2026 Fall Chief Nursing Officer Congress

Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass, Phoenix AZ
November 15th
- 17th
2026

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About The Program

The Fall CNO Congress is where Chief Nursing Officers and senior nursing executives come to solve the challenges reshaping modern healthcare—from workforce burnout and staffing shortages to AI integration, patient experience, and operational transformation.

This invitation-only experience is built for meaningful conversations between healthcare leaders and the partners helping hospitals improve clinical operations, strengthen workforce retention, and drive better patient outcomes. Through curated one-on-one meetings, executive networking, and strategic content, attendees build relationships, exchange actionable ideas, and accelerate decisions that move healthcare forward.

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4 out of 5 delegates said this is the best event they’ve attended all year

Topics of Discussion

The conversation around staffing has shifted from identifying the problem to implementing sustainable solutions. Nursing leaders will share actionable strategies around retention, flexible workforce models, team redesign, and reducing turnover while strengthening engagement at the bedside.

Documentation demands, fragmented systems, and administrative overload continue to pull nurses away from patient care. Explore how nursing, IT, and CNIO leaders are collaborating to streamline workflows, optimize technology, and reduce cognitive burden across care teams.

As AI adoption accelerates across healthcare, many nurses remain skeptical about its impact on care delivery and workload. This session examines how nurse leaders can proactively guide AI governance, implementation, education, and ethical integration to ensure technology supports — rather than replaces — nursing practice.

From remote patient monitoring to chronic care management, the future of nursing is already taking shape. Hear how organizations are preparing nurses at every career stage to adapt to emerging technologies, new care delivery models, and evolving patient expectations.

Nursing is one of the most influential — and often underleveraged — value generators within healthcare systems. This discussion explores how CNOs can better connect nursing outcomes to financial performance, productivity, patient experience, reimbursement, and long-term organizational sustainability.

Healthcare legislation and regulatory decisions increasingly impact nursing education, workforce development, reimbursement, and patient care delivery. This session explores the current policy landscape, including key legislation affecting nursing, while empowering leaders to strengthen advocacy efforts both inside their organizations and beyond.

Violence against healthcare workers, emotional exhaustion, and rising workplace stress continue to threaten workforce stability. Leaders will discuss strategies for improving safety, strengthening organizational accountability, supporting staff well-being, and building cultures where nurses feel protected and valued.

As healthcare shifts toward proactive and connected care models, nursing leaders are playing a central role in improving outcomes beyond discharge. Explore innovative approaches to chronic care management, remote monitoring, care coordination, and reducing avoidable readmissions.

Rising labor costs, reimbursement pressures, and operational constraints are forcing healthcare leaders to rethink how care is delivered and measured. Hear how CNOs are balancing fiscal responsibility with workforce investment, quality outcomes, and patient-centered care strategies.

Today’s nursing executives are leading through constant complexity and change. This session focuses on sustaining leadership capacity through mentorship, executive development, emotional resilience, and creating space for leaders to grow both personally and professionally.

Advisory Board

We are proud to introduce our National Chief Nursing Officer Advisory Board of seven leading healthcare industry experts. This collaborative group provides insights, session suggestions, and overall feedback on opportunities for constant growth at our events.

Robert Rose
Market Chief Nurse Executive,
Atrium Health, North Carolina
Dr. Grace Dengler
Vice President & Chief Nursing Officer,
Rochester Regional Health System, New York
Michele Szkolnicki
Senior Vice President & Chief Nursing Officer,
Penn State Health, Pennsylvania
Dr. Christi Nguyen
Associate Chief Nursing Officer of Nursing Excellence,
UT Southwestern Medical Center, Texas
Dr. Diane Drexler
Vice President of Patient Care & Chief Nursing Officer,
Community Memorial Health System, California
April Gaines
Chief Nursing Officer,
Bryan Health - Crete Area Medical Center, Nebraska

Current & Past Speakers

A dynamic roster of thought leaders who contribute valuable insights and expertise, sharing cutting-edge research, industry trends, and innovative ideas that can drive progress and inspire their industry peers. 

Their presentations and discussions foster networking opportunities, facilitate knowledge exchange, and help shape the future direction of their respective field.

Kerri Baxter
Regional Chief Nursing Officer & Acting CEO,
Veterans Health Administration - VISN 9, Tennessee
Kodi Craft
Vice President of Nursing Operations,
University Medical Center New Orleans, Louisiana
Selina Dallas
Chief Nursing Officer/Chief Operating Officer,
Ascension, Wisconsin
Margarita De La Fuente
Associate Vice President for Quality, Practice, and Education,
Duke University Health System, North Carolina
Dr. Grace Dengler
Vice President & Chief Nursing Officer,
Rochester Regional Health System, New York
Dr. Cole Edmonson
CEO,
Nurses on Boards Coalition, Texas
Dorothy Foglia
Chief Nursing Officer,
Texas Health Hospital Frisco, Texas
Kari Koehler
Chief Nursing Officer,
St. Peter's Health, Montana
Esteen Ladson Barnes
Chief Nursing Officer of Harlem Hospital,
NYC Health and Hospitals, New York

The Schedule

10:00 am - 5:30 pm

Event Registration

12:10 pm - 1:10 pm

Opening Panel

1:30 pm - 3:20 pm

Strategy Sessions/Business Meetings

2:35 pm - 2:50 pm

Afternoon Refreshments & Networking

3:25 pm - 5:45 pm

Strategy Sessions/Business Meetings/Roundtables Discussions/Workshops

5:45 pm - 6:30 pm

Free Time

6:30 pm - 8:30 pm

Welcome Reception & Dinner

7:15 am - 8:00 am

Networking Breakfast

8:05 am - 8:55am

Morning Panel Session

9:05 am - 10:10 am

Strategy Sessions/Business Meetings

10:10 am - 10:25 am

Morning Refreshments & Networking

10:25 am - 11:30 am

Strategy Sessions/Business Meetings

11:40 am - 12:25 pm

Roundtable Discussions

12:30 pm - 1:25 pm

Networking Luncheon

1:30 pm - 3:30 pm

Workshops/Business Meetings

3:30 pm - 3:45 pm

Afternoon Refreshments & Networking

3:45 pm - 4:50 pm

Strategy Sessions/Business Meetings

4:55 pm - 5:40 pm

Closing Workshop

5:40 pm - 6:30 pm

Free Time

6:30 pm - 8:30 pm

Networking Reception & Dinner

8:00 am - 8:15 am

Morning Refreshments

8:20 am - 9:05 am

Roundtables

9:05 am - 9:55 am

Brunch

10:00 am - 11:05 am

Strategy Sessions/Business Meetings/Free Time

11:15 am - 12:00 pm

Closing Workshop

If you have access to the full schedule, click here. Otherwise, click here to get access.

Become a Partner

Delegate Testimonials

Kevin Garner
LewisGale Hospital Pulaski

Has been great meeting with other leaders and talking about solutions to challenging and vexing issues. Integrating with vendors has been pleasant and not overpowering.

 

Velma Johnson
New Orleans East Hospital

It was very organized. I loved the app and structure. It was genius to have all 3 congresses simultaneously, giving us a chance to network during intervals.

 

Evelyn Ngwa
Division of Behavioral Health Dep of Health NJ

This was an exceptional opportunity for growth for me and a terrific experience. I love it. I will keep coming as long as Bridgemark has this CNO/CIO conference.

 

Daniel Wright
Ascension Columbia St. Mary’s

It was wonderful meeting different nursing executives throughout the country and spend intimate time with them. Often, many conferences are so large it’s hard to really network and get to know others. This was perfect size and content.

 

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