HUB26 Healthcare Experience Conference: Workforce Engagement Across Generations

Healthcare teams now span four and even five generations. Leaders manage employees who grew up decades apart. Each group brings different expectations, habits, and communication styles to the table. 

This reality shapes daily work. It affects communication, trust, and healthcare employee engagement; it also influences patient experience. 

NRC Health’s Human Understanding Beyond | HUB26 will address this challenge head-on. The conference takes place in Nashville, Tennessee, September 2–4, and brings healthcare leaders together to improve teamwork and patient care. 

One keynote session focuses on a question many leaders face: how can teams with different backgrounds work toward the same goal? 

Ready to go beyond? Register for HUB26 and reserve your spot today.

Dan Collard will present Genfluence: Leading Your Team from Boomers to Zs. His session centers on leading teams that span multiple generations.  

Collard brings more than 30 years of healthcare experience, having worked in operations, consulting, and technology startups. He also served as executive vice president and chief growth officer at TeamHealth, one of the nation’s largest physician practice groups. His work focuses on building strong organizations across key measures such as patient experience, staff engagement, and financial performance.  

Today, many healthcare teams include Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials, and Generation Z. Some teams include five generations at once.  

Each of these groups holds a different view of work. Some value structure and clear hierarchy, while others expect flexibility and fast feedback. These differences can create tension—but when managed well, they can also drive better results. 

Many leaders treat generational gaps as a problem. Collard takes a different view, showing how these differences can support stronger teamwork and better outcomes.  

His keynote includes practical tools, data, and real examples. He explains why each generation behaves the way it does, and connects those behaviors to workplace performance. He also addresses some common myths. For example, some leaders believe younger staff lack commitment; others assume that older staff are likely to resist change. These ideas limit progress. 

Collard replaces those assumptions with clear guidance, emphasizing learning how to value each group and use strengths appropriately. So what changes when leaders adopt this mindset? Teams communicate more clearly. Trust grows. And staff members feel respected. These changes lead to higher engagement and better retention. 

This session gives leaders a number of tools they can apply in daily work.  

Key learning points include:

• Describing traits that define each generation in today’s workforce 
• Applying cultural building blocks to support multigenerational teams 
• Using the structured “Ctrl + Alt + Lead” framework to guide leadership decisions  

The session focuses on clear action, not abstract ideas. Attendees will leave with steps they can test in team meetings, hiring practices, and communication plans.  

A Keynote Built for Healthcare Leaders and Teams 

Healthcare leaders manage constant change. Staffing challenges persist. Expectations from patients and families continue to rise. These pressures require strong, connected teams; leaders must bring people together across roles, units, and generations. 

This keynote addresses that need directly. It links workforce engagement to patient experience and organizational performance. 

Collard’s experience in large health systems adds credibility to his position. He has led teams that achieved strong outcomes across quality, engagement, and growth, and his session offers guidance that works in real clinical and operational settings. 

HUB26 offers more than one keynote. It provides a full program for healthcare leaders who want practical ideas and peer connection. 

Attendees will join leaders from across the country to discuss challenges, share examples, and learn from each other. Sessions cover patient experience, workforce engagement, healthcare marketing, and measurable improvement. Each session connects to real work inside healthcare organizations. 

Nashville provides a strong setting for the event, as well. The city supports open conversation and professional exchange; it also gives attendees space to connect outside of sessions. 

Many participants return each year, valuing the content and the relationships they’re able to build there. 

Register for HUB26 and Strengthen Your Workforce 

Healthcare organizations need engaged teams that work well together. They need leaders who understand how to guide diverse groups. Dan Collard’s keynote offers a direct path to that goal, connecting generational awareness with leadership practice. 

HUB26 brings this session together with a broader program focused on patient experience and workforce results. Sign up today, and join healthcare leaders who want stronger teams, better engagement, and improved care.  

Register for HUB26 today.