Registration
Grab your badge and register for the week ahead!
Lunch On Your Own
Try the famous chargrilled oysters at Drago’s Seafood in the hotel, or check out one of the many restaurants within walking distance, such as Mother’s Restaurant.
Creating A Winning Tech Strategy: The 2027 OPEN MINDS Seminar On What To Buy & Who Governs It
Only 8% of organizations in this field have clear policies governing artificial intelligence and seven states have written into law what AI may not do in behavioral health. Payers are now setting technology capability as a caching requirement.
This seminar builds a three-year technology plan for your own organization: what to buy, what to retire, in what order, and what it should cost at your scale. The second half produces the four things a board should want to know before approving: an inventory of the AI already running, a clinical-use boundary written to your state’s statutes, a vendor standard, and an approval route.
Sharon Hicks, MSW, MBA
Sharon Hicks has more than 30 years of experience in the health and human service field. She has extensive experience and wide range of expertise in health plan management, in clinical operations management, and technology.
Prior to joining OPEN MINDS, Ms. Hicks spent two decades in a number of executive positions within the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) system and within its health plan division. Ms. Hicks served as the Chief Operating Officer for Community Care Behavioral Health, a managed behavioral health organization. She was responsible for all aspects of the organization’s operations including fiscal, information systems, the claims processing department, and the design of clinical systems. In addition Ms. Hicks managed the day-to-day operations of including human resources, facilities, purchasing, and security.
Ms. Hicks also served as the Vice President, Internet Strategy, UPMC Insurance Services Division and, since 2002, as the Chief Executive Officer of Askesis Development Group, Inc. since May of 2002. In this role, Ms. Hicks was responsible for the growth of the company, profitability of the company, and the direction of software development.
Ms. Hick started her impressive health care career as a psychiatric social worker before being promoted to Assistant Director of Social Work. Prior to her executive promotions, Ms. Hicks served as a Clinical Administrator for both Ambulatory Services and Emergency and Intake Services at the UPMC Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic. In this role, Ms. Hicks managed the behavioral health division, the budgets for all departments, and implemented new software replacing paper billing for clinical services.
Ms. Hicks received both her Masters of Business Administration and Masters of Social Work degrees from the University of Pittsburgh. Before pursuing her graduate education, Ms. Hicks received her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology.
M&A Strategy For A Shifting Market: The 2027 OPEN MINDS Seminar On Buying, Partnering, Or Being Bought
The ten largest insurers now hold more than half of all insured lives, and many are now building their own provider capacity. What they take first is the commercially insured outpatient consumer with better margins, and those with mild to moderate severity.
This seminar is about whether your organization is still independent in three years. You will score your own organization on financial strength, market position, governance and talent, work out the unit cost by service line that any buyer or partner will ask for, and see the real option set at each result. The second half covers mergers, acquisitions and affiliations, and what makes a shared-services arrangement deliver on promises made.
Ray Wolfe, J.D.
Raymond “Ray” Wolfe, J.D. brings over 40 years of experience in the health and human services sector to the OPEN MINDS team. Mr. Wolfe currently serves as a Senior Associate, a position in which he utilizes his expertise to successfully lead varying projects for OPEN MINDS. His areas of expertise include financial analysis and management, mergers and acquisitions, performance improvement, and strategic planning.
Before joining OPEN MINDS, Mr. Wolfe served in a 22 year tenure with Pittsburgh Mercy Health System in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Most recently, Mr. Wolfe served as the organization’s Chief Operating Officer (COO) where he was responsible for oversight of all system operations, strategic planning, and performance management. Under his direction Pittsburgh Mercy achieved over $850K in value-based reimbursement contract quality bonus awards, integrated three organizations through merger/acquisition, and adopted a new performance management program for managers.
Before acting as Pittsburgh Mercy’s COO, Mr. Wolfe served as the organization’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and was responsible for the development of internal costing methodologies, contract rate negotiations, and financial forecasting activities. In addition, he coordinated an integrated care program with local partner hospitals to develop a series of diversion and respite programs, as well as, specialized primary care, integrated care management and high utilizer teams, while maintaining 15 straight years profitability.
Mr. Wolfe was promoted to CFO after serving as the Director of Fiscal and Information Security/Compliance for the health system. In this role, he was responsible for managing the transition of service contracts from fee-for-service (FFS), leading all compliance activities, and implementing a next generation electronic health record (EHR) system.
Prior to his time at Pittsburgh Mercy Health System, Mr. Wolfe served as Chief Fiscal Officer with the Summit Center for Human Development in Clarksburg, West Virginia, where he was responsible for reporting and budgeting functions and preparing Summit Center’s programs for FFS billing.
Previously, Mr. Wolfe served in billing and collections for two Pennsylvania-based hospitals. First, as an Accounts Receivables Manager for Brownsville General Hospital in Brownsville, PA, where he managed the accounting and billing system transition systems. Later as a Patient Account Manager for St. Francis Medical Center in Pittsburgh, PA, where he improved collections to hit 95% rate through the implementation of new billing software and department reorganization.
Prior to working in the health and human services market, Mr. Wolfe spent five years practicing as a Lawyer with at Law Offices of Arch A. Moore in Moundsville, WV. In this role he provided general legal practice, created and established bylaws for multiple corporation, and handled West Virginia licensing of first vision insurance plan.
Mr. Wolfe earned his Juris Doctor from the West Virginia University School of Law in Morgantown, WV and his Bachelor’s degree with a focus in Political Science and Sociology from West Liberty University, in Wheeling, WV, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude.
Grand Opening Reception of The Exhibit HallÂ
Join us for an unveiling of all of our great exhibitors! Unwind in New Orleans style during this networking reception featuring an open bar and hors d’oeuvres!
Executive Breakfast & Registration
If you haven’t registered yet, check in with us at the registration desk and then enjoy breakfast in the exhibit hall!
Thought Leader Discussion
Join our keynote for an interactive discussion where you can take time to ask your own questions and continue the conversation.
Using Market Intell Data To Decide How & Where To Grow
A community’s need for services is an important starting point for growth. The investment decision also requires evidence of a viable payer, sustainable reimbursement, and the capacity to deliver. How can executive teams distinguish a promising opportunity from a market that will stretch resources without supporting the organization’s goals? 
This session will examine the market intelligence needed to evaluate existing service lines and select opportunities for expansion. Attendees will explore how to combine population needs, payer priorities, state reimbursement, competitor capabilities, and workforce availability with their organization’s financial and operational performance. Case studies will showcase how these insights can inform decisions to invest in an existing service, enter a new geography, or defer an expansion when reimbursement or delivery capacity does not support it. 
Attendees will learn how to: 
- Use service line portfolio analysis to identify where growth can strengthen mission and financial sustainability Â
- Evaluate market demand alongside reimbursement, network needs, competition, and delivery capacity Â
- Set criteria for proceeding or declining and identify the evidence needed before committing expansion resources Â
Choosing The Right Path For Growth – Organic Growth, Affiliation, Or Merger/Acquisition
Building a new capability, partnering with another organization, and combining operations can each support growth. They also create different demands on capital, leadership, and organizational control. The right path depends on what an executive team needs to achieve and what its organization can realistically execute. 
This session will compare organic growth, affiliation, and merger or acquisition as strategies for expanding services, market reach, and operating capabilities. Through contrasting examples, attendees will examine the tradeoffs in speed, investment, independence, mission alignment, and integration demands, including when remaining independent or deferring growth is the better choice. The discussion will connect each route to consumer access, payer relationships, and public service commitments, with the emphasis on choosing a path before moving into transaction planning. 
Attendees will learn how to: 
- Define the capability or market objective that should drive the choice of growth strategy Â
- Compare the benefits, risks, and resource requirements of building, affiliating, or combining Â
- Identify cultural, operational, and market conditions that could make a growth path unsuitable Â
Inside Payer Innovation: Emerging Programs Transforming Care Delivery
Join our payer panel to hear the latest in innovative programs that top health plan industries are implementing today. Each 2027 event brings a different set of health plan leaders to talk through the programs they are actually launching, from new value-based arrangements to care-delivery pilots. Come to hear directly from payers what is changing and what it means for the contracts you negotiate.
Lunch On Your Own
Try the famous chargrilled oysters at Drago’s Seafood in the hotel, or check out one of the many restaurants within walking distance, such as Mother’s Restaurant.
Bringing Together Multiple Funding Sources To Make Whole Person Care Work
Whole person care brings services together, but the dollars supporting those services often come with different rules, payment terms, and responsibilities. For executive teams, the challenge is building a care model that meets consumer needs while covering the cost of coordination and ongoing service delivery. 
This session will explore strategies for coordinating and leveraging multiple funding streams, including clinical reimbursement, public contracts, grants, and philanthropy, to support integrated care.
Through case studies, attendees will examine how to identify services and coordination activities without a payment source, assign funding and delivery responsibility across partners, and distinguish resources for launching a program from revenue needed to sustain it.
Attendees will learn how to: 
- Map essential services and coordination activities to funding sources and accountable partners Â
- Evaluate payment terms, funding restrictions, and costs that can undermine an integrated care model Â
- Identify contracting and partnership priorities for covering unfunded services and coordination activities Â
Strategy Implementation That Works – Syncing Your Plans For Growth, Capital, Technology & MoreÂ
A growth strategy can stall when the capital plan, technology priorities, and staffing decisions move on separate schedules. Executive teams need a shared view of what must happen first, who owns the work, and whether the organization has the resources to move forward. 
This session will explore how executive teams can align their growth, capital, technology, workforce, and operational plans into a coordinated implementation strategy. Attendees will examine practical approaches to identifying competing priorities, sequencing investments, assigning accountability, and establishing milestones that keep strategic initiatives moving forward. Through real-world examples, the discussion will highlight how organizations can manage competing resource demands, monitor implementation progress, and adjust priorities when financial, operational, or market conditions change.
Attendees will learn how to: 
- Connect strategic objectives with accountable owners, resource requirements, and decision milestones Â
- Sequence capital, contracting, technology, and workforce commitments around critical dependencies Â
- Establish an executive review process that identifies delays and supports timely decisions to proceed, adjust, or stop Â
Executive Networking Reception
End your day by unwinding with your peers, colleagues, thought leaders, and vendors. Join us in the exhibit hall and enjoy a cocktail and hors d’oeurvres!
Executive Breakfast
Start your day off right with breakfast, served in the exhibit hall. Take this time to speak with our great exhibitors and talk to peers about what you’ve heard this week!
Thought Leader Discussion
Join our keynote presenter for an interactive discussion where you can take time to ask your own questions and continue the conversation.
How To Fund Growth – Getting the Capital You Need To Expand
The cost of growth extends beyond a new location or service launch. Recruitment, technology, startup losses, and the time between delivering services and collecting payment can create cash needs well before an expansion supports itself. Choosing the right funding source starts with understanding how much capital is needed, when it is needed, and what obligations come with it. 
This session will explore the options available to health and human service organizations, including reserves, loans, grants, fundraising, philanthropy, and outside investment where appropriate. Attendees will examine how organizational structure, the use of funds, and the underlying business model affect those choices, including when a recurring operating shortfall calls for redesign rather than more capital. Practical examples will connect funding decisions with launch milestones, repayment capacity, and the ability to sustain services after temporary support ends. 
Attendees will learn how to: 
- Define capital needs across startup, expansion, and the transition to sustainable operations Â
- Compare financing options, what lenders and investors look for, and the implications of different capital sources for organizational control and financial sustainabilityÂ
- Assess financial readiness and cash exposure if collections or the service launch take longer than planned Â
Managing Multi-state Growth – The Art & Science Of Managing Performance In Multiple Locations
Adding locations changes what executive teams must know, delegate, and manage. State requirements, payer relationships, workforce conditions, and community needs can vary even when services share the same organizational name. Sustaining performance requires clarity about what should be consistent across the organization and what needs local flexibility. 
This session will examine the management structures, performance metrics, and leadership practices needed to operate successfully across multiple locations and states. Attendees will explore how executive teams balance centralized oversight with local decision-making, establish consistent performance expectations, and use real-time operating data to identify and address performance gaps. Case studies will highlight approaches to managing variations in payer mix, workforce availability, regulatory requirements, and service delivery while maintaining accountability for quality, access, and financial performance.
Attendees will learn how to: 
- Define responsibilities and decision authority across corporate, regional, and local teams Â
- Compare access, workforce, quality, and financial performance across locations and set triggers for intervention Â
- Align management capacity, shared services, and information systems with the demands of scale Â
Lunch On Your Own
Try the famous chargrilled oysters at Drago’s Seafood in the hotel, or check out one of the many restaurants within walking distance, such as Mother’s Restaurant.
Raffle Prize Drawing
Don’t miss the much-anticipated raffle drawing at 1:45 pm and come see if you’ve won any of the great prizes provided by our generous sponsors! (Must be present to win!)
Strategies For The Executive Team To Get Their Boards “On Board” For Growth
Executive teams need board support to make significant growth commitments. Earning that support requires a clear explanation of how the plan advances the mission, how it will be financed, and what happens if results fall short. A productive board discussion should test the proposal, including whether to proceed, revise, or decline it, and establish the oversight needed for any approved commitment. 
This session will explore strategies for building board understanding, confidence, and support for organizational growth initiatives. Through experiences shared by executive leaders, attendees will examine how to present a compelling business case for growth, communicate financial and operational risks, address competing board priorities, and build consensus around major strategic decisions. The discussion will also address how executive teams can keep boards engaged throughout implementation, establish appropriate oversight, and navigate situations where board members have differing perspectives on the organization’s growth strategy.
Attendees will learn how to: 
- Present a growth proposal that connects mission, market opportunity, capital needs, and organizational capacity Â
- Address board questions about alternatives, risk, and the consequences of proceeding or waiting Â
- Establish approval boundaries, reporting expectations, and triggers for reconsidering a growth commitment Â
Closing Keynote
Monica E. Oss
Monica E. Oss, M.S. is the founder of OPEN MINDS and serves as its chief executive officer, executive editor of its publications and websites, and executive lead of its consulting engagements. For the past three decades, Ms. Oss has led the OPEN MINDS team and its research on health and human service market trends and its national consulting practice. She is well known for her numerous books and articles focused on the strategic and marketing implications of the evolving health and human service field – and its focus on the verticals of the field serving consumers with chronic conditions and complex support needs.
Ms. Oss has extensive experience in developing and implementing growth strategies for a wide array of organizations in the field. She has expertise in industry trend analysis, reimbursement and rate setting, and creating actionable plans for market success. In her role, she has led numerous engagements with state Medicaid plans, county governments, private insurers, and health plans, service provider organizations, technology vendors, neurotechnology and pharmaceutical organizations, and investment banking firms – with a focus on the implications of financing changes on delivery system design.
Prior to founding OPEN MINDS, Ms. Oss served as an executive with a nationally managed behavioral health organization, responsible for market development, actuarial analysis, and capitation-based rate setting. She also held a position as vice president of the U.S. risk management and underwriting division of an international insurance company.
Ms. Oss has been the keynote speaker at the conferences of dozens of national associations and has been published in a wide range of professional journals and trade publications. She has provided Congressional and state legislative testimony on issues as diverse as the financial impact of parity and payer medication access policies.
Ms. Oss has led a range of industry research and consultation initiatives, serving as principal investigator on research projects that include the examination of national managed care enrollment and service patterns, development of provider rate structures for government entities, creation of return-on-investment models for technology investments; design of performance-based compensation models within public and private health plans; and analysis of the economic impact of changes in benefit design, adoption of evidence-based practices, and new technologies.