9 a.m. PT
Welcome to Better Together
Hosts
Laura Long
Vice President, EID Operations, Performance and Compliance, National Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity
Maria Dee, MBA
Executive Director, Workforce Wellbeing, National Human Resources
9:10 a.m. PT
Culture of Health through Connection & Belonging
Special guest speaker, Adam “Smiley” Poswolsky shows how inclusion and belonging support well-being, engagement, and a healthy workplace culture in a multigenerational, AI-enabled environment. Through personal storytelling and practical insights, Smiley will teach different ways to increase human connection at work, deepen trust, build stronger relationships with colleagues, customers, and those we serve, and foster higher levels of psychological safety.
Introduction by
Leong Koh, MD
Executive Medical Director, Northwest Permanente; Executive Sponsor, Permanente Health and Wellness
Presenter
Adam “Smiley” Poswolsky
Workplace Belonging Expert and Bestselling Author
10 a.m. PT
Life Happens: Well-Being and Belonging Through Every Season
Our careers don’t happen separately from our lives. Across generations and life stages, employees and physicians may be growing their careers, caring for children, partners or aging parents, navigating changes in their own health, experiencing loss, or managing several of these realities at once.
Through candid personal stories, this panel explores how these experiences shape not only our well-being, but also whether we feel supported, included, and that we belong at work. Panelists will share moments from their own journeys, what helped them navigate those seasons, and what they wish colleagues and leaders had understood. Together, we’ll consider how everyday leadership, workplace culture, and organizational practices can create the conditions for people to care for themselves and others, continue to grow, and feel valued and connected through different seasons of life.
Introduction by:
Nkem Chukwumerije, MD, MPH, FACP
President and Executive Medical Director, TSPMG; Permanente Executive Sponsor, EID
Presenters
Rayne Soriano, Ph.D., RN, NE-BC, FADLN
Regional Senior Director, Professional Excellence & The KP Scholars Academy (moderator)
Madalyn Arreola
MPH, BS, Clinical Consultant IV, Enterprise Co-Chair, Generations@KP BRG
Melissa Fisher
Senior Strategic Marketing Consultant, Care Partner Care Community
Jessica Kehoe, MD
Associate Medical Director of Hospice, Washington Permanente Medical Group
10:45 a.m. PT
Thrive Break
Instant recess by
Kizmet Knox, HEM
HR Strategy Design Consultant III, Safety, Health and Wellness, Georgia
10:50 a.m. PT
Better Together Spotlights: Real Stories, Real Impact
What does “better together” look like in practice? Hear stories from across Kaiser Permanente about how teams are strengthening connection, building psychological safety, and creating positive change. Presenters will share the challenges they faced, the actions they took, and the difference those actions made—with practical ideas participants can adapt to their own teams.
Featured Stories:
- Building Psychological Safety: A nurse leader’s perspective from Honolulu Medical Offices, Hawaii
- Getting Better Together: Partnering with EAP to strengthen team connection and psychological safety
- Supporting Change Through Coaching Tools and Technology
- Strengthening Connections Through Team Building: ANCC Advice Nurses, Unit-Based Team, Georgia
Introduction by
Carrie Owen Plietz
Group Senior Vice President, Chief Operating Officer, Care Delivery
Presenters
Kelly Rakos
Wellness Consultant, National Healthy Workforce Team
Mary Jane De Leon, MSN, RN, PCCN-K
Nurse Manager, Honolulu Medical Offices, Hawaii
Erika Vadopalas
National EAP Manager, Northern California
Mary Jameson, MBA
Director Women’s Health, The Permanente Medical Group Napa Solano
Nicole Mata, MSHRM, SHRM-CP
Program Manager IV, Strategy Execution, TPMG People Strategy & Operations
11:30 a.m. PT
Break (30 minutes)
12 p.m. PT
Welcome Back & Laughter Yoga
Presenter
Vivian Hermiz
Co-Founder, Mindful@KP
Hosts
Maria Dee, MBA
Laura Long
12:10 p.m. PT
Imagining Well-being 2036
Spotting early signals to anticipate how our understanding of thriving may change over the decade and what that may mean for workplace culture.
Introduction by
Shirani Benitez, MBA
Executive Director, Consulting and System Integration, National Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity
Presenter
Rachel Maguire, Research Director, Institute for the Future
12:40 p.m. PT
In Conversation with Shaun Smith, Chief People Officer
Get to know Kaiser Permanente’s new Chief People Officer in a conversation about leadership, employee experience, and the connection between well-being, inclusion, and belonging. Hear reflections on his career, what brought him to KP, and the opportunities he sees ahead.
Presenters
Shaun E. Smith, JD
Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc., and Kaiser Foundation Hospitals
Maria Dee, MBA
Laura Long
1:10 p.m. PT
Science of a Meaningful Life:
Evidence and Wisdom for Health & Happiness
In this talk, Dacher Keltner details the latest scientific thinking about the keys to a meaningful life. It begins with a survey of the latest discoveries about human happiness – how beneficial it is for longevity, productivity, societal trust, and strong social collectives, and anchored in the latest discoveries from neuroscience and health. It turns to evidence-based approaches to the pursuit of the meaningful life, focusing on the latest science and cultural wisdom regarding kindness, mindfulness, gratitude, touch, narrative, and awe and beauty.
This keynote provides a breathtaking tour of the science of happiness, the latest neuroscience, actionable practices, and touches upon insights into humanity and kindness.
Introduction by
Ronald L Copeland, MD
Senior Vice President, National Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity Strategy and Policy, and Chief Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity Officer
Presenter
Dacher Keltner, PhD
Professor of Psychology,
Co-Director of the Greater Good Science Center & Author
1:50 p.m. PT
Call to action
Hosts
Maria Dee, MBA
Laura Long