It's a place for answers!

ATLANTA - With so many potential regulatory changes in the works, HME providers are searching for ways to position themselves in the new healthcare landscape. One of the best places for them to look is the Medtrade 2006 educational conference at the Georgia World Congress Center, Sept. 19-21, say organizers. Seminars have long been a popular draw at Medtrade and this year conference designers have put together a program that offers new perspectives and formats while retaining many of attendees' favorite topics and speakers. It's all part of an overall effort to make the educational sessions as vital and relevant as possible, said planning committee member Kim Brummett. "We have spent considerable time reviewing all tracks as a group to be sure we are looking at the educational sessions from all angles," she said. "We have added a whole track on leadership and staff development--our goal is to separate business opportunities and management from the 'people' issues we all deal with. Additionally, our IT section has been upgraded to include more tracks and a wide variety of adjunct IT solutions that can help us run our businesses." Slated to kick off on Tuesday, Sept. 19, the Medtrade seminar series will feature tracks on accreditation, business operations, home health, legislative and regulatory issues, mergers and acquisitions, oxygen and respiratory issues, rehabilitation and assistive technology, reimbursement, sales and marketing, and sleep-disordered breathing. Medtrade is also bringing back the Continuum of Care pre-show conference--a big hit last year--on Monday, Sept. 18. The opportunity to hear a group of experts in one place is a key attraction, said committee member Mary Ellen Conway. "Yes, it's another night in the hotel, but it's set up for attendees to gain a lot of information without the distractions of the show," she said. "And even though it draws a lot of people, it's an intimate setting that allows for quality interaction between presenters and the audience." AAHomecare and Medtrade will also be hosting a pre-show conference on Sept. 18 titled "Reimbursement +Requirements=Revenue! Are You Maximizing Your Efforts?" The session features a panel of experts to assist providers in staying on top of the latest reimbursement updates while teaching them how to benchmark their companies against others and themselves. Peer-to-peer education has also proven to be an effective seminar format and Medtrade attendees will have several opportunities to hear from their colleagues during Award Winner panel discussions. Moderated by Jack Evans and Bob Fary, the workshops will include HME Excellence and Homecaring award winners in the rehab, respiratory and HME categories. "This is an opportunity for attendees to hear from those who have been recognized as being among the best in the industry," Evans said.