2025 Annual Conference Sessions

Breaking Barriers: Understanding and Addressing Stigma in Healthcare Marketing

Stigma remains a significant barrier in healthcare, impacting patient access, quality of care, and health outcomes. For healthcare marketers, understanding and addressing stigma is essential to improve the well-being of those we serve and to build trust, increase engagement, and drive more effective communication strategies. In this session, we'll explore the concept of stigma in healthcare: what it is, why it persists, and the profound effects it has on individuals, families, and communities.

Laila Waggoner, Chief Dot Connector, Strategy for Hire

Through more than 35 years of agency, health system and other industry marketing leadership roles, Laila has developed deep expertise in strategic healthcare marketing and provides unique insight into how healthcare organizations can best leverage the resources of market research and agency partners, and provides strategy consulting and guidance to select healthcare and agency clients.

Melissa Fors-Shackelford, Sr. VP of Marketing, LetsGetChecked

Melissa Fors Shackelford brings over 25 years of experience as a healthcare marketing executive, having held key roles at industry-leading organizations including Optum, Hazelden Betty Ford, and Cigna's Health Services Business, Evernorth. She recently joined LetsGetChecked as Senior Vice President of Marketing.

MacroScope: A “Big Picture” Physician Marketing Strategy

In the competitive realm of B2B healthcare marketing, partnering with physicians is vital for success. This presentation will reveal how to leverage the vast body of clinical insight and innovation that already exists within your organization to build brand reputation and visibility among referring providers. Learn how to create a peer-to-peer environment that speaks to physicians, and gets results.

Loren Farquhar, Principal, Loren Farquhar Marketing + Communications

Loren Farquhar has 20+ years of experience in the industry. Before founding her consultancy, she was vice president of Marketing & Communications for Luminis Health. She has worked for both payers & health systems, giving her a deep understanding of how the industry works and what it takes to succeed. Loren brings expertise in branding, marketing, internal communications, and public relations.

Rena Wilson Fox, Director of Marketing, WellSpan Health

Rena Wilson Fox is the Director of Marketing for Specialty Service Lines at WellSpan Health. Her focus is on strategic marketing to physicians and other providers for key areas like Heart & Vascular, Neuroscience and Cancer. Previously, she was the Director of Marketing at Penn State Health, where she managed physician marketing strategies, as well as Surgical and Neuroscience marketing campaigns.

Integrated MarTech: Using EMR and CRM to Improve Population Health

Do you struggle with separate ways of tracking marketing activity and data? Are you looking for ways to partner with internal colleagues from your Medical Group, Population Health team, and beyond? Is your organization charged with improving the wellbeing of your community? We will take a deep dive into ways that marketing technology - particularly your CRM and EMR platforms - can relieve your data headaches and create targeted outreach methods to close care gaps.

Frank MacPherson, CRM & Digital Marketing Team Lead, ChristianaCare

Frank MacPherson has led the digital marketing efforts at ChristianaCare since 2017, following a distinguished, multi-disciplinary marketing career in a variety of sectors. Evidence-based marketing is ingrained in his DNA. Frank lives outside Philadelphia, PA with his wife, two children, and cockapoo and is willing to talk at length about the Phillies on demand.

Panel Presentation: Reimagining Marketing Governance in Healthcare - Strategic Alignment and Organizational Transformation

Reimagining Healthcare Marketing Governance: Top executives from Penn State Health and Mary Washington Healthcare reveal breakthrough strategies for aligning marketing efforts with organizational goals. Learn how innovative governance models can transform marketing from a disconnected function to a strategic powerhouse that drives patient engagement and organizational success.

Marcos Irigaray, Executive in Residence, Endeavor Management

Marcos Irigaray is an executive in residence at Endeavor Management and an adjunct faculty member at VCU in the College of Health Professions, Department of Health Administration. He is a strategic healthcare professional with over two decades of leadership experience and expertise in brand, marketing, communications, operations, and analytics.

Sean Young, SVP, Chief Marketing Officer, Penn State Health

Sean Young, SVP and CMO for Penn State Health, oversees all strategic marketing and communications functions for the organization's various hospitals and outpatient clinics, including its university teaching and research hospital.

Eric Fletcher, SVP, Chief Strategy Officer, Mary Washington Healthcare

Eric Fletcher is the SVP and CSO at Mary Washington Healthcare and oversees corporate strategy, business development, marketing, and communications.

Diversity Dividends! Unlocking the Hidden Value of DEI in Healthcare

Investing in DEI initiatives in healthcare can have a positive impacts on both patient health outcomes and the organization's financial performance.  The presentation will showcase the value and importance of embracing diversity and inclusion in the healthcare industry.

Perry Farhart, Director, Diversity Equity & Inclusion and Admin. Director, Babs Siperstein PROUD Health Clinic, RWJBarnabas Health System

Farhat serves as Director of DEI and the PROUD Center at RWJBarnabas Health. The Center received the NJBIZ HealthCare Heroes Award and was honored by the National Association of Social Workers. He serves in the Governor's LGBTQ+ Taskforce and was included in ROI-NJ's D&I Influencer's List, Insider NJ's LGBTQ 100 Power, and NJBiz's HealthCare Top 50. Perry obtained his JD from Rutgers Law School.

Matters of Life and Death: How Trauma, Tragedy and Grief Transform Leadership and Teamwork

In fast-paced workplaces, the human side is often overlooked. While "human resources" is taught, real-life challenges like suicide, addiction, and grief aren't covered, yet they deeply impact how we show up, especially if we are responsible for leading others. This session explores how personal tragedies and mental health crises shape leadership, empathy, and resilience. Join us for an open discussion that will transform your approach to leadership and support in the workplace.

Andrea Becker, Senior Director of Marketing, WellSpan Health

Andrea Becker combines her clinical experience with a data-driven yet creative approach to developing successful marketing strategies as Senior Director of Marketing at WellSpan Health. Experienced in physician sales, brand strategy and clinical marketing, she is a straight-forward leader that seeks to find a better way for all projects she leads, from flyers to hospital openings.

Stacy Beers, Vice President, Marketing and Communications, Penn State Health and Penn State College of Medicine, Penn State Health

Stacy Beers leverages her 25+ years of experience in academic medicine, higher education, and health care to lead complex marketing and communications teams at highly-matrixed health systems in competitive markets. Currently, Stacy oversees the marketing and communications efforts for Penn State Health and Penn State College of Medicine and is completing the MBA program with Penn State.

The first phone call - Where marketing plans go to die in 5 seconds flat

You've prepare a fool-proof marketing plan and launched a beautiful ad campaign but when the phone rings, all bets are off. That first impression determines how likely a caller will become a patient. Learn how MedStar Medical Group used mystery shopping data analysis to identify critical gaps in the consumer experience with scheduling and access. See how administrators and staff used these insights to overcome barriers and convert more callers into patients.

Kristin Baird, President/CEO, Baird Group

As healthcare's "Culture Catalyst," Kristin "Kris" Baird, RN, transforms organizations by aligning patient experience with brand promise. A former nurse and marketing executive, she founded Baird Group in 1994. Through mystery shopping and qualitative research, her firm identifies patient experience gaps, then partners with clients to create training solutions that elevate culture and leadership.

Carolyn Cook, Director of Service Excellence, MedStar Medical Group

Carolyn Cook, Dir. Service Excellence at MedStar Medical Group, brings 15+ years of healthcare experience developing service-focused cultures. A Certified Patient Experience Professional with Lean Healthcare certification, she partners with practice leaders to enhance market differentiation through data-driven strategies. Cook chairs the Healthcare Council NCR's Patient Experience Division.

Reimagining the Marketing Funnel: How Mapping the Breast Cancer Patient Experience helped UMMS differentiate in a competitive market

A cancer diagnosis demands more than just marketing messages when choosing where to receive care. So, when the University of Maryland Medical System sought to enhance referrals and patient retention, they recognized traditional marketing alone wasn't enough. This session unveils how journey mapping unlocked patient insights, empowering them to create impactful experiences and differentiated marketing, which helped foster patient-centricity and drive organizational success.

Steve Koch, Managing Partner, Cast & Hue

After spending the first half of his career in marketing and advertising, Steve evolved to focus on understanding the needs, motivations, and decision-making drivers of people in order to design more effective customer and patient experiences. Steve has mapped journeys and designed new experiences with clients across the continuum of care, including OhioHealth, MedStar Health, and Aetna.

Jim McMahon, MBA, Vice President of Marketing and Communications, University of Maryland Medical System

Jim McMahon, a seasoned marketing and communications professional, has cultivated his expertise within the healthcare and hospitality sectors. With a career spanning more than two decades, Jim is adept at building connections between customer-centric organizations, their internal associates, and discerning consumers.

AI Rockstars Panel Discussion

Lacey Reichwald, Director of Marketing, Aha Media Group

Lacey Reichwald loves to help people. But as a self-proclaimed word nerd (and not much of a math girl), she chose marketing over med school. Now, as director of marketing at Aha Media Group, she uses her practical experience to help healthcare marketers meet their goals.. When not working, Lacey enjoys travel, reading, gaming, and backpacking with her family.

Maria Mongelli, Healthcare Division Director, AB&C

Maria leads the Account Service team at AB&C. With 30 years of experience in agency and nonprofit sectors, her experience includes developing strategic communications programs, award-winning marketing and providing counsel to clients. Prior to joining AB&C, Maria served in PR, marketing and corporate communications roles at Crozer Health and The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

Christy Jones, Director, Marketing & Optimization, Reason One

Christy Jones is Director of Marketing & Optimization at Reason One. With over 20 years of digital marketing experience, Christy helps companies employ strategies to increase website traffic, and measure and optimize their digital experience. Her background includes specialized digital marketing work with healthcare companies and nonprofit associations.

Transforming Healthcare Strategy with AI: From Data Insights to Patient Acquisition

This session shows how AI transforms healthcare strategic planning and marketing by using consumer insights and patient journeys to build personas, target high-priority audiences, and create personalized campaigns. Attendees will learn to leverage AI tools like Personicx Lifestage for demand forecasting, digital marketing optimization, and real-time campaign improvements. Participants will leave with a roadmap for integrating AI into planning and marketing.

Michael Slusarz, Managing Partner, Princeton Partners

A healthcare leader with 30+ years of expertise in brand management, strategic planning, digital marketing, and physician relations. Former VP of Marketing at Barnabas Health, his leadership spans Cape Regional Health System, PRISM Vision Group, and the Marathon Group. An ex-President of the Health Care Planning & Marketing Society of NJ, he also teaches at Temple University.

Chris Sullivan, Founder, MediaThesis

A marketing strategist with 20+ years of expertise in consumer and financial services. Passionate about solving strategic and tactical challenges to help clients grow and thrive. He holds a certificate in Digital Marketing Analytics from MIT Sloan School of Business and applies these principles to revenue generation campaigns.

Healing the Trust Deficit: How to Engage Patients Through Transparency and Reputation

In recent years, trust between patients, healthcare professionals, and the system at large has been on a steady decline, significantly impacting patient outcomes, compliance, and overall satisfaction with healthcare services. This discussion aims to address the factors contributing to the decline of trust in healthcare and provide strategies to rebuild and strengthen that trust through transparent communication and social proof of quality care.

Sam Gaynes, Senior Account Executive, rater8

Sam is a reputation management expert who is passionate about helping healthcare organizations enhance their digital presence to attract more patients. As a skilled and driven sales professional, he excels in creating and delivering value for healthcare technology companies. Outside of his professional work, Sam is a talented freelance filmmaker and photographer with a passion for visual storytelling.

Unearth Bigger, Better Breakthrough Strategies with Improv & Design Thinking

Great ideas can't be planned. But, they can be facilitated. This session will showcase different workshop formats and tools that can be used to generate new ideas, lead group decision making, and get your team unstuck, so new ideas can freely flow. Use the principles of improv to improve your collaboration. We'll show you how extroverts and introverts alike can learn how to discover possibilities in any scenario, to embrace the incongruous, and to welcome the twists we so often resist.

Andrew Teie, SVP of Strategic Planning, Yes&

Andrew has almost two decades of experience helping brands connect with their audiences across the customer journey. His healthcare experience includes brands like Pfizer, Children's National, Sentara Health, and Nestle. He spent several years at Memorial Sloan Kettering overseeing donor experience teams. He also launched the most successful Kickstarter project in DC history (Music for Cats).

Colleen O’Grady, VP, Philanthropic Strategy, Yes&

With more than 20 years of experience advising nonprofits, Colleen brings insights about audience needs and behaviors to philanthropic campaign clients and other clients. Her strategic marketing clients have included RUSH University Health System, Columbia Mailman School of Public Health, and the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture.

Brand Clarity: From Vision to Visibility

Unlock the power of brand clarity in Brand Clarity: From Vision to Visibility. Discover how rebranding a nonprofit and government public health organizations transformed their identities, elevating them from recognized names to standout brands. Learn the key steps to achieve brand clarity and visibility. This session is a must for anyone looking to elevate and enhance their organization's brand and quantifiable impact. Don't miss it!

Taya Jarman, Communications Director, Institute for Public Health Innovation

Taya Jarman is a top comms pro with/ extensive experience in the public & private sectors. As IPHI's first  Comm Dir, she revamped the brand & digital presence, improving health in the DMV. Previously, she led comms at VDH, launching VDHLiveWell & navigating COVID-19. Award-winning & recognized as a Top 40 under 40, she's an educator & community leader. Holds an MS in Strategic PR & APR.