Continuing Education

1st Speaker of the Month:
Seminar Title: Long Term Care Ombudsman
Presentation Date: 6/5/2026
Presentation Time: 11:00 AM
Seminar Details: This presentation provides a comprehensive overview of the Long Term Care (LTC) Ombudsman Program in San Diego County, detailing its mission to advocate for the dignity and quality of care for residents in long-term care facilities. Created in the mid-1970s as a federally mandated but state-administered volunteer program, the initiative operates across 84 skilled nursing and 590 residential care facilities in the region. It outlines the rigorous 40-hour training and certification process for its 35 volunteer advocates, their role in investigating complaints and elder abuse, and the specific rights of residents they are sworn to protect, such as freedom from retaliation and the right to self-determination. Additionally, the presentation emphasizes the necessity of resident consent for active intervention and provides contact information for 24-hour reporting and community training.
Speaker Bio: Kristin Rigsbee is the Education and Outreach Specialist for the County of San Diego Long Term Care Ombudsman Program. She received her B.S in Psychology from Appalachian State University in Boone North Carolina. She has worked for the past 25 years in the long-term care facilities in San Diego County. She has worked for 20 years as a case manager/social worker in several skilled nursing facilities. She has also worked for 5 years as the Memory Care Director in assisted living. She has held her RCFE Administrators License while working in assisted living. Prior to coming to the Ombudsman Program, she worked as a care coordinator for an Elder Law Attorney. In 2014 she came to the Ombudsman Program in the position as the North Coastal Regional Coordinator. 6 months later she was moved to her current position in Outreach and Education. In 2017 she received the “Tools of the Trade” award from the California Long Term Care Ombudsman Association for innovation and excellence in training. She continues to recruit all volunteers as well as provide the state certification training for new Ombudsman, and all community and facility training regarding elder issues and mandated reporting.
Seminar Objectives:
2nd Speaker of the Month:
Seminar Title: From Bedside to Bottom Line: A Win-Win Playbook for Addressing Opioid Use Disorder in Older Adults
Presentation Date: 6/19/2026
Presentation Time: 11:00 AM
Seminar Details: This Grand Rounds presentation provides a comprehensive playbook for addressing Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) in older adults, specifically within Tribal, Underserved, and Rural (TTOUR) communities in California. The presentation utilizes the Age-Friendly 4Ms framework—What Matters, Medication, Mentation, and Mobility—to outline interdisciplinary roles for clinicians, pharmacists, and social workers in identifying and treating OUD. It emphasizes that improving OUD care is a “win-win” strategy that enhances patient outcomes, such as reduced mortality and fall prevention, while simultaneously optimizing financial sustainability through Medicare quality metrics like MIPS Measure 2 and various California-specific funding levers. By detailing clinical frameworks, treatment considerations for medications like buprenorphine, and a three-tier financial case, the presentation serves as a call to action for healthcare providers to implement routine screening and integrated care models.
Background: Dr. Amit Kaur Khurana is a health insurance executive and pharmacist who drives pharmacy strategy in Medicare, Medicaid, Commercial, ACA and TRICARE lines of business. Over the last three decades, she has worked in community pharmacy, academia, and managed care organizations developing metric-driven, holistic solutions that result in increased wellness of targeted members. She is passionate about the future of healthcare as a continuum and believes in strengthening strategic partnerships between payors, providers and hospital systems to achieve higher quality and lower cost outcomes. She currently consults on Azusa Pacific University’s Geriatrics Workforce Enhancement Program (GWEP) grant as a Pharmacy subject-matter expert.
Seminar Objectives:


3rd Speaker of the Month:
Seminar Title: Diabetes Care in the Older Adult: Nutrition Implications
Presentation Date: 6/26/2026
Presentation Time: 11:00 AM
Seminar Details: This presentation explores person-centered care strategies that move beyond traditional clinical metrics. It highlights the significant intersection of aging, diabetes, and disability, noting that approximately 43.9% of adults aged 65 and older live with a disability and nearly 30% have diabetes. The core of the presentation advocates for an “inclusive lens” in nutrition that prioritizes quality of life, addresses food insecurity, and actively combats ableism and implicit bias within healthcare practices. By utilizing frameworks like the 4Ms (Mentation, Medications, Mobility, and What Matters Most), the session provides clinicians with best practices for communication—such as using person-first language—and a four-step process to simplify treatment plans to optimize safety and engagement for older patients.
Speaker Bio: Catherine Heinlein, EdD, MSN, FNP-BC, RDN, CDCES, focuses her practice on helping individuals take control of their physical, mental, and spiritual health by setting and achieving personal goals for long-term well-being. She is accomplished in curriculum development, implementation, and enhancement. With extensive experience as a registered dietitian nutritionist, registered nurse, certified diabetes care and education specialist, college educator, and global health leader, Heinlein brings a wealth of expertise. Her doctoral training supports her specialization in communication theory, decision-making, planning, and program evaluation. Heinlein is committed to guiding nursing students—both locally and globally—in achieving their full professional potential. She considers ongoing mentorship not only a responsibility but a personal ministry.
Past Speakers
Past Speaker:
Seminar Title: Acute Level Care at Home
Seminar Details: This presentation introduces the Hospital-at-Home (HaH) model as a safe, evidence-based, and cost-effective alternative to traditional inpatient hospitalization. Developed by leading clinicians and backed by data from national programs, this approach transforms patients’ homes into controlled, monitored care environments—reducing hospital-acquired infections, improving patient satisfaction, and lowering healthcare costs. The presentation outlines the clinical model, eligibility criteria, program workflow, and technology infrastructure used by Sena Health to deliver 24/7 coordinated care at home. It also highlights the advantages for patients, providers, and payers, and explains why medical groups are uniquely positioned to succeed with HaH programs.
Background: Dr. Wehbe is an award-winning physician and healthcare executive whose people-centric, physician-focused leadership optimizes clinical outcomes and improves clinical performance to achieve optimal health and efficiency. He designs and executes strategies that maximize opportunities, while always improving clinical quality for patients and various organizations.

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