Agenda
Explore the full schedule of sessions, workshops, and networking opportunities at The RISE Star Ratings Master Class.
Tuesday - December 16, 2025
8:00 AM
8:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Information Desk Open
Location: Ryder Cup South Foyer (1st floor)
8:00 AM
8:00 AM – 9:00 AM
Networking Breakfast
9:00 AM
9:00 AM – 12:15 PM
Workshop A: Quality Data Evolution: Best Practices in a Time of Change
Location: Palmer (2nd floor)
- Explore CMS’ proposed 2026 and 2027 Star Ratings changes and the operational muscle plans must build to win
- Leverage your Stars data to define you most viable improvement paths
- Manage the explosion of clinical data during the digital quality measurement transformation
Speaker
Alan Koo
CITO at Ingenia
Speaker
Hiram Perez
CEO at Ingenia
Speaker
Liz Carr
VP of Product Delivery & Customer Experience at Ingenia
Speaker
Melissa Newton Smith
Founder, Senior Advisor at Newton Smith Group
Speaker
Rodolfo Velasco
Chief Revenue Officer at Ingenia
10:30 AM
10:30 AM – 10:45 AM
Networking Break
12:15 PM
12:15 PM – 1:00 PM
Networking Lunch
1:00 PM
1:00 PM – 4:10 PM
Workshop B: Navigating the New Reality of Medicare Advantage: What CMS’s Newly Proposed Rule Mean for Your Path Forward for Star Ratings Success
Location: Palmer (2nd floor)
- Get clear on what REALLY happened with the Stars 2026 results, and how CMS’s newly released proposed rule reshapes the path ahead.
- Learn how to leverage the 5-weighted QI measures for optimized scores.
- Explore a year in the life of a seasoned Stars leader (or at least half a year)
- Unpack effective target setting
- Understand MA market dynamics and how the proposed rule’s refocus on clinical care, outcomes, experience - and potential new C-SNP requirements in the only growing segment of MA – may influence Star’s strategy and long-term contract viability.
- Deep dive into Part D pressures and strategic responses
- Translate insight to action, by building a solid Stars strategy for the program as it exists today, and a flexible, durable framework that can adapt as measurement rules, methodology and realities shift over time.
Speaker
Jessica Assefa
Partner, Strategic Consulting at Press Ganey
Speaker
Rebekah Dube
Sr. Director, Principal, Strategic Consulting at Press Ganey’s Stars Center of Excellence
Speaker
Caroline Yaun
VP, Sr. Principal, Strategic Consulting at Press Ganey’s Stars Center of Excellence
Speaker
Phil Collins
Director at Hyperlift, Press Ganey
Speaker
David Shapiro
GM & SVP, Member Experience at Press Ganey
2:30 PM
2:30 PM – 2:45 PM
Networking Break
4:10 PM
4:10 PM – 4:15 PM
Transition Break
4:15 PM
4:15 PM – 5:00 PM
Deep Dive: The 2027 MA and Part D Proposed Rule (All Conference Attendees Invited)
Location: Ryder Cup South Ballroom A-C (1st floor)
New Session Added!
Speaker
Melissa Newton Smith
Founder, Senior Advisor at Newton Smith Group
Speaker
Jessica Assefa
Partner, Strategic Consulting at Press Ganey
Speaker
Ana Handshuh
Principal at CAT5 Strategies
5:00 PM
5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Networking Cocktail Reception (All Conference Attendees Invited)
Join us for drinks, hors d’oeuvres, and face-to-face networking with peers.
Wednesday - December 17, 2025
7:00 AM
7:00 AM – 6:30 PM
Exhibit Hall Open
7:00 AM
7:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Information Desk Open
Location: Ryder Cup South Foyer (1st floor)
7:00 AM
7:00 AM – 8:00 AM
Networking Breakfast
Location: Ryder Cup South Ballroom (D-H)
8:00 AM
8:00 AM – 8:10 AM
Welcome Remarks
Location: Ryder Cup South Ballroom A-C (1st floor)
Chairperson, Speaker
Rex Wallace
CEO at RWC
8:10 AM
8:10 AM – 9:10 AM
THRIVE: Turn Uncertainty into Your Competitive Advantage
Location: Ryder Cup South Ballroom A-C (1st floor)
These are unprecedented times! A marketplace where disruption is happening on steroids. One where there is more change building outside of your organization than in it. And a relentless pace of uncertainty that can radically impact your ability to grow your organization and keep your team motivated.
- Gain insights into how today's leaders are dealing with and solving today's toughest challenges
- Hear about how others have overcome overwhelming obstacles and learn their ingenious strategies for success, as well as the proven methodology they used to thrive through every crisis
- Discover the code, the secret, the plan, so that you know the exact path you need to follow to put you in the driver's seat and in control in the face of uncertainty (so you can THRIVE!)
- Explore the secrets to staying highly flexible and focused to strike the delicate balance of maintaining progress and seizing opportunity
- Build your personal plan of action for thriving in uncertainty
Speaker
Meridith Elliott Powell
Acclaimed Motivational Speaker
9:10 AM
9:10 AM – 10:00 AM
More Change Ahead: The Latest Quality-Focused Regulatory Developments
Location: Ryder Cup South Ballroom A-C (1st floor)
- Explore the latest proposed quality program changes as well as other regulatory guidance that could impact your organization
- Harness the potential of positive changes on the horizon to enhance member care and drive better health outcomes for your population
- Navigate the financial implications of upcoming changes to Star Ratings, understanding how they could affect your organization's bottom line
- Discover operational strategies designed to mitigate the impact of upcoming changes and effectively reach your Star Ratings goals, empowering your team to shine in a competitive landscape
Speaker
Ana Handshuh
Principal at CAT5 Strategies
Speaker
Melissa Newton Smith
Founder, Senior Advisor at Newton Smith Group
Speaker
Ryann Hill
MPH, Founder & CEO at Indigo Hill Strategies
10:00 AM
10:00 AM – 10:20 AM
Networking Break
Location: Ryder Cup South Ballroom (D-H)
10:20 AM
10:20 AM – 11:10 AM
Going Beyond Nutrition Access: Reduce Barriers, Improve Data, and Connect Members to Care
Location: Ryder Cup South Ballroom A-C (1st floor)
- Discover activation that sparks screening adherence, turning a food delivery into a diabetic care touchpoint
- Learn how United Healthcare of Massachusetts used food-based member activation to improve Glycemic Status Assessment for Patients with Diabetes (GSD) & Controlling Blood Pressure (CBP) for HEDIS® Star measures
- Reimagine medically appropriate incentives that improve chronic clinical outcomes in a meaningful and delightful way
Speaker
Christie DeJong
Clinical Quality Consultant at UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Massachusetts
Speaker
Lucille Taylor
Sr Director of Clinical Quality at UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Massachusetts
Speaker
Sally Leahy
Director, Quality at Pyx Health & Farmbox
11:10 AM
11:10 AM – 12:00 PM
Catch a Falling Star: Health Plans Tell You How
Location: Ryder Cup South Ballroom A-C (1st floor)
- Discover tactics that helped health plans improve Star Ratings by at least half a star in a single year, directly from the Stars leaders who implemented them
- Learn from the experiences of two health plan leaders and the expert Stars consultants who implemented performance improvement strategies that paid dividends in their first year
- Explore how multiple health plans tackled optimizing governance, deepened data insights, handled new vendor implementations, operationalized member experience innovations, and more
Speaker
Angelo Rexach Guzman
Medicare Star Ratings Policy and Analytics Consultant at RWC
Speaker
Heidi Salerno
Member Experience Consultant at RWC
Speaker
Nicole Colón Cartagena
Star Ratings Manager at Triple-S
Speaker
Misty Roberts
MSN, RN, NEA-BC, CPHQ, Vice President, Quality & Clinical Program Oversight at WellSense
Speaker
Nate Lucena
President & Managing Director at RWC
12:00 PM
12:00 PM – 12:15 PM
Tools & Tech Spotlight
Location: Ryder Cup South Ballroom A-C (1st floor)
Leading service providers will showcase their offerings in a quick-pitch setting. Evaluate the latest and greatest tech tools to bring back to your organization.
Speaker
Michael Hasbany
President at Healthmine
12:15 PM
12:15 PM – 1:15 PM
Networking Lunch
Location: Ryder Cup South Ballroom (D-H)
1:15 PM
1:15 PM – 2:00 PM
Track A
Track Chair
Rex Wallace
CEO at RWC
Success in Turbulent Times: Delivering High Quality Care Despite Significant Headwinds
Location: Ryder Cup South Ballroom A-C (1st floor)
- Sit down and buckle up - Recognize the value of data-informed strategies when things get rough
- From the cockpit - Leverage real-time data to make meaningful corrections; review patient segmentation strategies to improve performance and reduce abrasion
- Prepare for landing - Explore data strategies for a complete and accurate HEDIS submission
Speaker
Gerardo Hernandez Diaz
Senior Director, Quality Improvement at Permanente Medicine
Speaker
Rebecca Fitch
Permanente Medicine
Speaker
Stephen Winn
Managing Director, Government Programs at Permanente Medicine
1:15 PM – 2:00 PM
Track B
Track Chair
Liz Carr
VP of Product Delivery & Customer Experience at Ingenia
The Power of Partnership: How Cross-Functional Collaboration Unlocks Part D Success
Location: Palmer (2nd floor)
- Explore how coordinated partnerships between pharmacies, providers, and multidisciplinary health plan teams drive meaningful results in Medicare Part D performance
- Discover real-world strategies and best practices for fostering cross-functional collaboration, breaking down organizational silos, and aligning efforts to support Part D measures and member experience
- Learn how collective effort—across clinical, operational, and pharmacy channels—is essential to achieving five-star quality and delivering optimal outcomes for plan members
Speaker
Melinda Nelhuebel
Senior Director of Pharmacy Operations at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts
Speaker
Shannon O'Connell
Associate Partner at Engagys
2:00 PM
2:00 PM – 2:05 PM
Transition Break
2:05 PM
2:05 PM – 2:50 PM
Track A
Track Chair
Rex Wallace
CEO at RWC
The Long Game of Stars Performance: Strategies for Aligning Member Actions to Quality Outcomes
Location: Ryder Cup South Ballroom A-C (1st floor)
- Explore how daily actions members take have a disproportionate impact on Stars performance
- Play the long game beyond MY26—sustain medication adherence progress to ensure success in 3x weighted HEDIS measures and 5x weighted improvement measures
- Navigate the 3x weighted “Improving or Maintaining Physical Health” and “Improving or Maintaining Mental Health” measures
- Learn from health plans that have reimagined adherence strategies through behavioral science–backed approaches with proven impact
Speaker
Matthew Loper
CEO at Wellth
Speaker
Eugenia Gonzalez
Independent Medicare Solutions Expert
Speaker
Jessica Muratore
Founder & Principal Consultant at Muratore Advisory Services
2:05 PM – 2:50 PM
Track B
Track Chair
Liz Carr
VP of Product Delivery & Customer Experience at Ingenia
Mastering Medicare HEDIS Stars in the Digital Era: A 10-Step Roadmap to Future-Proof Success
Location: Palmer (2nd floor)
- Unlock the strategies to secure and sustain top Medicare HEDIS Star ratings in a rapidly evolving digital landscape, including a 10-step digital reporting roadmap built to align with today's requirements and tomorrow's innovations
- Learn how to successfully transition to ECDS reporting, navigate the phase-out of the hybrid method, and implement gold-standard quality management and case management practices
- Discover how an interdisciplinary approach can transform your plan's performance and position you for long-term success
Speaker
Katharine Iskrant
Practice Leader at Healthy People
Speaker
Mary Goble
Director, Clinical Quality and Performance Improvement at Capital Health Plan
Speaker
Rhonda Farrar
Clinical HEDIS Supervisor at Healthy People
2:50 PM
2:50 PM – 3:10 PM
Networking Break
Location: Ryder Cup South Ballroom (D-H)
3:10 PM
3:10 PM – 3:55 PM
Track A
Track Chair
Rex Wallace
CEO at RWC
Plan Preview Made Simple: A Step-by-Step Guide to Navigating the Stars Plan Preview Period
Location: Ryder Cup South Ballroom A-C (1st floor)
- Create a step-by-step checklist for crucial tasks to complete during Stars Plan Preview 1 and 2
- Discuss how to effectively engage CMS to navigate and address any concerns or data discrepancies
- Optimize your plan preview activities and resources to ensure efficient, comprehensive, and effective use of plan preview opportunities
Speaker
Ana Handshuh
Principal at CAT5 Strategies
Speaker
Dwight Pattison
Founder & Principal Consultant at QPAdvantage
3:10 PM – 3:55 PM
Track B
Track Chair
Liz Carr
VP of Product Delivery & Customer Experience at Ingenia
All Hands on Deck: Navigating VBC's Influence on Risk and Quality
Location: Palmer (2nd floor)
- Explore how VBC frameworks influence risk assessment and quality strategies, charting a course toward improved outcomes and reduced costs of care
- Discuss the importance of collaboration and communication among stakeholders to ensure smooth sailing through Value-Based Care complexities
- Prepare a customized toolkit of actionable strategies and resources to help you set sail and seize the opportunities of VBC, ensuring your organization is on course for success
Speaker
David DeHommel
Vice President of Payer Strategies at Reveleer
Speaker
Amy Blackledge
MBA-HC, MSN, RN, CSSBB, Senior Director of Clinical Quality and Stars at BC of Idaho
3:55 PM
3:55 PM – 4:00 PM
Transition Break
4:00 PM
4:00 PM – 4:45 PM
Track A
Track Chair
Rex Wallace
CEO at RWC
How to Get to 5 Stars for Medication Adherence (Yes, Really)
Location: Ryder Cup South Ballroom A-C (1st floor)
- Experience a pharmacy team's journey from worst to first
- Consider consolidation of outreach to improve the member experience
- Discuss novel approaches to reach Star goals
Speaker
Kalee Raymond
Consultant at BCBSAZ Health Choice
Speaker
Leslie Rodriguez
Consultant at BCBSAZ Health Choice
4:00 PM – 4:45 PM
Track B
Track Chair
Liz Carr
VP of Product Delivery & Customer Experience at Ingenia
Partners in Quality: Strengthening Provider/Plan Collaboration for Excellence in Care
Location: Palmer (2nd floor)
- Explore tactics to mitigate common challenges that can hinder successful partnerships between health plans and providers, including communication gaps, misaligned incentives, and data sharing issues
- Hear from health plans and provider groups have effectively collaborated to implement quality improvement initiatives, leading to measurable improvements in care
- Take away with practical strategies and tools for initiating and strengthening collaborative efforts, including methods for aligning goals, establishing communication channels, and sharing data
Speaker
Sabrina Zerzouri
Lead Program Manager, Medicare Star Rating Program at BlueCross BlueShield of Rhode Island
Speaker
Shawna Papach
LPN, Director of HEDIS and Payer Strategies at Federal Qualified Health Center
Speaker
Shannon Decker
Principal at VBC One
Speaker
Ryan Dodson
CRC, Risk Adjustment Consultant at Choice Medical Group
4:45 PM
4:45 PM – 4:50 PM
Transiton Break
4:50 PM
4:50 PM – 5:30 PM
Roundtable Discussions
Location: Ryder Cup South Ballroom A-C (1st floor)
Grab a glass of bubbly and participate in a facilitated roundtable discussion and deep dive with peers on timely topics.
- Skills and Professional Development for Emerging Quality Leaders
Facilitator: Melinda Nelhuebel, Senior Director of Pharmacy Operations, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts
- Your Questions Answered: The Transition to HEDIS® Digital Reporting
Facilitator: Mary Goble, Director Clinical Quality and Performance Improvement, Capital Health Plan
- Strategic Adaptation: Adjusting Your Approaches to Medication Adherence in 2026
Facilitator: Leslie Rodriguez, PharmD, Consultant, BCBSAZ Health Choice
- Meeting People Where They Are: Effective Engagement Approaches for Rural Populations and Providers
Facilitator: Reid Kiser, MS, Founder & Managing Partner, Kiser Healthcare Solutions
- CAHPS Off-Cycle Surveys: Strategies and Best Practices
Facilitator: Leon Lead, Founder, Leon Lead Consulting, LLC
- Data-Driven Strategy: Measure Impact and Continuously Improve Care
Facilitator: Dwight Pattison, Founder & Principal Consultant, QPAdvantage - Health Equity Still Matters: Addressing Health Disparities in Star Ratings
Facilitator: Sabrina Zerzouri, Lead Program Manager, Medicare Star Rating Program, BlueCross BlueShield of Rhode Island - Member Engagement Strategies to Improve Stars/HEDIS
Facilitator: Christie DeJong, RN, CPHQ, Clinical Quality Consultant, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Massachusetts - Comments Due Jan 26: Advocacy Essentials & Sharing Feedback with CMS
Facilitator: Ryann Hill, MPH, Founder & CEO, Indigo Hill Strategies - HEDIS Changes Ahead: The Proposed Rule’s Effect on Clinical Quality Measures
Facilitator: Tina Dueringer, BSN, RN, CCM, PCC, CEO, Principal Advisor, Dueringer Advisors
Speaker
Mary Goble
Director, Clinical Quality and Performance Improvement at Capital Health Plan
Speaker
Melinda Nelhuebel
Senior Director of Pharmacy Operations at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts
Speaker
Leslie Rodriguez
Consultant at BCBSAZ Health Choice
Speaker
Reid Kiser
MS, Founder & Managing Partner at Kiser Healthcare Solutions
Speaker
Leon Lead
Founder at Leon Lead Consulting, LLC
Speaker
Dwight Pattison
Founder & Principal Consultant at QPAdvantage
Speaker
Sabrina Zerzouri
Lead Program Manager, Medicare Star Rating Program at BlueCross BlueShield of Rhode Island
Speaker
Christie DeJong
Clinical Quality Consultant at UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Massachusetts
Speaker
Ryann Hill
MPH, Founder & CEO at Indigo Hill Strategies
Speaker
Tina Dueringer
Principal Advisor at Dueringer Advisors
5:30 PM
5:30 PM – 6:30 PM
Holiday Cocktail Reception & Give Back Opportunity: Ugly Sweater Edition
Location: Ryder Cup South Ballroom (D-H)
Throw your most tacky holiday sweater in your suitcase and join us for festive cocktails, tasty hors d'oeuvres, and plenty of networking cheer - plus, don't miss the Ugly Sweater Contest for a chance to win bragging rights (and an Amazon gift card!).
Because the holidays are also a season of generosity, we’re adding a meaningful give-back experience to the celebration. Grab your festive cocktail and help us assemble 5 Senses Boxes: interactive kits designed to engage children with something they can see, hear, taste, smell, and touch. We’ll create 120 boxes together, all of which will be donated directly to the Children’s Advocacy Center of Collin County, bringing comfort, creativity, and joy to the kids they support.
Thursday - December 18, 2025
7:00 AM
7:00 AM – 1:30 PM
Exhibit Hall Open
Location: Ryder Cup South Ballroom (D-H)
7:00 AM
7:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Information Desk Open
Location: Ryder Cup South Foyer (1st floor)
7:00 AM
7:00 AM – 8:00 AM
Networking Breakfast
Location: Ryder Cup South Ballroom (D-H)
8:00 AM
8:00 AM – 8:10 AM
Opening Remarks
Location: Ryder Cup South Ballroom A-C (1st floor)
Speaker
Ana Handshuh
Principal at CAT5 Strategies
8:10 AM
8:10 AM – 9:00 AM
Cultivating a Culture of Quality: Building Excellence from Within
Location: Ryder Cup South Ballroom A-C (1st floor)
- Explore the critical impact of culture on quality initiatives and gain insights into how to build a robust quality framework from the ground up
- Discover how Stars teams can be instrumental in promoting a culture of quality, serving as champions for best practices and continuous improvement across the organization
- Learn practical strategies for embedding quality principles into everyday processes, ensuring that quality remains a priority at all levels of the organization
Speaker
Moraima Rios Gonzalez
DrPH, Medicare STARS Program Director at MCS
Speaker
Migdalia de Jesús
Medicare Stars Program Manager at MCS
9:00 AM
9:00 AM – 9:50 AM
AI for Stars Ratings Success: Practical Use Cases to Drive Measure Performance
Location: Ryder Cup South Ballroom A-C (1st floor)
- Explore AI use cases that can help support CMS Stars Measures
- Discover a quick framework for AI readiness in Stars teams
- Recognize how to amplify your Stars team's capacity to close gaps faster, predict risk earlier, and improve member experience in ways manual processes can't match
Speaker
Bert Rico
CEO at Domlytics
Speaker
Asaf Kleinbort
CEO & Co-Founder at MedOrion
Speaker
Reid Kiser
MS, Founder & Managing Partner at Kiser Healthcare Solutions
Speaker
Tina Dueringer
Principal Advisor at Dueringer Advisors
9:50 AM
9:50 AM – 10:20 AM
Networking Break
Location: Ryder Cup South Ballroom (D-H)
10:20 AM
10:20 AM – 11:10 AM
Setting Your Ethical Stars Trajectory
Location: Ryder Cup South Ballroom A-C (1st floor)
- Explore the clinical and fiscal ROI for an ethical approach to Stars improvement
- Identify the crucial components and considerations for building an ethical quality strategy
- Recognize the impact of an ethical approach to health equity, HEDIS, HOS, and CAHPS can have
Speaker
Ellen Fink-Samnick
Wholistic Health Equity Strategist, Content Developer, Educator at EFS Supervision Strategies
Speaker
Melissa Newton Smith
Founder, Senior Advisor at Newton Smith Group
Speaker
Tina Dueringer
Principal Advisor at Dueringer Advisors
11:10 AM
11:10 AM – 12:00 PM
The Truth About Cutpoints
Location: Ryder Cup South Ballroom A-C (1st floor)
- Gain insights into the behaviors of cutpoints, including how they are set and the factors that influence their adjustments over time
- Consider various cutpoint scenarios and learn how to monitor these scenarios to adapt and revise goals as necessary
- Communicate cutpoint information effectively to investors and board members, emphasizing high-level insights and implications for the organization
- Discuss appropriate uses for cutpoint projections
Speaker
Leon Lead
Founder at Leon Lead Consulting, LLC
Speaker
Todd Simon
Performance Improvement Program Director, Stars Strategy at Banner Health Plan
12:00 PM
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Networking Lunch
Location: Ryder Cup South Ballroom (D-H)
1:00 PM
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Stars Cutpoint Hackathon
Location: Ryder Cup South Ballroom A-C (1st floor)
Join us for an interactive and dynamic Star Ratings Cutpoint Hackathon, where healthcare professionals, quality improvement experts, and data enthusiasts come together to tackle the challenges of cutpoint setting and optimization in Star Ratings. Attendees will work in teams to explore various scenarios related to Star Ratings cutpoints, and then share insights, experiences, and strategies to develop actionable solutions that address common challenges faced in cutpoint setting and adjustments. Dive deep into real-world case studies and hypothetical scenarios that challenge and enhance your understanding of cutpoints.
Speaker
Melissa Newton Smith
Founder, Senior Advisor at Newton Smith Group
Speaker
Ana Handshuh
Principal at CAT5 Strategies
Speaker
Ryan Bernstein
Sr. Consultant, Medicare Lead at RWC
2:00 PM
2:00 PM – 2:15 PM
Closing Remarks
Location: Ryder Cup South Ballroom A-C (1st floor)
Speaker
Ana Handshuh
Principal at CAT5 Strategies
Stay in the Know!
Sign up below to receive event updates directly to your inbox.