Welcome to the 8th Annual Women in Healthcare Leadership Symposium!

Join us on Wednesday, September 3, 2025 at the Hyatt Regency Orlando for a day filled with inspiring speakers, engaging workshops, and networking opportunities. This event is a great opportunity for women and other leaders in the healthcare industry to come together, share experiences, and learn from each other.

Join hundreds of your peers as we spend the day networking, listening to our esteemed colleagues within the Florida healthcare landscape, and hearing from our award-winning keynote speaker Lamiaa Laurene Daif, Manager of Worldwide Strategy & Business planning at Apple.

We’re gathering to elevate voices, challenge boundaries, and lead boldly into the future of healthcare — together. This event is all about inspiration, empowerment, and action as we celebrate the power of women in leadership.

The event will feature speakers from across Florida and the nation, including two panels of highly esteemed healthcare experts.

Agenda

8:00 AM - 9:00 AM Registration/Check-in

Keynote with Lamiaa Laurene Daif of Apple

Panel: Implementing Strategic Plans for Successful Operations

Luncheon

Networking

Panel: Proactively Managing Your Professional Development As A Leader

FAQ

Where is parking for this event? Parking is available at the Hyatt Regency Parking Garage with limited validated parking available, or there is Valet Parking available at the venue. Carpooling is encouraged due to limited validated parking availability. The parking garage is a 10-minute walk to the ballroom.

Can men attend? Yes! Men, especially our healthcare peers, are welcome and encouraged to attend. Join us for this conversation and time of engaging collaboration.

What is your refund policy? Refunds for this event will be automatically approved until 8/17/2025 at 11:59pm. After this time, refunds will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Join us for a one-hour session where we will explore how understanding yourself and others can enhance communication, strengthen teamwork, and drive better outcomes across your workplace. Walk away with practical strategies to lead with empathy and build stronger professional relationships.

About the Event:

Join Megan J. Nelson, Attorney at Law, to discuss incident reporting from the perspective of a nurse-turned-lawyer.

About the Speaker:

Megan is an associate in the Health Care Department and devotes her practice to representing hospitals, physicians, nurses, long-term care facilities, skilled nursing facilities, and other healthcare providers in the defense of medical malpractice and negligence claims, along with premises and general liability claims.

Megan also represents nurses and other medical providers who are facing administrative or regulatory discipline by their governing medical licensing boards.

In addition to healthcare defense, Megan assists hospitals, long-term care facilities, and skilled nursing facilities with the initiation of petitions for determination of incapacity and the appointment of plenary guardians for patients who are unable to make their own medical and financial decisions. Megan also assists hospitals, long-term care facilities, and skilled nursing facilities with patients and family who "stay against medical advice."

Megan began her career as a firefighter for her hometown volunteer fire department and has utilized her knowledge as a firefighter to represent fire academies in lawsuits.

Megan has been a Registered Nurse since 2010. Before becoming a lawyer, she worked as a neonatal and pediatric critical care nurse in various settings, including the neonatal intensive care unit, pediatric intensive care unit, pediatric cardiac intensive care unit, and pediatric emergency room. Her experience also included patients on ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation) and cardiac bypass. Megan's background in nursing helps to bridge the gap between medicine and the law.

Megan is a frequent lecturer on medical and nursing topics, including incident reporting, guardianships, and AI (artificial intelligence). She is a member of the Florida State Guardianship Association, Central Florida Medical Malpractice Claims Council, and the Orange County Bar Association.

Megan graduated from Del Mar College with an Associate's Degree in Nursing and Texas A&M University Corpus Christi with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Megan graduated cum laude from Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad College of Law with a Juris Doctor.

When she is not working, Megan volunteers her time at The Sanctuary at Lakota Farms, where she helps care for horses that have been rescued.

FACHE Exclusive Event

We’re excited to come together for a special FACHE Appreciation Luncheon, where we’ll celebrate you—our incredible Fellows. This gathering is all about recognizing the dedication, leadership, and impact you bring to healthcare and our community.

Join us on Friday, September 19, 2025, from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM at Sixty Vines in Winter Park, FL, for an afternoon of connection, recognition, and gratitude exclusively for our Fellows. We can’t wait to share this moment with you.

 Join us for a collaborative evening of networking, connection, and community-building, hosted by the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) and the Florida Chapter of the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA).

This special event brings together healthcare professionals from across the region for meaningful conversations, shared insights, and the opportunity to strengthen relationships across disciplines. Whether you're a seasoned executive or emerging leader, this is a perfect setting to expand your professional network while enjoying food, drinks, and a relaxed atmosphere at one of Clermont’s most scenic spots.

Space is limited, so be sure to RSVP early. We look forward to seeing you there!

Registration is hosted by HFMA

Access & Overload: Addressing Burnout and Mental Health Access

Join us for an important panel discussion examining the growing challenges of burnout and mental health access in healthcare teams. As demand for services increases and workforce strain intensifies, leaders are working to expand access to mental health resources while supporting frontline providers.

This event will spotlight practical approaches, innovative solutions, and system-level strategies that address both provider well-being and patient care. Gain insights into how healthcare organizations are tackling the access gap, reducing burnout, and creating sustainable models to support mental health for staff and patients alike.

With Expert Panelists:

• Derek D. Szafranski, PhD, FACHE – Acting Deputy Director, Orlando VA Healthcare System

• Deborah C. Beidel, PhD, ABPP – Chair & Professor of Psychology & Medical Education, Director of UCF RESTORES

• Kara Vick Boyer, PhD – Deputy Associate Chief of Staff, Mental Health Service, Orlando VA Healthcare System

• Krista Castleberry, MSW, LCSW – Mental Health Consultant, Behavioral Administration, AdventHealth Central Florida Division

Save the date for the FHA/ACHE Annual Brunch, a collaboration of all four ACHE chapters from across the state at the Florida Hospital Association’s Annual Business Meeting.