2025 California Hospital Volunteer Leadership Conference

Monday, September 15

9:30 – 9:45 a.m. | Welcome and Introductions

9:45 – 10:30 a.m. | General Session

10:30 – 10:45 a.m. | Sponsor Highlight

10:45 – 11 a.m. | Break

11 a.m. – 12 p.m. | General Session

12 – 1:30 p.m. | Lunch (Lunch & Learn Opportunity with Sponsors)

1:30 – 2:30 p.m. | Concurrent Sessions

2:30 – 2:45 p.m. | Break

2:45 – 3:45 p.m. | Concurrent Sessions

3:45 – 4 p.m. | Break

4 – 5:15 p.m. | General Keynote Session

Tuesday, September 16

7:30 – 9 a.m. | Roundtable Discussion Groups | Breakfast

9 – 9:15 a.m. | Chair Yoga

9:15 – 9:45 a.m. | Ask the Executive

9:45 – 10 a.m. | Break

10 – 11 a.m. | General Session

11 – 11:30 a.m. | Closing

Session times are subject to change.

Add to your Outlook calendar.

Monday, September 15

9:30 – 9:45 a.m. | Welcome and Introductions

9:45 – 10:30 a.m. | General Session

Current State of California Hospitals
Dimitrios Alexiou, FACHE, President & CEO, Hospital Association of San Diego & Imperial Counties

California hospitals face a wide range of daily challenges that impact patients, providers, and communities alike. This session will provide attendees with a clear and comprehensive overview of the most pressing issues shaping hospital operations across the state. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of the complex environment in which California hospitals operate and the policy, financial, and workforce pressures they must navigate.

Key topics will include:

• The One Big Beautiful Bill and its implications
• Immigration enforcement and its effects on patient care
• Emergency department challenges and capacity concerns
• Community health needs assessments and their role in strategic planning
• Mental health services and the growing demand for integrated care

10:30 – 10:45 a.m. | Sponsor Highlight | Samaritan, Mom365, VSysOne by Bespoke Software

10:45 – 11 a.m. | Break

11 a.m. – 12 p.m. | General Session

Setting Expectations & Managing Risk
Erika Frank, VP Legal Counsel, California Hospital Association

Hospital volunteers play a vital role in patient care, visitor support, and community engagement—but coordinating a volunteer workforce in a healthcare environment brings a complex mix of legal, regulatory, and operational challenges.

This session will equip you with practical tools and compliance insights to protect your volunteers, your patients, and hospital—while continuing to deliver meaningful service experiences.

We’ll explore real-world examples of compliance pitfalls, classification issues, and risk exposure—and how to avoid them.

Topics covered include:

• Understand key legal distinctions between employees and volunteers
• Recruitment and onboarding strategies
• Identify and mitigate operational risks tied to volunteer involvement – Gift Shops, transportation, and more
• Importance of clear and consistent policies and procedures
• Training volunteers, setting expectations and establishing boundaries around your workforce

12 – 1:30 p.m. | Lunch

• Lunch & Learn with Samaritan & VSys One by Bespoke Software
• Volunteer Connections

1:30 – 2:30 p.m. | Concurrent Sessions

Compassionate Listeners: Volunteers’ Crucial Role in Patient Follow-up
Beth Daddario, CAVS, Director of Volunteer Experience, Inspira Health

Volunteers play a vital role in shaping the patient experience beyond the walls of care. In this session, we will explore how trained volunteers enhance patient follow-up through compassionate phone calls that encourage honest feedback. Over the past four years, volunteers have completed 35–40% of follow-up calls, providing invaluable insights that are documented, shared, and acted upon by the Patient Experience Team.

Participants will learn how this program amplifies the patient voice, strengthens trust in the community, and fosters continuous improvement across acute care settings. We will highlight the expansion of this initiative across our health network, and share lessons on sustaining volunteer engagement, celebrating successes, and translating feedback into meaningful action.

By embracing the “gifts” of patient feedback, we can continue to advance the Human Experience and create stronger connections between patients, staff, and volunteers.

Reimagining Volunteer Engagement: UC San Diego Health’s Journey to Transform the Volunteer Experience
Layah Steinberg, Director of Experience Operations, UC San Diego Health

This session will explore how UC San Diego Health Volunteer Services re-designed and revitalized the volunteer experience across three distinct programs—Volunteer Doulas, Tender Loving Canines (TLC), and The Observer Program. Presenter will share the process of gathering and incorporating feedback from volunteers, staff, and patients to create more meaningful, sustainable, and impactful opportunities. Attendees will walk away with practical strategies for engaging stakeholders, aligning program goals with organizational values, and building volunteer programs that deliver exceptional experiences for both participants and the communities they serve.

2:30 – 2:45 p.m. | Break

2:45 – 3:45 p.m. | Concurrent Sessions

Youth Volunteering: From Onboarding to Placement to Social Engagement
Christina Sullivan, Manager, Volunteers Services, Sutter Health | Mills-Peninsula Medical Center

This presentation will walk attendees through the complete journey of high school volunteers, beginning with the step-by-step onboarding process, continuing through placement, and culminating in opportunities for extracurricular and social engagement. Onboarding will be highlighted as a detailed, multi-step process that is critical to preparing both volunteers and the organization for success. Emphasis will be placed on how youth volunteers can contribute meaningfully to the lives of patients and their families, while also developing a sense of connection and community through social events.

Humanizing Hospitalization: Volunteer-Driven Programming at UC Davis Medical Center through The CARE Project
Katie Lorain, MPS, ATR-BC, Reiki III, Creative Arts and Recreation Therapy Manager, The CARE Project, UC Davis Medical Center

The CARE Project at UC Davis Medical Center harnesses the compassion and skills of trained volunteers to provide targeted psychosocial, emotional, and recreational support for hospitalized adults. This presentation highlights innovative, volunteer-driven initiatives that bring comfort, connection, and dignity to patients, including therapy dog visits, bedside haircuts, Reiki/Touch Therapy, virtual bingo, live music, and unit-based CARE Carts stocked with diversional and self-care items.

Attendees will gain practical strategies for launching and sustaining these programs, engaging volunteers effectively, and integrating holistic, person-centered interventions within the fast-paced hospital environment.

3:45 – 4 p.m. | Break

4 – 5:15 p.m. | General Keynote Session 

Building Extraordinary Volunteer Teams in the Messy Middle
Seth Yelorda, Speaker, Coach, Consultant, Vision Clarity Consulting

The best leadership often happens in the messy middle, the space where vision meets real-world challenges and where volunteers and leaders must navigate change, competing priorities, and limited resources. In this keynote, Seth Yelorda will show how the messy middle can become fertile ground for building extraordinary volunteer teams. Drawing from leadership practice, organizational psychology, and lived experience, he will share practical strategies for gaining clarity, strengthening resilience, and fostering collaboration.

Attendees will leave with renewed confidence, equipped with tools to inspire others and maximize the impact of their volunteer programs, even in the midst of uncertainty.

5:30 – 7p.m. | Networking Reception | Courtyard by Marriott Outdoor Patio 

Tuesday, September 16

7:30 – 9 a.m. | Roundtable Discussion Groups | Breakfast

9 – 9:15 a.m. | Chair Yoga

9:15 – 9:45 a.m. | General Session

Ask The Executive
Jason Broad, MBA, FACHE, Vice President, Strategic Integration & Community Engagement, Sharp HealthCare

Effective collaboration is essential in health care and invaluable within hospital volunteer programs. To foster strong partnerships, it is imperative to establish open and honest communication, define shared goals, and build trusting relationships between volunteer leaders and hospital administration.

In this “Ask the Administrator” session, participants will hear from Jason Broad, a certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, who will share practical insights on strengthening collaboration between volunteer leaders and hospital administrators. Jason will highlight the importance of using strategic communication techniques to advocate for volunteer initiatives, present requests effectively, and increase the likelihood of gaining administrative support.

9:45 – 10 a.m. | Break

10 – 11 a.m. | General Session

Innovative Volunteer Role Development and Engagement
Sarai M. Mark, Program Operations Manager, Supportive Care Strategy & Integration, City of Hope
Cristal Willis, Program Manager – Volunteer Resources, Stanford Health Care

Representatives from Stanford Health Care and City of Hope National Cancer Center will share strategies and tools to maximize the impact of volunteer roles within their health systems.

Stanford Health Care will present the development of its framework for evaluating requests for new volunteer roles, along with decision-making tools that guide this process. City of Hope will highlight the outcomes of its role-vetting approach, collaborative decentralized model, and intentional rounding practices.

Participants will gain practical insights into how strategic process changes can elevate volunteer contributions, strengthen alignment with organizational priorities, and drive meaningful impact.

11 – 11:30 a.m. | Closing

Session times are subject to change.

Samaritan
100 South, Suite 290
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
(801) 328-3972
Toll-free: (888) 904-6060 ext. 201
https://samaritan.com
Email: sales@samaritan.com
Representatives: Keith Leonard

VSys One by Bespoke Software
VSys One by Bespoke Software
39 Karner Road, #12864
Albany, NY 12288
(518) 618-0746
Toll-free: (800) 517-9343
www.VSysOne.com
Email: sales@VSysOne.com
Representatives: Melissa Bergin, Bill Cornett, Karina Vargas

Venue Sponsor

Sharp HealthCare
8695 Spectrum Center Boulevard
San Diego, CA 92123
https://www.sharp.com/

Conference Photographer

Mom365
1862 Lackland Hill Parkway
Maryland Heights, MO 63146
https://mom365.com/

Registration Rates

*To ensure your hospital is a member, view a list of California Hospital Association member hospitals.

Registration will be open soon.

Cancellation/Refund

A $75 non-refundable processing fee will be retained for each cancellation. Cancellations must be made in writing 14 or more days prior to the scheduled event and emailed to volunteers@calhospital.org. No refunds will be made after these dates. Substitutions are encouraged. In the unlikely event that the program is cancelled, refunds will be issued to paid registrants within 30 days.

Discount Registration Check Payment

Check payment registrations received by July 31 must submit payment before Aug. 15, 2025 to receive discount rate. If payment is submitted after Aug. 15, the rate will increase. If you have questions, please call (916) 552-7544.

Sharp Prebys Innovation and Education Center
8695 Spectrum Center Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92123
Location Website

The Sharp Prebys Innovation and Education Center puts people and patients first. The Center promotes research, training, workforce development, innovation, education, and technology. Meeting space includes an auditorium, conference center and Board rooms and an on-site café.

Complimentary parking available for attendees.

Courtyard by Marriott | San Diego Central
8651 Spectrum Center Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92123
(858) 573-0700
Hotel Website

Courtyard by Marriott | San Diego Central single and double occupancy room reservations are available at a starting discounted rate of $179 per night, plus applicable taxes. To make room reservations by phone, call (888) 236-2427 and provide event name 2025 California Hospital Volunteer Leadership Conference or California Association of Hospitals and Health Systems (CAHHS) or visit the website for online reservations. Discount room reservations are available until Aug. 26, 2025.

Parking

Self-parking is available at a discounted rate of $10 per night.

Air Travel

San Diego International Airport (SAN) Terminal 1 (T1) is currently under construction and will impact airport arrival and departures. Phase 1A of SAN T1 is scheduled to open in September 2025. To better prepare for your travel needs, visit the SAN’s “What You Need to Know” section of their Construction Progress webpage.

Transportation

The Sharp Prebys Innovation and Education Center and Courtyard by Marriott are located eleven miles from SAN and approximately seven miles from the Amtrak Old Town Station.

CAHHS Volunteer Services
1215 K Street, Suite 700
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 552-7544
volunteers@calhospital.org

Committee Co-Chairs