I am looking forward to attending and speaking at the ATD 2016 International Conference & Exposition in Denver, May 22-25. I am especially interested in learning what talent development professionals, especially those in healthcare, are doing to attract, motivate, equip, retain, and sustain a competent, professional healthcare workforce.

Healthcare talent development professionals are experiencing unprecedented workforce challenges, including nurse vacancy rates, retention issues, generational changes, patient care requirements, and a need for clear and observable patient outcomes. Marshall McLuhan’s observation—we cannot look at our present situation through a rearview mirror to find the solutions that are before us—still resonates today. For example, the Affordable Care Act pay-for-value payment strategy is not a patient billing challenge. That is rearview-mirror thinking. Focusing on the road ahead helps us see that this is not just a finance problem; it’s a talent development and accountability challenge associated with each of these healthcare workforce challenges.

My education session is about moving healthcare talent development solutions to a pay-for-value model. It relates to my earlier statement about moving from a rearview-mirror approach and seeing this significant reimbursable payments shift as a talent development opportunity. I will share a planning and evaluation model that will help you define value for all key stakeholders, align the activities and metrics required to satisfy all stakeholders, and evaluate the return on investment of these activities to produce the valued outcomes of each stakeholder.

I also will be one of four speakers invited to discuss leadership and talent development in healthcare. This session will highlight trends and top topics that are influencing the healthcare profession. I will briefly share how emerging big data analytics software is revolutionizing how healthcare talent professionals can assess and develop four key professional role competencies for nurses—leadership, communication, decision making, and execution—and their associated patient care behaviors. Other topics include leadership and followership in healthcare, addressing succession planning in healthcare, and the leader within. You will walk away with a high-level understanding of what the healthcare community is doing in ATD’s newest community of practice.

Indeed, the healthcare track at the conference promises to deliver great value to everyone who attends. Even those not in the healthcare profession can walk away with valuable insights and other takeaways. I look forward to seeing you at ATD 2016.