hx AGENDA
Conference Agenda
This year’s highly anticipated conference centers around understanding the full story of your audiences by fusing the cutting-edge capabilities, data, and technologies transforming healthcare.
Wednesday, February 5th
11:00 am–12:00 pm - Breakout Sessions
Patient Experience
Growing & Sustaining Patient Family Engagement at a Safety-Net, Multi-Campus, Academic Medical Center
Growing & Sustaining Patient Family Engagement at a Safety-Net, Multi-Campus, Academic Medical Center
Breakout Sessions- Keith Laffler, MS Ed | Patient Family Advisory Committee Manager | University of New Mexico Health System
- Jennifer Rice | Manager, Patient Experience | University of New Mexico Health System
Creating and sustaining patient and family engagement at a safety net, multi-campus, academic medical system can seem challenging and overwhelming. With multiple campuses and off-site clinics, as well as the complex and diverse population that our health system serves, finding strategies for engaging patients and families alongside hospital staff can appear difficult and daunting. Yet, it is so important to build connections to community in order to foster accountability and trust, thus engaging the patients we care for. Join this session to learn best practices to instituting a PFAC and methods for maintaining momentum of the committee that allows for growth in trust and accountability within their community.
HX25 Main Conference
Keith Laffler, MS Ed
Patient Family Advisory Committee Manager
University of New Mexico Health System
Jennifer Rice
Manager, Patient Experience
University of New Mexico Health System
Keith Laffler, MS Ed
Patient Family Advisory Committee Manager
University of New Mexico Health System
Keith Laffler has served the University of New Mexico Hospital for six years. In his current role, Keith manages The Patient Family Advisory Committee, which is located in The Patient Relations Department of the organization. Keith began his career at UNM Hospital working as an instructional design analyst in the Computer Learning Technologies department, teaching new staff and providers the electronic medical record system used at UNM Hospital. He has also worked in the Organizational and Professional Development department as a specialist. His work as a specialist included onboarding new staff and leadership positions to the organization as well as managing large scale change projects with areas and departments in the UNM Health system. Keith also taught managerial “soft skills” classes to leaders and staff that included conflict resolution, communication styles, and emotional intelligence concepts. Prior to his work at the University of New Mexico Hospital, Keith was an elementary and middle-school teacher for 14 years. Keith has a passion for the patient experience as well as engaging patients and families in the healthcare journey at UNM Hospital.
Jennifer Rice
Manager, Patient Experience
University of New Mexico Health System
Jennifer is a local to the Albuquerque area and began her career as a Paramedic in June 2007 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Her passion for healthcare led her to a variety of roles in the industry including pharmaceuticals, working for the Department of Defense (DoD) as a HIPAA Privacy Officer, a Healthcare Quality Manager, and eventually a medical Group Patient Advocate and Patient Experience Officer. In 2014 she left her role as a Manager of Major Accounts with a Pharmaceuticals Manufacturing Facility to move with her active duty Air Force spouse to Hawaii. In 2016, she started as an Office Support Assistant for the Army’s Schofield Barracks Health Clinic in Hawaii and was quickly promoted to Customer Relations Specialist, given her excellent networking and problem solving, while also earning her Green Belt Certification in process improvement. Continuing her dedication and passion for excellent healthcare within the military, Jennifer served as both a Group Patient Advocate and a Quality and Risk Manager while at Cannon AFB, New Mexico, where she was vital to the patient satisfaction and continued excellent accreditation record for the clinic. She was selected as the Group Patient Advocate and Patient Experience Officer for Kirtland, AFB in 2022 where she continued to strive for excellent medical care for all beneficiaries. While working for Kirtland AFB Jennifer partnered as a volunteer with the University of New Mexico Hospitals Patient Family Advisory Committee. By bringing a voice of the patients from KAFB this helped the two medical institutions improve on processes and quality of care. In July of 2024 Jennifer accepted a position as the Manager of Patient Experience with the University of New Mexico Hospital in an effort to continue to build and improve patient care for the many diverse families here in the state of New Mexico. Jennifer is the mother of one son, Tyler, who is in the 5th grade. Her husband, Chad, is retired from the Air Force after 21 years of service. She enjoys her early morning boxing/kick boxing classes before work and watching her son swim for the local Charger Aquatics swim team.