Annual Conference Call for Proposals/Presentations

Submission Deadline:  March 14th, 2025

The International Health Facility Diversion Association (IHFDA) will hold its 10th Annual Conference September 29-30th, 2025, at Embassy Suites in Frisco, TX.  

IHFDA’s conference planning committee seeks abstracts for podium, poster and panel presentations that address topics on diversion, risk management, quality practice, and guidelines/processes used to increase the knowledge and skills of all professionals and promote the development of knowledge and expertise among professionals. Proposals on any major topic related to healthcare facility diversion are welcome for consideration. Presentations that have been previously presented at IHFDA or another professional conference should not be submitted for consideration. Presentations on projects that are in progress should only be submitted for consideration if all data collection will be completed prior to July 2024 to be ready for presentation at the annual Fall conference. 

ABSTRACT TOPICS MAY INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO: 

  • Healthcare Facility Diversion Programs: Roles of diversion specialists, teams, KPIs, program goals, and outcomes.   
  • High-Risk Settings: Diversion risks in ORs, ambulatory surgery centers, procedural areas, ICUs, EDs, and more. 
  •  Pharmacy Diversion Risks: Monitoring and risks in community or retail pharmacies tied to healthcare facilities.  
  • Case Studies: Specific diversion events and their implications.  
  • Public Health Impacts: Patient safety and public health consequences of diversion.  
  • Personal Narratives: Stories of diversion’s impact on life or career.  
  • Support and Reentry Programs: Employment monitoring, peer support, reentry oversight, and workforce reentry strategies.  
  • Prevention and Research: Initiatives, research, and medication security practices related to diversion.  
  • Legislation and Policy: Guideline development, legal issues, investigations, and contracting concerns.  
  • Interdisciplinary Team Involvement: Collaboration with legal, security, compliance, privacy, risk management, and patient safety teams. 
  • Special Topics:  
    • Monitoring and educating traveling nurses, providers, and pharmacy staff.  
    • Patient notification and testing post-tampering or substitution.  
    • Bloodborne pathogen testing. o Drug testing programs: costs, outcomes, and logistics. 
    • Significant loss definitions and reporting.  
    • Experiences with DEA/FDA audits and investigations. 

We cannot accept proposals for vendor products, services, topics, etc. to comply with the accreditation requirements for CME, CE and ACPE education allocations.  

PRESENTATION CONTENT LEVEL 

Presentations should be classified to assist in determining the content level of materials to be presented. Abstracts should clearly outline how the presentation will address the distinct needs of each audience group to ensure a meaningful and engaging experience for all participants. The classifications will help the planning committee determine if there is sufficient content for dual-tracked sessions. Please choose only one of the following levels that best describes your presentation content.  

BEGINNER/NOVICE LEVEL CONTENT– content helpful for individuals/organizations who are just beginning their program or have not yet set up a program. Basic guidance on program development, role/scope, policies & processes for diversion program.  

COMPETENT LEVEL CONTENT– content goes beyond basic components of a program and discusses challenges or successes with diversion monitoring or investigating or other related content. Presentations are focused on outcomes or solutions when possible. Case presentations likely fit best in this category. 

EXPERT LEVEL CONTENT – content focused on complex topics, analytics, trending, policy/legislation, multi-disciplinary interventions, improvement efforts, visioning for future progress, etc. Presentations do not need to include standard diversion content or data supporting why the work is important as the audience should already be familiar.  

TYPE OF PRESENTATION 

PODIUM – Session should include ample information to fill 45-50 minutes of speaking time with the remainder of the time for audience questions and discussion. 

PANEL – Panels must consist of a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 4 panelists representing different organizations, perspectives, or programs, addressing a specific topic of interest. Submissions can be made by an individual or group; however, submissions with 3 or more confirmed panelists will be prioritized. If additional panelists are needed, the IHFDA committee may assist with recruitment. 

 Panelists will have brief presentation slots followed by a facilitated discussion and audience Q&A. Panels are typically scheduled for 1 to 1.5 hours.  

If a panelist cannot attend, substitute panelists must be approved by the IHFDA committee. Substitutions may not be accepted if requested within 14 days of the conference. 

POSTER – Poster topics should include sufficient information to allow the committee to determine their content, relevance, background data and outcomes if appropriate. 

ABSTRACT SUBMISSIONS  

Abstract submissions need to include the following information/description in Word Document format:  

  • The title of the presentation 
  • The name/s of each presenter, their title, email address, phone number and affiliation  
  • An abstract describing the subject matter of the presentation in 250-500 words, which should include the following sections:  
    • background/introduction 
    • methods/purpose 
    • results/outcomes 
    • conclusions/discussion 

HELPFUL HINTS, REGARDLESS OF SUBMISSION TYPE 

  • The audience will understand basic practice. Presenters are discouraged from spending presentation time on definitions or general diversion principles unless they are specifically the focus of the presentation, or the content is submitted for the beginner/novice track.  
  • If you are describing a type of practice used at your institution, please provide specific descriptions, this helps the audience get the full picture of the work being done and resonates more with the competent and expert learners.  
  • Ensure references are relevant and up to date – any reference 10 years or older will be questioned by our continuing education provider.  
  • Submissions, once approved for presentation, must be submitted to the IHFDA conference portal up to four weeks prior to the start of the conference in PowerPoint format and follow the rules of accredited education. A standard disclaimer slide should be included in your slides with your pre-conference materials.  

INQUIRIES & ACCEPTANCE NOTIFICATION 

Questions concerning the conference, or the proposal submission process should be directed to IHFDA educational planning committee at: submissions@ihfda.org 

All attempts will be made to notify presenters of acceptance by April 2025. Presenters must confirm their intent to present within 30 days of notification. Presenters must also complete required disclosures, submission of bio & photo, and upload their presentations for review prior to the conference as directed by the conference planning committee or IHFDA board. 

Accepted poster presenters will be responsible for registering and paying the full conference fee and all necessary travel expenses. Accepted podium and panel presenters will have their conference fee waived but will be responsible for their own travel expenses. Invited keynote speakers will receive a monetary stipend to assist with travel expenses, 1-2 nights of hotel coverage, and will have their conference fee waived. 

Submit Proposal / Presentation Here