast
Cumberland Ballroom

Businesspeople Talking around a Cafe Table

Networking and Facilitated Conversation with Breakfast:
CEOs, CFOs, Operations and Clinical Staff

Sponsors, exhibitors, and other vendor participants are not eligible to attend the Networking & Facilitated Conversation Session.

10:00 - 10:30 AM

Cumberland Ballroom

Business people greet one another at conference

Meet Our 2026 Conference Sponsors

Special thanks to our TPCA Partners: 
Forvis Mazars, CHCollective, Commonwealth Purchasing Group, Help to Moms, NextGen Healthcare, Peregrine Health, Vital Interaction, TN Center for Health Workforce, AHEC at Meharry Medical College, and TN Department of Health.

 

View the 2026 Sponsor Showcase!

10:30 - 11:30 AM

General Session
Cumberland Ballroom

Policy and Regulatory Update

Health centers operate in an increasingly complex policy and regulatory environment that directly impacts funding, operations, workforce, quality reporting, and patient care.
 
This session will provide a comprehensive update on the latest federal and state policy developments affecting Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), equipping participants with the knowledge needed to navigate a rapidly evolving healthcare landscape. Attendees will gain insights into legislative and regulatory changes and emerging issues shaping the future of community health centers.
 
Presenters will discuss the practical implications of these developments, highlight opportunities for advocacy and strategic planning, and share actionable guidance to help health center leaders remain compliant, responsive, and positioned for success while continuing to advance access to high-quality, affordable care for their communities.
  
Panelists:

View full Session Descriptions (PDF)

  

View a printable 2026 Agenda (PDF)

Register for the 2026 Conference