SMPS 4th Annual Healthcare Symposium

Join us for an insightful keynote address discussing the Certificate of Need (CON) process for healthcare facilities.  Robert Threlkeld, a Partner at Morris Manning & Martin, will discuss the CON process and its effect on facility construction, and planning for new services and construction. 

The keynote address will be followed by a moderated panel of healthcare facilities representatives discussing their role in the CON process, their recent and current projects, and also the best ways to work with their healthcare systems.

More than 100 industry attendees enjoy this conference each year, so be sure to register for your seat or sponsorship soon!

Keynote Presentation:  The Certificate of Need (CON) Process

Robert C. Threlkeld
Partner
Morris Manning & Martin, LLP

Robert C. Threlkeld is a Partner at Morris Manning & Martin, working in the firm’s Healthcare Litigation and Exempt Organizations Practices.  Mr. Threlkeld actively represents hospital systems, physician practice groups and other healthcare providers in a range of regulatory matters, and regulatory and business disputes.  He has substantial experience in Medicare and Medicaid fraud and abuse matters, managed care disputes, false claims and whistleblower cases, Certificate of Need matters, licensure and medical staff disputes.  He also has successfully represented providers in federal and state courts in disputes involving managed care contracting and reimbursement, medical partnership and shareholder disputes, and breach of contract actions.  Mr. Threlkeld also actively advises providers on compliance with regulatory requirements in connection with various transactions, including a variety of hospital/physician alignment transactions, provider joint ventures and other arrangements.

Panel moderator

Rhett Partin, FACHE 
Senior Vice President of Clinical Services & Public Health
Georgia Hospital Association

Rhett Partin is the senior vice president of clinical services and public health of the Georgia Hospital Association (GHA).  He is responsible for administering approximately six multi-million dollar multi-year contracts with the State government as well as multiple national health care quality improvement organizations.  The contracts afford GHA the opportunity to provide quality improvement programs to health care providers in Georgia at minimal cost to the providers.

Rhett has worked as a hospital employee, policy analyst, registered lobbyist, licensed nursing home administrator and business developer in a career spanning more than 20 years.  He began his career in health care at the age of 18 as an operating room tech and nurse’s aide and has worked in the industry ever since.  He has held numerous administrative and non-licensed clinical positions in four hospitals.  Additionally, he has operated two skilled nursing facilities and one continuing care retirement community.

Rhett has held several roles at GHA, initially as the first executive director of GHA’s Center for Rural Health, then as a vice president of the Center, a role in which he oversaw all small rural hospitals in addition to member, hospital-based skilled nursing facilities.  Following a four-year career pivot into health care business development with a major private development and construction firm, Rhett rejoined GHA as the vice president of member relations and business development.

Rhett holds a Bachelor of Science in Health Services Administration from Auburn University and a Master of Business Administration and Master of Health Administration from Georgia State University.  He is a Fellow of the American College of Health Care Executives.

Panelists

Jason Cash
Program Manager
Piedmont Healthcare

Jason Cash believes that a highly functioning team can accomplish any project better than individuals standing alone.  With a background working in the construction field, Jason is able to take the information he has learned and apply it to lead multiple large and small construction projects from conception to occupancy.   

Notable projects at Piedmont Healthcare that Jason has managed include the $450 million Piedmont Atlanta tower and the Piedmont Fayette Liear Accelerator.   Jason attended the University of West Georgia, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Sociology. 

Craig Flanagan
Vice President
Realty Trust Group

Craig joined Realty Trust Group in 2012, and brings more than 30 years of experience in commercial real estate.  Craig is involved with site selection, property acquisition, due diligence and development.  He was previously Vice President, Office Leasing at Duke Realty Corporation for five years.  At Duke Realty, Craig managed up to four leasing agents, leasing Duke’s 3.6 million square foot office portfolio.  He also had day to day leasing responsibility for 1.2 million square feet of the total portfolio.  Craig personally completed 111 lease transactions consisting of 1.5 million square feet, with a total net lease value of $172 million.  Crain was a key member of the team responsible for completing a build-to-suit transaction with Primerica Life Insurance Company international headquarters (which was awarded the NAIOP Develo9pment Deal of the Year).  The project was a 344,000 square foot office building on 30 acres, housing 1,800 employees.  Also in 2011, Craig was responsible for the Rock-Tenn office lease transaction (83,000 rentable square feet) which was named the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Office Deal of the Year for 2011. 

Prior to joining Duke Realty, Craig was with Colonnade Properties and was the Managing Director of Peachtree Center located in Downtown Atlanta.  He reported directly to the property owners and was responsible for property management, tenant construction, office and retail leasing, and marketing of the Peachtree Center portfolio.  Craig’s total tenure at Peachtree Center was over 9 years from 1997, starting as Vice President for leasing to becoming Managing Director in 2005.

Craig is a licensed broker in Georgia and holds a Bachelor of Arts from Georgia State University.

Joe Wheeler
Construction Manager
WellStar Health System

Joe has more than 18 years of experience managing a variety of healthcare projects including ground-up new hospitals, radiation oncology, imaging, surgical, and behavioral health facilities, as well as continued care retirement communities located across the country. 

This experience followed a tour of duty as an officer in the Navy supporting special operations in the Middle East. After working for M.D. Anderson Cancer Center for five years, he spent eight years working for Boyken International, a PM consulting firm, Boyken International that was acquired by Hill International in 2009. Joe’s experience also includes management of the Denver, Colorado office of FTI consulting, a healthcare project management firm, for five years. 

Joe joined WellStar Health System in November 2017 as a PMIII / Senior Project Manager. He currently manages projects on the main Atlanta Medical Center campus, South Atlanta Medical Center, Cobb Hospital, and the Acworth Health Park.

Joe is a member of the American Society of Healthcare Engineers and the Georgia Healthcare Association.  

Event Pricing

SMPS Member – $55
CPSM – $50
Non-Member/Guest – $85
Walk-In – $95

Event Schedule

7:30 – 8:00 AM       Registration & Networking
8:00 – 8:30 AM       Breakfast
8:30 – 9:15 AM       Keynote Address
9:15 – 9:30 AM       Networking
9:30 – 10:15 AM     Panel Discussion
10:15 – 10:30 AM   Q & A

CPSM CEU’s: 1.5 Hours
Domains Covered: 1, 2, 3, 4 (Marketing Research, Marketing Plan, Business Development, Proposals)

Thank You to Our Event Sponsors

Additional sponsorship opportunities are available!  To learn about the specific benefits of Gold/Silver/Bronze sponsorship levels, please download the Sponsorship Flyer PDF which can be found under "Documents" on the bottom of this registration page.  You can also contact Sarah Appleton ([email protected] or 404.852.5461) or Ashley Scarce ([email protected] or 770-293-1162) for additional information.

Thank You to Our Event CHAMPION