Ascend 2026 - Practice Management Leadership Summit -Live/Virtual

Includes a Live Web Event on 11/06/2026 at 8:00 AM (CST)

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- Early bird pricing available!
- KZA User - $595
- Other - $595
- Regular Price after 08/31/2026 11:59 PM
- KZA User - $695
- Other - $695
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November 6, 2026
8:00 am CST - 4:00 pm CST
Live/Virtual
Seven 1-hour courses
7 CEUs

Session #1: The Practice Accelerator: Filling Schedules, Launching Services, and Scaling New Providers
We open the day where the money leaks out: an empty appointment slot is revenue you never get back. Starting from the true, high cost of an empty chair, this session delivers actionable marketing frameworks to eliminate empty slots, cross-sell new high-margin procedures to the patients you already have, and get new providers fully booked in under 60 days.

As a result of attending, participants will be able to…
• Quantify the high cost of an empty chair — per slot, per provider, per year
• Apply proven marketing frameworks to eliminate schedule gaps
• Launch and cross-sell high-margin services to your existing patient base
• Ramp new providers to full schedules in under 60 days

Session #2: Building a Modern Care Team
Access, margin, and clinician well-being aren't competing goals — they're the outputs of a well-designed care team. This session shows how to distribute work across physicians, APPs, and support clinicians so every team member practices at the top of their license, and how to size and structure that team for your actual patient population.

As a result of attending, participants will be able to…
• Design a team-based care model where license-appropriate work flows to the right team member
• Quantify access and capacity using panel size, visit demand, and provider-mix modeling to set the right physician-to-APP ratio
• Implement scheduling models, in-basket and documentation offloading, and role redesign that improve work-life balance without sacrificing access or margin
• Align compensation and governance so team-based care is rewarded, APP roles are integrated rather than bolted on, and the model is sustainable

Session #3: Financial Health Check: Understanding Metrics That Matter
Before you can improve the numbers, you have to know which ones matter — and what they're telling you. This session builds a shared financial vocabulary for practice leaders: what each core metric measures, what "good" looks like for a surgical practice, and what to do when a number moves the wrong way. We'll cover operating margin, cost per encounter, provider productivity, days in A/R, net collection rate, and EBITDA and practice valuation.

As a result of attending, participants will be able to…
• Define and calculate the six financial metrics every practice leader should track
• Benchmark practice performance against specialty norms and spot early warning signs in A/R and collections trends
• Connect day-to-day operational decisions to operating margin
• Explain how EBITDA drives practice valuation — and why it matters even if you never plan to sell

Session #4: The People Equation: Hiring, Retention, and Incentives That Actually Work
Every vacant desk and every mis-hire has a price tag — and most practices have never calculated it. This session puts real numbers on vacancy and turnover, then walks through structured, competency-based recruitment and retention tactics that go beyond compensation, and incentive structures that reward the right behaviors while staying inside the legal guardrails.

As a result of attending, participants will be able to…
• Calculate the true cost of a vacant or mis-hired position and apply structured, competency-based recruitment to clinical and non-clinical roles
• Identify the primary drivers of staff turnover and implement targeted retention tactics — career laddering, stay interviews, and workload and management levers
• Design compliant incentive structures for office staff, navigating FLSA mechanics for non-exempt employees and Stark/AKS guardrails on anything touching referrals or designated health services
• Match organizational structure and key leadership roles to practice size and revenue — and recognize the inflection points that call for new management layers

Session #5: The Evolved Leader: Navigating Difficult Conversations with Empathy and Effectiveness
Coming straight out of lunch — and straight off the People Equation — this session takes up the human side of everything the morning put in place. Because every strategy on today’s agenda ultimately runs through one channel: how you communicate. We pair reflective leadership practice — building the self-awareness to see how you actually show up — with practical, step-by-step skills for the conversations leaders avoid: performance problems, conflict between team members, and delivering hard news to physicians and staff.

As a result of attending, participants will be able to…
• Apply reflective and reflexive practices that build leadership self-awareness
• Structure and lead difficult conversations with staff, colleagues, and physicians
• Use practical frameworks for feedback, conflict, and accountability discussions
• Build day-to-day communication habits that earn trust across the practice

Session #6: Executive Workshop: Creating Dashboards Leaders Actually Use
Data isn't a strategy — a dashboard your leadership team actually opens is. In this hands-on workshop, we’ll roll up our sleeves and distill the data behind every session today — financial, operational, workforce, access, and compliance — into a one-page executive view that drives Monday-morning decisions rather than gathering dust on a shared drive.

As a result of attending, participants will be able to…
• Select the KPIs that belong on an executive dashboard — and recognize the ones that don't
• Organize metrics across five domains: financial, operational, patient access, workforce, and compliance
• Design dashboard views tuned to physician, administrator, and board audiences
• Establish a review cadence and ownership model that turns dashboards into decisions

Session #7: Tech That Delivers: Leveraging Technology to Increase Revenue
Technology should pay for itself. This session maps today's digital healthcare landscape and shows where the right tools genuinely enhance the patient experience, streamline clinical workflows, and add revenue — and how to measure the return before and after you buy, so vendor promises meet practice reality.

As a result of attending, participants will be able to…
• Navigate the digital healthcare landscape and evaluate vendor claims with confidence
• Identify technologies that measurably enhance the patient experience from scheduling to follow-up
• Streamline clinical workflows without adding clicks for clinicians
• Build a simple ROI model for any technology purchase — and hold it accountable after go-live

Alicia Anderson, BS, AAS (Moderator)

Consultant

KZA

Alicia Anderson’s healthcare career spans over 25 years and includes decades of managing and accessing health systems, equity platforms (MSO), and private physician practices. Alicia specializes in operational development through practice management, service line strategic planning, partnership development, business planning, organizational design, and financial profit and operational efficiencies. Alicia has led collaborative efforts with healthcare partners on strategic and operational issues, providing oversight and guidance to departmental operations, including Human Resources, Credentialing, and Compliance.

With a depth of experience in Dermatology, Plastic Surgery and Family Practice services, Alicia has created more than 25 service line strategic plans. She has presented on Practice Management and Operational Efficiency at national conferences, including the Association of Dermatology Administrators and Managers and Dermatology Managers Association, and has received the Practice Manager of the Year Award from ADAM and the Momentum Award from Modernizing Medicine. Alicia serves on the Advisory Board for Care Credit and is a member of the Association of Dermatology Administrators and Managers. Alicia holds a Bachelor of Social Science degree from the University of North Texas and an Associate of Applied Science degree from North Central Texas College.

Jennifer Cabrera, PA-C, MSPA, MPH (Moderator)

Consultant and Speaker

KZA

As a board- certified Physician Assistant, Jennifer has spent nearly 20 years in health care, with most of that time in orthopaedics. Her clinical experiences add to her understanding of the importance of solid documentation as well as diagnostic and procedural coding.

Jennifer’s rich background in sports medicine and joint reconstruction includes care for both collegiate and professional athletes, plus serving as first assist on surgeries on a range of orthopedic procedures. She has extensive ASC and hospital experience as a service line manager, case management, and with AAAHC and JCAHO accreditations. In addition, Jennifer has served on the development team for the construction of a new orthopaedic and spine surgical hospital in Los Angeles.

Matthew Shortt (Moderator)

Consultant

KZA

Matthew Shortt is a respected healthcare leader with extensive experience in musculoskeletal care, clinical operations, and organizational leadership. He has over a decade of clinical practice in orthopedics, including founding and managing a successful private orthopedic practice in Blacksburg, VA. Throughout his career, Matthew has also served as a clinical preceptor and lecturer for multiple physician assistant programs, mentoring future healthcare providers.

In his leadership roles, Matthew has directed operations for large, multi-site healthcare organizations, overseeing hundreds of clinicians and numerous clinical locations. His expertise spans strategic planning, service line development, clinician engagement, and operational optimization. He has also provided consulting services in the medical device industry and served on various hospital committees, driving initiatives to improve quality, efficiency, and patient experience.

A native of Virginia, Matthew earned his undergraduate degree from Virginia Tech, completed his physician assistant studies in 2007, and later earned his MBA from the Carey Business School at Johns Hopkins University.

Olivia Wolf (Moderator)

Consultant

KZA

Olivia J. Wolf, MBA, CPC, is a seasoned healthcare executive with more than 25 years of experience across medical coding, revenue cycle, clinical operations, practice administration, and business development. With leadership experience in both private practice and large health systems, she offers deep insight into finance, strategic growth, and operational excellence. Olivia’s industry specialties include internal medicine, orthopedics, and tribal health, spanning primary care, behavioral health, dental, and hospital-adjacent specialty clinics.

Olivia is also the host of The Stuck(ish) Podcast, where she explores the intersection of humanity and leadership. She is pursuing her EdD in Interdisciplinary Leadership, with research focused on healthcare humanities and the physician/non-physician executive relationship.

Course Access and Expiration

You have 30 days to complete a course from the day you first access the content. After 30 days your access will expire.

Should you have questions, please contact us at education@kzanow.com

All cancellations and transfer requests will adhere to the KZA Cancellation and Refund Policy.

Please email at education@kzanow.com to submit your transfer or cancellation request after reviewing the policy above.

Need to register multiple attendees? Click HERE for information. If you have any questions or need additional assistance, email education@kzanow.com or call 312-642-8310.

Thank you!

KZA