SPEAKERS

Jessica Devine

Jessica Devine has worked in home care since 2014 across various provider types, including Medicare-certified home health, nurse registry, and private duty. Prior to joining HCAF, she served as the Director of Private Care for a Visiting Nurse Association, overseeing a multi-region business in conjunction with the organization's home health and hospice services. She strongly believes that home care, more than any other form of health care, enhances patient well-being by promoting independence and preserving dignity, regardless of their living situation.

Jessica is a proud alumna of the University of Central Florida, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies.

Melinda Gaboury, COS-C

Melinda A. Gaboury, COS-C, with more than 33 years in home care, has over 23 years of executive speaking and educating experience, including extensive day to day interaction with home care and hospice professionals. She routinely conducts home care and hospice reimbursement workshops and speaks at state association meetings throughout the country. Melinda has profound experience in Medicare Patient-Driven Groupings Model (PDGM) training, billing, collections, case-mix calculations, chart reviews and due diligence. UPIC, RA, ADR, and TPE (Unified Program Integrity Contractor, Recovery Auditor, Additional Documentation Request, and Targeted Probe and Educate) appeals with all Medicare Administrative Contractors (MACs) have become the forefront of Melinda’s current impact on the industry.

She is currently serving as chair of the The National Alliance for Care at Home/Home Care & Hospice Financial Managers Association Advisory Board and Work Group and is serving on the board of the Home Care Association of Florida and the Tennessee Association for Home Care. Melinda is also the author of the Home Health OASIS Guide to OASIS-E1 and Home Health Billing Answers, 2025.

Susan Harris Lowery, RN

Susan Harris Lowery, RN, is a seasoned registered nurse with over 30 years of clinical and administrative experience, including more than two decades in home health care. Her career began in direct patient care as a field nurse and evolved into leadership roles in home health management. For over 12 years, she has served within the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA), where she has held a range of positions including Registered Nurse Specialist Surveyor, Registered Nurse Consultant in the Complaint Unit, Informal Dispute Panel Member, and OASIS Education Coordinator for the state. She currently serves as a Government Analyst in the Office of the Chief of Field Operations, contributing to statewide health care oversight and policy implementation. Her work reflects a deep commitment to quality assurance, regulatory compliance, and the advancement of public health standards.

Joshua Vaughn, Esq.

Joshua C. Vaughn, Esq., a Pittsburgh employment defense attorney, represents employers in collective, class, and hybrid actions brought under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and state wage and hour laws. He has defended employers in the health care, financial services, retail, and technology industries in state and federal courts throughout the United States.

Josh has successfully defeated conditional certification in threatened nationwide collective actions, opposed class certification under Rule 23, and has successfully resolved many other cases involving complicated legal and business issues that arise in wage and hour litigation. Josh has significant experience defending against claims for overtime (exemption misclassification, off-the-clock, overtime rate calculation), misclassification of independent contractors, minimum wage, meal and rest breaks, “suitable seats,” reporting time and split shifts, expense reimbursements, waiting-time penalties, and wage statement and wage notice violations.

Josh also has significant experience assisting clients with reviewing, drafting, and rolling out arbitration agreements; enforcing arbitration agreements; and representing clients in individual and mass arbitrations. 

As the shareholder in charge of Littler’s Home Care Toolkit, Josh also counsels and defends home care agencies on the unique pre-employment, ongoing employment, and end-of-employment issues. He has represented home care agencies in class and collective action litigation brought by private plaintiffs and the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), investigations by federal and state labor departments, investigations by federal and state equal employment agencies, investigations by the U.S. Office of Inspector General (OIG), and has presented seminars and webinars to multiple home care franchise systems, associations, and industry groups.

In addition to his practice defending and advising employers with respect to complex wage and hour litigation, Josh has helped employers enforce noncompete agreements, and has defended employers against a variety of single plaintiff claims, including claims involving race, age, gender, disability discrimination, harassment, retaliation, breach of contract, wrongful termination, intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress, and unjust enrichment.

Josh regularly partners with clients to conduct wage and hour and employment practices audits, provide guidance regarding hiring and terminations, conduct supervisor and management training related to wage and hour compliance, provide advice regarding complex litigation strategy, and assist clients with conducting employment law due diligence related to mergers and acquisitions.

In the fall 2018 and 2021, Josh served as an adjunct professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, where he taught a course on Technology and Employment law. Josh also regularly writes and speaks at seminars on employment topics facing employers.