Tag: heartland conference

WATERLOO, Iowa – VGM & Associates has announced Mark Scharenbroich as the keynote speaker for its 20th Heartland Conference, Sept. 13-15 in Waterloo, Iowa. “Mark is phenomenal at creating those authentic connections our members want with their customers and co-workers,” said Sarah Conger, vice president, corporate projects, VGM Group. “His messages are a great fit for our event, as connection is at the core of everything we do at Heartland.” Scharenbroich is best known...

I couldn't have timed it more perfectly if I were starring in a sitcom. Just ahead of our scheduled podcast recording on Wednesday afternoon, I tucked myself away in my quiet bedroom, phone, laptop with script, and headphones at hand. Ahead of calling our special guest (in this case Apria's Bill Guidetti), Liz and I always connect on the phone to make sure everything is copacetic. And it was, until it wasn't. At that very moment, my fire alarms went off. All of them. “Ohmigodohmigodohmigod”...

WATERLOO, Iowa - VGM has shifted its Heartland Conference to a virtual event called Heartland At Home in light of the coronavirus pandemic.“Our goal first and foremost is to keep our guests, our employees and our community safe,” said Sarah Conger, VGM's vice president of events and corporate projects, and Heartland Conference chairwoman. “Heartland At Home allows VGM members to get the same great education they know from attending previous Heartland Conferences, except this year...

WATERLOO, Iowa - VGM Group is now accepting proposals from prospective speakers for its annual Heartland Conference. The company is looking to fill eight education tracks with sessions on everything from business leadership and management, to retail, to sales and marketing, to technology. “For presenters, the Heartland Conference isn't short on opportunity,” said Jill Blaser, chairwoman of Heartland Education. “It's the perfect place to have one-on-one time with members and vendors,...

WATERLOO, Iowa - VGM has opened up its annual Heartland Conference to all HME providers for the first time. The move was driven by CMS's plans to consolidate all competitive bidding areas for Round 2021, the company says. “Due to the changes in competitive bidding, VGM will carry the torch to support all HME providers whether they're part of our membership community or not, because it's best for patients, providers and the industry as a whole,” said Clint Geffert, president of VGM & Associates....

WATERLOO, Iowa - VGM has announced the schedule and education program for this year's “future-focused” Heartland Conference, set for June 10-12 in Waterloo, Iowa. The educational program includes sessions on topics like retail, rehab, marketing and leadership, with each expected to address the future of the industry. “The Heartland 2019 schedule will be fairly familiar to those who have attended in past, but with quite a few updates and new additions,” said Jill Blaser, design...

WATERLOO, Iowa - For CPAP providers, the keys to marketing your resupply business are leveraging the right data, attracting the right referrals and doing right by your patients, says Seth Dixon.“You've got to get the data and you've got to get the right data,” said Dixon, director of marketing and sales for S3 Resupply, during a session at the Heartland Conference in June. “You need to have transparency.”Providers also have to know who they are, says David Baxter, owner and...

WATERLOO, Iowa - Whether it's medical supplies or a hot dog stand, if you want to build a world-class company, your employees need to provide exemplary service, said keynote speaker John DiJulius at the Heartland Conference last week.“Price is irrelevant,” said DiJulius, author of several books on customer service and president of The DiJulius Group, a consultant to companies like Starbucks, Chick-fil-a, and The Ritz-Carlton. “(Customers want) compassion and empathy.”That...

WASHINGTON - AAHomecare's Executive Committee will examine e-prescribing platforms to recommend the best solution for its provider members.“It's time for the HME community to move away from the fax machine and individual paper prescriptions, and fully embrace e-prescribing,” said Steve Ackerman, AAHomecare chairman and president of Spectrum Medical, in a bulletin. “Companies that invest in e-prescribing will be able to fill orders more efficiently to the benefit of patients and...

WATERLOO, Iowa - CMS officials will participate in a panel discussion at VGM's Heartland Conference. CMS Competitive Bidding Acquisition Ombudsman Tangita Daramola and Small Business Administration Deputy National Ombudsman Natalie Dunca, along with contractors from CGS, C2C and Noridian, will participate in the 90-minute session. “VGM has maintained a working relationship with Tangita and her staff at CMS in an effort to improve CMS programs and keep DME suppliers informed of CMS updates,”...