January 6, 2026
Amber Clark-Brown, MD, will be giving the much-anticipated Anne-Marie Filkin Lecture at this year’s PALTC26 annual conference in Anaheim, CA. As the only medical director working within a state survey agency (SSA), Dr. Clark-Brown will offer her unique perspective and insights that she’s excited to share with conference attendees.
During her lecture, The Inside Scoop: A Guided View into State Survey Agencies, she’ll discuss the structure and makeup of SSAs and their relation to CMS, along with new CMS reporting guidelines and the responsibilities of medical directors. She also plans to provide attendees with insight into the lives of surveyors and their responsibilities.
One of the main messages she hopes to convey is the importance of understanding what surveys require for the entire interdisciplinary team. “Understanding builds palpable cohesion. We are all on the same team and have the same goals, with the ultimate goal being residents receiving optimal care,” she explains. “There are important practices to implement during surveys that will assist surveyors in gathering the necessary information to conclude surveys efficiently and appropriately.”
Dr. Clark-Brown suggests that clinicians can take several steps now to strengthen their relationships with surveyors. “Asking questions and seeking understanding is the foundation of any viable relationship. Surveyors are interested in building respectful relationships,” she notes. “It’s also important to attend any trainings the state survey agency offers and be active and available during surveys.”
Among her other responsibilities, Dr. Clark-Brown serves as the medical director in the Bureau of Health Provider Standards, Alabama’s SSA. In this role, she has learned how involved and caring medical directors are invaluable to residents, facilities, and the surrounding communities. She’s also discovered that “The solutions to the healthcare system stressors that we all face are not found in strife, but in having respectful conversations in which there is understanding, collaboration, negotiations, and agreement—even if there is agreement to disagree.”
Dr. Clark-Brown is looking forward to interacting with conference attendees in Anaheim. “This is a very special industry in which we all have the privilege to advocate for some of America’s most vulnerable populations in several different ways. This is not something to be taken lightly, but to be held in high regard,” she says, “And just as a reminder, we really are all on the same team. Like you, we want the best for residents.”
The Anne-Marie Filkin Lecture—which will be held on Friday morning, along with the Steve Levenson Lecture—is named after the late physician who was a passionate advocate for her patients and a leader in the New York state chapter. It is designed to inspire and empower meeting attendees.
Go here to register for PALTC26 and get additional program information here. Register by January 12 to take advantage of the Early Bird Discount.