2026 WSMTA Annual Meeting

Washington State Massage Therapy Association 

Please join WSMTA Board Members and Programs for the 2026 Annual Meeting

THEME:  Changing Technology: Things to Know When Assessing and Selecting IT

EVENT DETAILS:

• Date: September 27, 2026

• Time: 9:30am to 3:30pm

• CE Hours: 4.5  Attendance for the entire annual meeting is required to obtain CE credit hours.

• Where: Live on Zoom

• WSMTA Membership is required to attend, it costs $65 to join if you are not currently a member.  The event is free to members.

Annual Business Meeting (9:30am to 11am): We will have Reports from the Government Relations and Clinical Practices Programs on all that they have accomplished in the past year and what they will be working on in the future!

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Continuing Education Presentations (11am to 3:30pm)

Each presentation is 40 minutes followed by 20 minutes of question and answer time.

HIPAA Security for Massage Therapists: Protecting Your Practice in the Digital Age:

Presented by John Conniff, Attorney

Every day, massage therapists collect, store, and transmit sensitive patient information—but are you doing enough to protect it? Cyberattacks, phishing emails, ransomware, stolen laptops, unsecured Wi-Fi, cloud-based scheduling software, AI, and increasingly stringent HIPAA requirements have made information security one of the fastest-growing responsibilities for healthcare providers. Even solo practitioners are expected to implement reasonable administrative, physical, and technical safeguards to protect patient information, and proposed federal changes are raising the bar even higher.

This engaging, practical presentation will show you how to protect your practice without requiring you to become an IT expert. You'll gain a clear understanding of HIPAA Security requirements, learn how to identify the greatest risks to your practice, and discover practical, affordable ways to safeguard patient information. Topics include protecting electronic and paper records, securing computers and mobile devices, developing office policies, conducting risk assessments, responding to security incidents, recognizing cyber threats, and understanding how AI tools like ChatGPT fit into HIPAA compliance.

Whether you're a solo practitioner, clinic owner, manage multiple therapists or an employee, this course will help you safeguard your patients' trust, reduce your legal risk, and prepare your practice for the next generation of HIPAA security requirements. You'll leave with a clear understanding of what is required today, what changes are on the horizon, and practical actions you can begin implementing immediately.

Technology That Works for You: A Practical Self-Assessment for Massage Therapists and Clinic Teams:

Presented by Steve Seiller

Every massage practice already runs on a system: a paper book and a locked cabinet, an integrated platform, or something in between. Is yours working for you, or are you working for it?

This session starts with the practice you want, not with software. You'll map the eight capabilities every practice relies on, locate yours on the physical-to-digital continuum, and learn one test for any system or change: what does it cost you in effort, time and money, and what does it create? You'll assess what you have, plan around the needs of your practice and your clients, evaluate your options, protect what matters and implement changes at your own pace. You'll also see plain financial formulas that show, for every paid hour at the table, how much of it reaches your pocket, and how to find the number that tells you you're thriving.

You'll leave with a self-assessment guide designed for massage practices and one clear next step that fits your role. For students, employees, solo practitioners and clinic teams, whether your practice is cash-based or insurance-billing, paper-based or fully digital. No products are recommended or endorsed.

Ethics in Technology:

Presented by Dawn Schmidt, LMT

• Presentation Description Coming Soon.

AI in a Massage Practice–What LMTs Need to Know in 2026:

Presented by Steve Seiller 

AI is showing up in more parts of professional life, including some areas of massage practice. Whether you already use these tools or are simply trying to understand their implications, this session will help you make more informed professional decisions.

This presentation will walk through where these tools are currently being used, where they may be showing up next, and what responsibilities come with them. This will include the administrative uses where evidence for time savings is strongest, and the points where errors, overreach, or privacy missteps can create liability for massage therapists.

In addition, we'll cover what Washington State law now requires of massage therapists using these tools, how HIPAA exposure can begin when client information is entered into non-compliant systems, and where AI assistance stops and practitioner judgment must remain fully your own. We'll also address the environmental costs and wider social implications that often stay out of view when these tools are discussed only in terms of convenience.

Presenter Bios:

John S Conniff:

John Conniff, an attorney admitted to practice in Washington and Oregon, concentrates on regulatory compliance services for small business, health care practices, insurers, producers, and other regulated entities. He represents a wide range of individuals, businesses and organizations involved in health care financing and delivery systems. He also provides HIPAA privacy and information security advice and training, regulatory compliance assistance, and advice on business creation, development, and survival.

Mr. Conniff has broad experience in individual and group health insurance, insurance licensee regulation, health care provider contracting, managed care delivery systems, health plan compliance, ERISA, and health care operations.

He has served as Washington State Deputy Insurance Commissioner (1993 – 2000) for health care. In the distant past, he served as counsel to the Washington State House of Representatives (1986 – 1993) with responsibility for insurance, financial institutions, and related subjects.

He obtained his law degree and his undergraduate degree from Seattle University in Seattle, Washington.

Steve Seiller

Steven Seiller is the founder of First Touch Alliance, a public presence and communications consultancy serving healthcare-adjacent practitioners and the organizations that support them.

He holds certifications in risk management and product management, both of which he puts to direct use in a profession where the wrong AI tool doesn't just waste time. It creates HIPAA liability practitioners don't know they're carrying.

Steve has delivered more than 2,000 hours of training and public speaking nationwide for healthcare, human services, and education audiences who came to their work to help people, not manage software. He has been a WSMTA contributor, educator, and co-chair of the LMT Support and Practice Owners Groups since early 2026.

He is not an LMT. He is the person practitioners call when they want the business side of their practice to flow as smoothly as their hands.

Dawn Schmidt

Dawn has been a Licensed Massage Therapist in WA since 1991. She has a private massage practice in Seattle’s Greenlake neighborhood. Dawn has been in massage education since 1991 and currently provides continuing massage education in the form of workshops and mentoring (since 1997). She holds a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education/Kinesiology, and teaching credential for K – 12 in these subjects. She has served as research interventionist, interventionist trainer and has developed massage protocols for research. Dawn provides consulting services for massage professionals and serves as an expert witness in the areas of massage practice, massage business practices and ethics. She has been an avid volunteer on the Body of Knowledge for the Massage Profession Task Force, the Insurance Commissioners Clinicians Workgroup on the Integration of Complementary and Alternative Medicine, served as COMTA Commissioner for massage school accreditation and many other committees both state and national. Dawn currently provides continuing education in the form of workshops and mentoring.