Annual Conference

Keynote Speakers:  Day One  November 6, 2023
Barbara Karnes -Hospice Pioneer Barbara Karnes, author of "The Little Blue Book," Gone From My Sight, is a respected speaker, educator, author, and thought leader on matters of end of life. She is a renowned authority on the dying process and a leading educator for families, healthcare professionals, and the community at large. Barbara's award winning DVDs and books about death and dying are changing how people experience end of life care. Barbara has held both clinical and leadership positions, beginning with staff nurse and clinical supervisor, before becoming executive director at Hospice and Home Health Care agencies. Barbara has dedicated the last 40 years of her life to the education, care, and support of dying people and their loved ones.

Helen Bauer, BSN, RN, CHPN -Helen Bauer has been a nurse for over 30 years, specializing in hospice and end of life care since 2009. She's a Certified Hospice and Palliative Registered Nurse with experience in patient care, nursing management, quality, and compliance.  Her passion for advocacy at end of life can be heard on The Heart of Hospice podcast talking about hospice philosophy, how to get the most from your hospice experience, and advance care planning. Over the years, Helen's helped hundreds of families navigate their hospice journeys by providing support, education, and encouragement.

Keynote Speaker: Day Two  November 7, 2023
Sally King, LCSW, LSCSW, E-RYT 2000
Topic: Ageism in America – Understanding our Youth obsessed culture and How to End Bias in Healthcare

Sally is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Missouri and Kansas and adjunct professor for the University of Missouri – Kansas City, Sally has worked since 2001 in the field of community, crisis, and hospice mental health care for adults and older adults. Sally has provided outreach, education, and project management on behalf of the University of Kansas Alzheimer’s Disease Center and Landon Center on Aging. Having spent many years training professionals in the areas of mental health, Sally has received three “Professional of the Year” awards from her colleagues. Sally maintains a small private practice, providing adult and older adult mental health therapy in the Kansas City area or via telehealth. Sally provides mental health teaching, training, counseling, and consulting on a part-time basis and is a trauma-informed care trainer and specializes in training agencies and social workers on trauma-informed protocols and resiliency building. Sally is a volunteer and past President of the Funeral Consumer Alliance of Greater Kansas City and is a trainer for Healthy IDEAS, a nationally recognized older-adult depression care curriculum. Fun Fact: Sally is a yoga teacher too!