The HMA Conference Planning Committee is delighted to welcome Barbara Laymon, PhD, LPC as a presenter for HMA’s 36th Annual Conference, Say Yes to Grace and Be Nourished, on Thursday, October 22nd.

Her presentation, Healthy Aging and Congregational Vitality: Facing 21st Century Challenges and Opportunities Realistically, brings together the two fields she has spent her career connecting: public health and research on congregational life.

Barbara is a Licensed Professional Counselor who co-leads the Continuing Studies program at the Bowen Center for the Study of the Family, where she works directly with clergy and congregational leaders on family systems theory.

Her academic background includes a PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision from Loyola University Maryland and an MPH from the University of South Carolina.

Barbara Laymon’s presentation, Healthy Aging and Congregational Vitality: Facing 21st Century Challenges and Opportunities Realistically, Thursday, October 22nd. Attending this session will equip you to meet the challenges to healthy aging and congregational vitality.

The HMA Conference Planning Committee is pleased to announce Lieutenant Colonel Chaplain Johnathan Sellers as a featured presenter for the upcoming HMA Annual Conference. Chaplain Sellers’ presentation, Speed of Trust, explores how leading with trust serves as the essential catalyst for initiating and sustaining lasting change across personal and professional relationships.

Bringing more than two decades of dedicated service across healthcare, military, and community settings, Chaplain Sellers currently serves on staff at Baptist Community Ministries and as a District Chaplain for the New Orleans Police Department. His extensive military career with the U.S. Army Reserve includes leadership as Brigade Chaplain for the 5th Medical Brigade and Deputy Command Chaplain in Kuwait, where he specialized in crisis intervention, moral leadership, and comprehensive spiritual support for service members and their families.

Chaplain Sellers, a highly decorated officer, boasting 15 awards and commendations, holds a Master of Divinity from the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta, a and a Bachelor of Science from Florida A&M University. An ordained Baptist minister, he has completed five units of Clinical Pastoral Education through East Jefferson General Hospital and Emory Hospital Center. In addition, he holds a Palliative Care Chaplaincy Certificate from California State University and is a certified instructor in ACE-SI suicide intervention.

We look forward to you joining us on Wednesday, October 28th for Chaplain inspiring presentation, Speed of Trust.

The HMA Conference Committee is delighted to welcome one our very own HMA member, Dr. Mary Beth Desmond. Dr. Desmond will be concluding our 4 day conference on Thursday October 29th . In her inspiring presentation, Nourishing the Garden of Grace: The Science of Caring and Spiritual Care to Cultivate a Sparkling Spirit & Soul, she will guide us through the mysteries and seasons of life, exploring pathways to healthy aging, spiritual wellbeing, and religious wellbeing.

The presentation will have inclusion of Watson’s Caring Science as Sacred Science: Ten Caritas Processes aligned to Scripture; an evidence-based approach to include cultivating a Caritas Presence & Caritas Communitas and spiritual tools to support spiritual distress, enhance spiritual well-being/health and religious well-being.

Dr. Mary-Beth Desmond, PhD, RN, AHN-BC, FCN, Caritas Coach is an RN with over 40 years experience in a variety of healthcare settings and academia. She holds a Master of Science in Nursing degree specializing in Nursing Education from Lewis University and Master of Arts in Spirituality degree from Loyola Institute of Pastoral Studies. She has a PhD in Nursing from Loyola Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing and a spiritual care for veteran’s research expertise.

She is Board Certified in Advanced Holistic Nursing and is a Dr. Jean Watson Caritas Coach®, Caritas Leader®, and Post-Doc Watson Scholar. She is active in the Diocese of Joliet Council of Catholic Nurses and Cursillo community. Mary Beth works as a Chicago Health Care Coordinator for the Christian Brothers Midwest Region, is Associate Faculty for Watson Caring Science Institute, and a Spiritual Director and retreat facilitator.

We look forward to you joining us on Thursday , October 29th for this powerful and uplifting conclusion to our four day conference to learn how to cultivate a sparkling spirit and soul in your garden of grace.

The HMA Conference Planning Committee is excited to welcome Nicki Ayer, MSN, RN-BC as a presenter for HMA’s 36th Annual Conference, Say Yes to Grace and Be Nourished, on Wednesday, October 21st.

In her presentation, Navigating the Digital Divide: AI, Ethics, and Innovation in Health Ministry Practice, she will explore the dynamic intersection of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and faith-based ministry. She will examine the ethical and legal considerations of using AI in our practice.

Nicki Ayer works at CommonSpirit Health, supporting the faith community nurse and health ministry programs across the health system. Nicki has coordinated a network of FCNs and health ministers in Nebraska for 18 years and has been a volunteer faith community nurse and leader of the Health Ministry Team at Resurrection Evangelical Lutheran Church in Gretna, Nebraska for 20 years.

Nicki previously served ANCC as a content expert for faith community nursing certification by portfolio. She serves HMA as a regional group facilitator and a member of the Awards Committee. She also serves the Westberg Institute as a co-chair of the Education Committee and as a member of the FCN Certification Committee.

Learners will leave inspired on Wednesday, October 21st as we explore AI platforms and prompt development that will elevate our health education, professional communications, literature reviews, and outreach activities.

The HMA Conference Planning Committee is delighted to welcome Ann Gornik, MSN, RN, as a presenter for HMA’s 36th annual conference, Say Yes to Grace and Be Nourished, on Wednesday, October 21st.

Her presentation, Be Nourished with Grace-Centered Rituals is a natural blending of Ann’s years as a nurse and her vocation to contemplative practice and whole person wellness.

Ann has been an RN for 47 years and a Faith Community Nurse for 15 years. She is currently retired but has shared her extensive knowledge through numerous speaking engagements. She is currently serving as HMA’s Director of Spiritual Leadership and has blessed our members with coordinating programs on spiritual practices and Lenten book series.

Her academic background includes an MSN from Loyola University in Chicago. Her experience includes Critical Care, Staff Development, School Nursing and Faith Community Nursing.

Ann Gornik’s presentation, Be Nourished with Grace-Centered Rituals, is being presented on Wednesday, October 21st. Gift yourself with this session and discover the creation of sacred spaces where individuals and communities encounter resilience, peace, and spiritual renewal.

The HMA Conference Committee is delighted to welcome back Debbie Harbinson, MHI, BSN, RN, HNB-BC, Faith Community Nurse on Wednesday, October 28th for her presentation: Communication Changes Everything: Guiding Caregivers from Overwhelm to Clarity.

Debbie is a dynamic speaker, compassionate coach, respected author and gifted educator. As the founder of Harbinson Wellness, she artfully weaves together science, soul, and self-compassion in programs designed to nurture resilience, well-being, and spiritual connection.

Her nursing career has spanned the high-intensity world of trauma and surgical care to the sacred, quieter moments of walking alongside individuals and families through profound life transitions. She is the author of When Caregiving Begins: Your Essential Guide for the First Days of Care (and Beyond), a practical and heartfelt resource for families stepping into the caregiving role.

Through her teaching and presence, Debbie inspires others to reconnect with their inner wisdom and rediscover the innate joy, peace, and well-being that remain available even in the midst of life’s challenges.

Join us on Wednesday, October 28th for an uplifting, educational, and deeply meaningful presentation that promises to inspire and empower.