The MHA Safety & Quality Symposium brings healthcare professionals together to advance patient safety, improve care quality and share innovative strategies for better health outcomes.
The MHA is pleased to announce the MHA Keystone Center Safety & Quality Symposium, designed for chief medical and nursing officers and leaders across safety, quality, risk management and clinical improvement. The symposium includes content-rich sessions that help attendees explore proven methods to reduce workplace violence and improve worker safety.
Attendees at the 2026 MHA Keystone Center Safety & Quality Symposium will:
The symposium is designed for clinical teams across the continuum of care, quality and safety professionals, and healthcare executives. This activity has been approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™ and ANCC contact hours.
Valerie Harpel, MS, APRN, PMHCNS-BC, is a psychiatric/mental health clinical nurse specialist at Munson Medical Center in Traverse City. Harpel has held a variety of leadership roles across inpatient and outpatient settings, including clinical coordinator, clinical nurse manager, and clinical nurse specialist. Her work focuses on developing programs and education that promote well-being, reduce patient violence risk, and advance suicide prevention initiatives. She provides consultation on complex behavioral health cases and supports multidisciplinary care planning for patients.
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Lisa MacLean, MD, serves as the chief clinical wellness officer at Henry Ford Medical Group, part of the Henry Ford Health System in Detroit. MacLean’s work includes encouraging physicians and physicians-in-training to achieve and maintain a balanced, healthy lifestyle by providing skills they can use to reach optimum wellness. She has a passion for medical education and has served in many leadership roles, such as the associate dean of Student Affairs and Career Development at Wayne State University School of Medicine.
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Bryan Sexton, PhD, is a medical associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Duke University School of Medicine and director of the Duke Center for the Advancement of Well-being Science. Sexton leads efforts in research, training and coaching, guiding quality improvement and well-being activities. What began as novel research into managing stress and error in commercial aviation in the early 1990s was expanded to medicine in 1996. Sexton led the team that developed and validated metrics and interventions for improving workforce well-being, safety culture, teamwork and leadership. Sexton is a long-standing partner in creating tools to improve safety culture and wellbeing with the MHA Keystone Center.
Melissa Thomas, chief of system security, Henry Ford Health System, where she is responsible for ensuring that security technology aligns with hospital infrastructure and maintaining collaborative relationships with clinical risk management, patient safety, and workplace violence committees to reduce threats and security-related hazards. Thomas coordinates security measures for new facilities, implementing crime prevention strategies and conducting investigations into incidents. She established performance standards for monitoring and investigating threats and violence incidents and developing mitigation strategies.
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Stephen Weiler, IPEM, MEP, CPP, CPD, manager of resiliency services, Tarian, a trusted leader in security and an MHA Endorsed Business Partner. Weiler leads the active shooter and Threat and Techniques for Effective Aggression Management (TEAM®) programs, conducts security risk assessments, designs and delivers Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program-compliant exercises. Weiler spent more than 28 years as a law enforcement professional.
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Brian Uridge, MPA, CPP, CHPA, CTM, DPSS, senior director, Michigan Medicine Safety and Security, University of Michigan, where he focuses on policy development, regional campus integration, enterprise-wide threat assessment and protective investigations. Uridge manages more than 200 staff involved in criminal investigation, community policing operations, K-9 team, clinical trainers, and physical security. Uridge is a certified police officer and threat manager and a certified healthcare protection administrator.
3:30-5 p.m.
Preconference (by pre-registration only; space is limited)
University of Michigan Health Sparrow, Lansing
7:30-8:30 a.m.
Registration/Exhibit space open
8:30-9 a.m.
Welcome Remarks, MHA CEO Brian Peters
Presentation of Advancing Safe Care and recognition of Speak Up awardees
Connecting to Purpose - caregiver story
9-10 a.m.
Brian Uridge, MPA, CPP, CHPA, CTM, DPSS, senior director, Michigan Medicine Safety and Security, University of Michigan
10-10:30 a.m.
Break/Exhibitor Networking
10:30-11:15 a.m.
Melissa Thomas, chief of system security, Henry Ford Health
Stephen Weiler, manager of resiliency services, Tarian
11:15 a.m.- Noon
Bryan Sexton, medical associate professor, department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, director, Duke Center for the Advancement of Well-being Science.
12:45-1:30 p.m.
Bryan Sexton, medical associate professor, department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, director, Duke Center for the Advancement of Well-being Science.
1:30-2:15 p.m.
Valerie Harpel, MS, APRN, PMHCNS-BC, clinical nurse specialist, behavioral health, Munson Healthcare
2:15-2:30 p.m.
Break/Exhibitor Networking
2:30-3:15 p.m.
Lisa MacLean, MD, chief clinical wellness officer, Henry Ford Health
3:15-3:30 p.m.
Closing remarks
3:30 p.m.
Adjourn
The exhibit hall is open all day, with designated times for attendees to gain insights from exhibitors and each other about products and services that solve problems and increase productivity and satisfaction.
Hospital K9 units are highly trained canine teams typically paired with a law enforcement or security officer to enhance security, deter violence, and support staff in healthcare environments.
The director of public safety and the hospital's K9 master instructor at the University of Michigan Health Sparrow - Lansing, will outline:
Registrants will view K9 trainers and dogs in various situations, such as searching for drugs or weapons.
The MHA Keystone Center Safety & Quality Symposium registration is open to employees of healthcare entities, including providers in acute, long-term and outpatient care, post-secondary healthcare education providers, healthcare affiliate groups and conference sponsors. Please contact Janice Jones at the MHA with questions about registration eligibility. The MHA reserves the right to evaluate and deny any registration.
You can register for the MHA Keystone Center Safety & Quality Symposium online. All registrations and appropriate fees must be submitted to the MHA on or before the registration deadline of Oct. 2. Credit card payment is required to complete registration. Confirmation of your registration will be sent automatically via the MHA Member Portal. Members with questions about registration should contact Janice Jones at the MHA. Members with questions about the conference should contact Ellie Droste at the MHA.
Fifty percent of the registration fee will be credited to the card used for registration payment if notice is given by Oct. 2, 2026. No refund will be issued after this time. Registrants may send an alternate.
An overnight room rate of $159 has been secured for hotel guest rooms for MHA Keystone Center Safety & Quality Symposium attendees (rooms subject to state and local taxes). To make a room reservation by phone, call 833-904-2206, identify yourself as part of the MHHA Fall Meeting group, and provide your reservations under the code “912” to receive the discounted group rate. Please ensure your reservations are made before the cutoff date of Sept. 14. After the cutoff date, room reservations and rates will be confirmed based on availability.
To make a room reservation, please visit DoubleTree by Hilton Lansing
Parking is available in the North Grand Ramp, located on the corner of Ottawa and Grand. Parking is $3 per hour, up to $15 overnight and does not include in-and-out privileges, meaning you pay each time you leave. Entrances to the garage are on Ottawa and Ionia streets. Parking on the third floor of the garage is recommended as it leads directly to the second floor of the hotel. (The double doors are normally locked, but we will plan to prop the doors open during your peak arrival time, so that your attendees are not waiting on the front desk to answer the intercom.) A pay station is in the skywalk for parking payments to be made prior to leaving the garage.
Business casual dress is appropriate for this event. Please dress in layers, as the room temperature may vary.
If you have any special needs or concerns regarding program site access, dietary restrictions or your participation in the program, contact Janice Jones at the MHA at (517) 323-3443. Inquiring in advance will enhance our ability to respond to individual needs.
The MHA follows local, state, and federal guidelines and determines safety protocols and requirements for all face-to-face events based upon these recommendations.
This event may be photographed and/or videotaped. Your attendance indicates your consent to the use of such photographs or videotapes for educational and/or promotional purposes.
Phone: (517) 703-8601
Fax: (517) 703-0628
