2026 Nursing Knowledge: Big Data Science Conference

7:30-8:30    Breakfast & Registration

Special table and overview for new attendees

8:30-8:45    Welcome and Introduction 

Connie White Delaney, Lisiane Pruinelli, Rebecca Freeman

8:45-10:15    
Track 1: Empowering Nurses for the Age of AI: Co-Creating an AI Literacy Framework for Nursing Education and Practice

Jenna Marquard, PhD, FACMI 
Professor, University of Minnesota School of Nursing

Ryannon K. Frederick, M.S., R.N., CENP, FAAN
Chief Nursing Officer for the Department of Nursing at Mayo Clinic

This interactive workshop aims to equip nursing educators, clinicians, and leaders to confidently navigate and shape the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI) in education and practice by co-creating a nursing-specific AI literacy framework. Building on the globally recognized Empowering Learners for the Age of AI: An AI Literacy Framework for Primary and Secondary Education (AILit Framework), a joint European Commission and OECD initiative developed with support from Code.org and international experts, participants will translate its core concepts into the realities of nursing work. Grounded in widely used definitions of AI literacy as the competencies needed to critically evaluate AI, collaborate effectively with it, and apply it responsibly in real-world settings, small groups will adapt the AILit Framework’s four domains (Engage, Create, Manage, Design) to nursing contexts, such as patient advocacy and clinical ethics, clinical documentation and care planning, safe task delegation and clinical judgment, and workflow integration and tool selection. Participants will leave with a shared vocabulary for AI literacy in nursing, draft domain-specific competencies and examples that can be used in curricula and practice settings, and practical guidance for aligning outputs with emerging nursing initiatives (including N.U.R.S.E.S.) to support responsible, future-ready nursing education and care.

Track 2:  The Newbie's Guide to the NKBDS Initiative and Conference

Cathy Ivory, PhD, NI-BC, NEA-BC, FAAN, FAMIA, NKBDS Steering Committee and eRepository Liaison; Associate Nurse Executive, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN

This session will explain the history, structure, and current key priorities of the Nursing Knowledge Big Data Science (NKBDS) initiative. Designed especially for first‑time attendees, the session will help orient participants to the conference community, culture, and shared body of work. Attendees will learn how to get involved, who to connect with, and where to find NKBDS resources, including a live demonstration of the eRepository where work products and outputs are housed. Time will also be devoted to helping new participants feel welcomed, ask questions, and begin building relationships that can support ongoing engagement beyond the conference.

10:15-10:30    Break

10:30-11:30    Resume Tracks 1 & 2

11:30-12:15    Lunch provided

12:15-1:45     
Track 3: Beyond Words, Beyond Silos: A Hands-On, Interactive Journey to Embrace the Real-World Innovator You Already Are

Kelly Landsman MN, BME, BS, RN, PHN, Founder and Principal Nurse Engineer, Landsman Engineering LLC

Nurses are already driving innovation every day — and now, with data, technology, and ecosystem resources at our fingertips, we have what we need to meet the moment. In this 2.5-hour hands-on interactive session, participants will come together to break down silos and learn how to turn methods and strategies written on paper into real-world action in care delivery. After this session, audience may expect to learn: 1) Practical strategies to connect across the healthcare ecosystem and drive meaningful systems transformation; 2) How to access to valuable resources to support your innovation efforts; 3) Opportunities to meet and collaborate with like-minded partners; 4) Techniques to amplify your voice and achieve system-level impact; and 5) New connections and relationships that enhance your ability to meet the moment in today’s evolving healthcare landscape

Track 4: The Nursing Process on FHIR®: Enhancing Interoperability and Patient Care

Susan Matney, PhD, RNC-OB, FAAN, FACMI, FHIMSS, FHL7, AL2
Laura Heermann Langford, PhD, RN, FAMIA, FHL7, Associate CNIO, Veteran’s Health Administration

As healthcare delivery becomes increasingly digital, the ability to exchange, interpret, and reuse nursing data across systems is essential to safe, coordinated, person-centered care. HL7® Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR®) has emerged as a foundational standard for interoperable health information exchange with growing relevance to nursing documentation, decision support, and care planning. This presentation offers a practical, resource-level walk-through of how FHIR supports the nursing process using U.S. Core FHIR profiles, standardized terminologies, and live demonstrations.

1:45-2:00    Break

2:00-3:00    Resume Tracks 3 & 4

3:00             Adjourn

7:30-8:30    Breakfast & Registration

Special table for new attendees

8:15-8:30    Welcome to the 2025 Nursing Knowledge Big Data Science Conference 

Connie White Delaney, Lisiane Pruinelli, Rebecca Freeman

8:30-9:30    Thursday Keynote

Making AI Governance Work: Operational Lessons from a Health System

Leyla Warsame, MD, Associate Chief Medical Information Officer, M Health Fairview

Dr. Leyla Warsame will share practical lessons from governing and operationalizing AI solutions in a large health system, with a focus on ambient documentation, predictive analytics, and clinical decision support. Drawing on real-world implementation experience, she will describe how AI governance shows up in everyday work—use‑case intake, clinical partnership, local validation, and post‑deployment monitoring—rather than as a purely policy or compliance function. The talk will connect frontline governance activities to current regulatory and oversight considerations, including transparency and explainability for decision support tools, vendor accountability, etc. The session will focus on how health systems translate requirements into workable processes alongside clinical, informatics, legal, and operational teams.

9:30-10:30 Panel: Executive Call for Action 

Shakira Henderson, PhD, DNP, MS, MPH, EMBA, IBCLC, RNC-NIC
Dean, College of Nursing – Chief Administrative Officer, UF College of Nursing
Associate Vice President for Nursing Education, Practice, and Research – System Chief Nurse Executive, UF Health

Ryannon K. Frederick, M.S., R.N., CENP, FAAN
Chief Nursing Officer for the Department of Nursing at Mayo Clinic
Moderator:  Connie White Delaney

This executive session spotlights how nurse leaders convert AI from pilots to practice at enterprise scale. Dr. Henderson brings a dual academic-practice perspective, aligning education, competencies, and governance across the college and the health system, to show how CNEs can hardwire workforce readiness, vendor accountability, and EHR/HIE integration. Ms. Frederick shares lessons from leading nursing across a complex, multi-site enterprise, detailing operating mechanisms that sustain model comparability, risk/bias monitoring, and measurable outcomes in safety, experience, and value. Attendees leave with a concise action plan tailored for CNEs/CNOs to mobilize boards, councils, and beyond to fund the right infrastructure, and operationalize accountable AI at scale.

10:30-11:00    Break + Poster Viewing

11:00-12:30    Workgroup Reports

12:30-1:45    Lunch Provided + Poster Viewing (Memorial Hall)

Leadership Lunch (Minnesota Room)

1:45-3:00    Workgroup Meetings

3:00-3:15    Break

3:15-4:30    Workgroup Meetings

4:30            Welcome Reception (University Hall & Patio)

7:30-8:30    Breakfast & Registration

8:30-9:15    Workgroup Action Plans

9:15-9:45    Break

9:45-10:45    
Unique/Innovative Use of Data

In this session, two national nursing leaders will showcase how data can be turned into measurable improvements in health outcomes and access. Jennifer Houlihan will outline the core competencies nursing leaders need to execute population health and value-based care, while Martha Sylvia will highlight how non-traditional data (e.g., ADI/SDOH) and predictive analytics embedded in the EHR can proactively identify risk, trigger timely referrals, and close care gaps.

Leading Population Health: Core Competencies for Nursing Leadership in Data-Driven Care

Jennifer Houlihan, MSP, BS, Vice President, Enterprise Population Health, Advocate Health

Successful population health and value-based care depend not only on data availability, but on the competencies of nursing leaders charged with translating data into action. This talk focuses on the essential capabilities nursing leaders need to execute population health initiatives effectively, incorporating clinical, operational, analytical, and equity domains. Drawing on applied experience, the presentation examines how leaders must think in populations over time, use data to design and adapt interventions, and govern standardized definitions to align clinical intent with analytic execution. The talk highlights why these competencies are increasingly critical in today’s healthcare environment and offers practical insights for education, leadership development, and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Beyond the Bedside: Leveraging Non-Traditional Data and Predictive Analytics to Advance Health Access

Martha Sylvia, PhD, MBA, RN, FAAN
President of ForestVue Healthcare Solutions
Associate Professor at the Medical University of South Carolina

This talk explores the integration of non-traditional data—including the Area Deprivation Index (ADI), and social determinants of health (SDOH)s to proactively identify high-risk populations. The talk will include how we’ve used automated frailty indices (eFI) and SDOH screening embedded into the EHR to triage patients, trigger real-time community resource referrals and close access/ care gaps. The presentation will also cover new digital/health tech CMMI models focused on chronic disease management and prevention.

10:45-11:30    Keynote
Changing Technology Meets a Changing Planet – Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Big Data Impacts & Opportunities

Heidi Roop, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Soil, Water and Climate, University of Minnesota
Director, Climate Adaptation Partnership, University of Minnesota

As the world warms, there are both direct and indirect impacts on human health and well-being. As artificial intelligence and machine learning advance the field of nursing, they too are transforming the field of earth and climate sciences – including at the intersection of understanding the impact of weather and climate on the social determinants of health. This presentation will provide an overview of the global challenge and highlight a few Minnesota-led advances in earth and climate science and how those advances are informing our understanding of the impact of weather and climate on human health. In addition to data and research innovations, this talk will describe how these Minnesota lead advances are moving this knowledge into practice through a unique collaboration between nursing professionals, climate scientists and the University’s Extension service to support place- and community-based interventions targeted to improve health and well-being for all. 

11:30-12:00 Panel: SDOH and the Environment

Panelists: Heidi Roop, Jennifer Houlihan, Martha Sylvia

Moderator:  Rebecca Freeman

This closing panel brings together national leaders to examine how nursing can harness big data to drive impact across populations, communities, and an evolving planet. From building core competencies for population health leadership, to integrating non-traditional data and predictive analytics to advance access, to understanding the intersection of climate science and health, this session challenges nurses to think beyond the bedside and lead at scale. The discussion will explore how interdisciplinary collaboration and data-driven action can shape a more equitable and sustainable future for healthcare.

12:00-1:00    Lunch Provided (Memorial Hall)

Steering Committee Lunch (Gateway)

1:00-2:00    Workgroup Meetings for Action Plan Synergy and NKBDS Strategic Goals Alignment

2:00-2:30    Closing Remarks

2:30             Adjourn

Ryannon K. Frederick, M.S., R.N., CENP, FAAN is the Chief Nursing Officer for the Department of Nursing at Mayo Clinic. In this role she is executing a strategic focus to elevate and leverage the nursing professional voice to transform healthcare. Her unique approach starts with a for nurses, by nurses™ emphasis. Ensuring staff at every level contribute to innovation and patient care solutions, they are leading in the reduction of administrative tasks and allowing more time for direct patient care. Ryannon and her team are pioneering AI tools to support clinicians, including co-development of an ambient documentation solution for inpatient nursing implemented in early 2025. They executed the first system-wide AI initiative at Mayo Clinic, reaching over 16,000 staff, demonstrating reduced response times to patients and decreasing cognitive burden on the care team. Under her leadership, staff are being elevated and supported as inventors, with pathways to assist with ideation and patent attainment. Additionally, they have created an AI workforce planning & budget tool to automate manual processes.

Prior to her system leadership, Ryannon held various site-based roles at Mayo Clinic. In her 24-year career, she held roles including Chief Nursing Officer in Rochester, Florida and Southwest Minnesota. Ryannon holds a Bachelor of Science Nursing from the University of Iowa and a Master of Science in Nursing and Healthcare Systems Administration from the University of Minnesota.

Laura Heermann Langford, PhD, RN, FAMIA, FHL7, is a nationally recognized nurse executive and health IT leader with an extensive career in healthcare and nursing informatics. She currently serves as the Associate Chief Nursing Informatics Officer at the Veterans Health Administration, where she contributes to the advancement of informatics across the organization.  Dr. Heermann Langford has played a significant leadership role at Health Level Seven (HL7), helping develop and internationally ballot numerous consensus-based standards aimed at improving healthcare interoperability. Her professional service includes significant contributions to the American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA), and is a member of the Strategic Planning Committee for the Nursing Knowledge Big Data Group.  Dr. Heermann Langford is a Fellow of both AMIA and HL7, reflecting her sustained impact and leadership in advancing health informatics and nursing practice.

Shakira Henderson, PhD, DNP, MS, MPH, EMBA, IBCLC, RNC-NIC Dean, College of Nursing – Chief Administrative Officer, UF College of Nursing Associate Vice President for Nursing Education, Practice, and Research – System Chief Nurse Executive, UF Health.  Dr. Henderson is a distinguished healthcare executive, nurse scientist, and academic leader with over 20 years of experience shaping the future of nursing education, practice, research, healthcare operations, and health policy. As a second-career nurse, she brings a unique perspective shaped by her extensive academic background and leadership experience. She serves as the Dean of the College of Nursing at the University of Florida (UF) and the System Chief Nurse Executive for UF Health, making her the inaugural leader to hold both roles simultaneously. Before joining UF, Dr. Henderson held a tripartite role as Assistant Vice-Chancellor at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill (UNC-CH), Clinical Research Integration Officer for UNC-CH School of Medicine, and System VP Research Operations for UNC Health. 

Dr. Henderson’s professional service reflects her leadership and dedication to advancing the nursing profession. She has held numerous influential leadership positions, including President of the National Association of Women's Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nurses, where she led national advocacy efforts, governance reforms, and membership growth. She is also on various state, national, and federal boards. Notably, Dr. Henderson was elected to the North Carolina Board of Nursing and an appointed annual Chair of Leadership North Carolina. Additionally, she serves on the UF Health Shands Community Board, UF Health Board Quality Committee, Leadership North Carolina, Synovia Nursing Leadership Executive Advisory Board, and US SafeSport Board. 

Jennifer Houlihan, MSP is the Vice President, Enterprise Managed Health Value Strategy & Policy at Advocate Health. Jennifer Houlihan is an enterprise leader for value-based care policy and government program development at Advocate Health, a six-state integrated delivery system serving 2.4 million attributed lives across 13,000 providers. With over fifteen years of experience spanning both payer and provider organizations, she directs strategy and operations for 110+ value-based contracts generating $250M+ annual revenue, including Medicare MSSP/ACO REACH, Medicare Advantage, and Medicaid managed care programs.  Jennifer's work focuses on integrating non-traditional data sources—including social determinants of health, consumer analytics, and community-level risk factors—with clinical data to drive predictive models that improve care access and health equity. She leads strategic partnerships with academic health systems to develop, test, and scale risk prediction models and precision care management strategies through Learning Health System frameworks. Jennifer holds a Master of Science in Health Policy and Planning from Florida State University and a Graduate Certificate in Population Health from Thomas Jefferson University. She also serves as Adjunct Instructor at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, teaching healthcare policy and delivery system design.
 

Cathy Ivory, PhD, NI-BC, NEA-BC, FAAN, FAMIA, NKBDS Steering Committee and eRepository Liaison; Associate Nurse Executive, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN.   Cathy Ivory has been engaged in the NKBDS community for more than 10 years and currently oversees the initiative's eRepository. She is a nurse leader at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville and also an Associate Professor at Vanderbilt School of Nursing. Her research interests focus on using data generated by nurses to amplify nursing value to outcomes.

Kelly Landsman, MN, BME, BS, RN, PHN, is a biomedical engineer with over 20 years of industry experience in R&D of patient care related technologies. She is also a registered nurse with experience in adult cardiology and perioperative nursing. Her passion lies in bringing nursing voices to the forefront of healthcare design processes and striving to ensure positive healthcare experiences for both patients and clinicians. Kelly is a passionate advocate for the role of the nurse engineer, hosting the website, NurseEngineer.com. She founded and is the principal nurse engineer of Landsman Engineering LLC. She has been directly involved in the design, development and launch of at least seven medical devices and is an inventor on six issued patents. Recently, Kelly has been partnering to focus the lens of the nurse engineer on the next generation healthcare workforce and using clinical simulation to build the future of healthcare delivery.

Susan A. Matney, PhD, RNC-OB, FAAN, FACMI, FHIMSS, FHL7, AL2, is a nationally recognized nurse informaticist and senior terminology expert with extensive experience advancing standards-based representation of nursing knowledge. Her work focuses on aligning nursing data with interoperability standards to support computable, reusable, and person-centered nursing documentation across health systems. Dr. Matney has held leadership and contributor roles across major standards organizations, including HL7®, LOINC®, and SNOMED CT®, where she contributes to terminology governance, information modeling, value set development, and FHIR®-based implementation guidance. Her standards work emphasizes representation of the nursing process, assessments, interventions, outcomes, and social determinants of health within U.S. Core and international initiatives.  She currently serves as a senior terminologist with the Gravity Project, where she leads and supports standards-based modeling and terminology development for social determinants of health, including screening instruments, program enrollment, and referral workflows. Within the Nursing Knowledge Big Data Science Initiative (NKBDSI), Dr. Matney has served on the Steering Committee and is an active member of the Terminology and Modeling Working Group, collaborating with interdisciplinary teams to ensure nursing knowledge is visible, interoperable, and actionable for research, quality measurement, analytics, and equitable care delivery.

Heidi Roop, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Soil, Water and Climate, University of Minnesota; Director, Climate Adaptation Partnership, University of Minnesota. Dr. Heidi Roop is a national expert in climate science and adaptation. She is an Associate Professor at the University of Minnesota, where she directs the Climate Adaptation Partnership – a nation-leading research and Extension program offering cutting-edge local climate science and hands-on resilience resources and technical assistance. Roop’s interdisciplinary research focuses broadly on the effective integration of climate information in decision-making at a range of scales—from community resilience planning to international negotiations. Her research has taken her around the world, from Antarctica to the shores of Lake Superior. She is the author of The Climate Action Handbook: A Visual Guide to 100 Climate Solutions for Everyone. She served two presidential administrations as the Assistant Director of Climate Services in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and as both a Deputy Director and Acting Executive Director of the U.S. Global Change Research Program. In these roles, she played a leadership role in coordinating the global change research enterprise across the federal government and advised the White House on how to effectively manage emerging and anticipated climate risks through improved federal climate services. 

Martha Sylvia, PhD, MBA, RN, FAAN is a nationally recognized leader in population health analytics, value-based care strategy, interdisciplinary team development, and DNP education. She serves as President of ForestVue Healthcare Solutions and Associate Professor at the Medical University of South Carolina, where she brings deep expertise in designing analytic infrastructures, leading system-wide population assessments, and advancing evidence-based interventions across payers, providers, and community health systems. Dr. Sylvia holds a PhD in Nursing, a dual Master of Business Administration and Nursing, and her career spans senior roles in academic health systems and national consulting engagements in analytics, care model redesign, evaluation, and workforce capability building. A published author of two textbooks and educator, she developed foundational curricula and leadership programs in population health analytics and continues to bridge clinical, business, and technical domains to drive improved quality, cost, and equity outcomes.

Leyla Warsame, MD is a physician informaticist and hospitalist committed to advancing equitable, data-driven healthcare. As Associate CMIO at M Health Fairview, she champions enterprise work in clinical decision support, AI implementation, and digital health transformation. She also serves as faculty in the University of Minnesota’s Clinical Informatics/HCMC Fellowship and contributed to the ACGME Clinical Informatics Milestones. Nationally, she contributes to the American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) through her service on the DEI Task Force and Governance Committee, helping shape inclusive policies and strategic direction for the field. She also serves as a faculty in the AMIA Clinical Informatics board review course. She is engaged in AI research through the NIH-funded AIM-AHEAD initiative, where she contributes to the development of a federated network/pipeline to conduct ML/AI research. Dr. Warsame’s work reflects a deep belief in the power of technology, analytics and teamwork to transform care.