HESNI Annual Conference 2026
May 07, 2026
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
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NIU Conference Center
1120 East Diehl Road
Naperville, IL 60563
http://www.niu.edu/conferenceCenters/locations/naperville/index.shtml
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Registration is Open!
Purchase your tickets for the 2026 HESNI Annual Conference today! With 12 breakout sessions, four concurrent sessions, and an exhibition hall with over 80 vendors from all over the country, you won't want to miss it!
When: May 7-8
Where: NIU - Naperville Campus Conference Center
1120 East Diehl Road
Naperville, IL 60563
Save the date for the HESNI Annual Conference! Your peers and industry leaders will be at the premiere event for health care facility management - will you?
From Blueprint to Bot: Prepare for the future with forward-looking sessions and real solutions from visionaries and experts.
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Event ID: DnhThHAC26
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2026 Conference Schedule
Thursday, May 7th
| Time | Session |
| 8:00-9:30AM | Keynote Address and Membership Awards |
| 9:45-10:45AM | Concurrent Session 1 |
| 11:00AM-12:30PM | IDPH Update |
| 12:30-2:00PM | Lunch & Exhibit Hall |
| 1:45-2:45 PM | Concurrent Session 2 |
| 3:00-4:00PM | Concurrent Session 3 |
| 4:00PM | Cocktail Reception |
Friday, May 8th
| Time | Session |
| 8:15-9:30AM | The Joint Commission Update |
| 9:45-10:45AM | Concurrent Session 4 |
| 11:00AM-12:00PM | Concurrent Session 5 |
| 12:00-1:00PM | Lunch & Exhibit Hall |
| 1:00-2:00 PM | Concurrent Session 6 |
| 2:00PM | Light Refreshments and Adjourment |
Educational Sessions 2026 Schedule
Thursday, May 7th
| Time | Concurrent Session 1 - Classroom 260 | Concurrent Session 2 - Classroom 266 |
| 9:45-10:45AM |
Dan Naylor, Schneider Electric: Demystifying the Smart Hospital |
Chris Hart & Gianna Velazquez, UIH: Workplace Violence Prevention Update |
| 1:45-2:45PM |
Edwin Freiden, Ryan Fire Protection: AI in Fire Protection |
Sanjyot Bhusari & Dan Ratko, AEI/ RUSH: From Blueprint to Bot: How Alarm Optimization Enables AI Driven Facilities Support |
| 3:00-4:00PM |
Michele Mucia & Colin McKay, Jensen Hughes: Physical Environment Compliance and TJC 2026 Update |
Mark Mochel, : Ventilation Management Plan Deployment: Leveraging Guideline 43 |
Friday, May 8th
| Time | Concurrent Session 1 - Classroom 260 | Concurrent Session 2 - Classroom 266 |
| 9:45-10:45AM |
Utkarsh Shah & T.K. Booth, Hexmodal/JLL: Consolidating Compliance Across Multiple Systems |
David Wright, Syska Hennessy: Resiliency in Healthcare Design |
| 11:00AM-12:00PM |
Brandon Gross, Advocate Aurora: The Plumbing Algorithm |
Patrick Dempsey & William Cielinski, Cannon Design: Challenging Sterilizer Replacement Project |
| 1:00-2:00PM |
Steven Nargang & David Lippe, Stantec: Performance Optimization and Sustainability in Healthcare Facilities |
Lamar Davis & Sandeep Apsangi, Shirley Ryan Lab / Mechasense: Aging Infrastructure and AI |
Keynote Speaker:
Jennifer-Ruth Green
Topic: Battle Proven Leadership: “People don’t quit their jobs; they quit their bosses. Become the leader people want to follow”. Battle-Proven Leadership is an approach to leadership derived from founder, Jennifer-Ruth Green’s, experience as a military commander and combat counterintelligence officer. She conceptualized the stark reality that her directions could cost people everything, up to and including their life. She is passionate about helping leaders own the gravity of their responsibility and sharing tactical methods for them to lead better.
Jennifer-Ruth Green is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy and a combat veteran of Operation IRAQI FREEDOM. She serves as a senior Air Force officer in the Air Reserve Component, is a graduated commander and served as the Air Operations Boss for the 60th Presidential Inauguration. She earned a USAF medal in recognition for her leadership as the ground incident commander during the 2025 Potomac airplane crash. She previously served as the CIO of a Fighter Wing and is an FAA-certified flight instructor. After completing a run for U.S. Congress, she founded Battle-Proven Leadership and served as the Executive Director of Indiana’s Department of Homeland Security as well as the state’s Secretary of Public Safety.
Booth Assignments
Main Exhibiton Hall
Room 111
Tickets
$50.00 Full Member Registration
$80.00 Professional Affiliate Member
$70.00 Healthcare Facility Group - Up to 2 Individuals
$50.00 Other Hospital Employee
$200.00 Non-Member Registration
