Medtrade
Medtrade Looks to Unify, Inspire, and Educate
With a mixed attendance of HME veterans and newcomers to the industry, the Oct. 21-23 event in Atlanta serves up a mix of educational and expo offerings designed to serve all levels.
In many ways, Medtrade 2019 comes
at a crossroads for the HME industry.
Providers who remain are veterans
with hard-won experience, while freshfaced
newcomers read about predicted
demand and enter the business with an
occasionally jarring optimism.
“There’s a large group in the middle that could
be called the cautiously optimistic,” says Mark
Lind, associate show director for Medtrade.
“In many ways, Medtrade has transcended its
traditional role and become a rallying point to
inspire. It will continue to educate and show the
latest products, but this year the prospect of an
improved competitive bidding round 2021 offers
the hope of something better.”
After stable attendance from 2017 to
2018, along with an 11 percent year-over-year
attendance increase at the recent Medtrade
Spring in Las Vegas, Medtrade hopes to
continue the momentum by listening more
closely than ever to critics and satisfied
attendees alike.
EDUCATION
To provide the best in HME education, Medtrade
management and members of the Medtrade
Educational Advisory Board have continued to
carefully read attendee feedback, resulting in
changes to the conference format. Attendees
asked for more “town-hall” like sessions and
Medtrade organizers have responded with new
seating arrangements that are less “lecture-style”
to encourage discussion among peers — particularly
in sessions concerning audits and retail.
“Nothing beats in-person engagement with
peers to learn what is, and isn’t, working,” said
Kevin Gaffney, vice president and group show
director, Medtrade. “Also at attendees’ requests,
more panels are incorporated into the education
sessions. Panels of experts provide a deeper
perspective into HME hot-topics.”
When the show convenes Oct 21-23, at the
Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta,
the Medtrade conference program (details at
Medtrade.com) collects HME industry experts
covering a wide range of educational topics.
Additionally, Medtrade also offers intensive
workshops on Monday before the expo begins.
These full-day workshops are:
An Introduction to the Certified Durable
Medical Equipment Specialist (CDME)
Presented by: BOC
Monday, Oct 21, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
The Certified DME Specialist (CDME) is a person
who demonstrates broad knowledge of the
DME/supply industry, including prescription
verification, intake process, product selection,
dispensing and setup, documentation, billing,
compliance, and performance management. This
workshop will cover the scope of practice for the
CDME. Discover the value of the CDME for facilities
in a challenging industry climate and how
to market the credential to customers, referral
sources, and third party payors. The workshop
is being extended this year to include a Q&A
session, which is optional. All attendees will have
the chance to take the CDME exam on site.
Certified Durable Medical Equipment
Specialist (CDME) Exam
Tuesday, Oct 22, 2019, 8 a.m. -10 a.m.
Exam registration is through BOC. To register,
create a “MyBOC” account by clicking on
Apply for Certification or log in to your
existing account. Questions? Contact the BOC
Certification Team at [email protected].
Don’t Gamble with Reimbursement!
Monday, Oct 21, 9 a.m. - Noon
Presented by: VGM
Whether you like Black Jack, Poker, Slots or
Roulette, gambling can be fun sometimes, as
long as you know your limit. However, gambling
with your reimbursement is not fun as it could
jeopardize the future of your company. Don’t
GAMBLE with Reimbursement and just roll the
dice, know for SURE before delivery that you
will get paid for the products and services you
provide and retain the “winnings” in an audit.
In this session Ronda and Dan will ensure you
are updated on all the current requirements for
mobility and respiratory reimbursement so you
don’t get dealt a bad reimbursement hand.
Best Practice Checklist for
Productivity and Management
Presented by: Brightree
Monday, Oct 21, noon – 4 p.m.
Open to Brightree customers only
Learn how to identify Key Performance Indicators
(KPIs), develop a Revenue Quality Assurance
plan and how to best manage productivity.
HME Master Sales Training
presented by: Emerge
Monday, Oct 21, 1 p.m. – 5 p.m.
This comprehensive Sales Training workshop
will be presented by Sales and Marketing expert
Mike Sperduti. Mike is a high-powered coach,
trainer, speaker and sales expert who teaches
straight-forward and highly-effective sales and
communication training and programs. For
twenty-six years, Mike Sperduti has worked with
established and new companies to help them
achieve their financial and strategic sales goals.
Known nationally, Sperduti dedicates himself to
helping associates attain top sales performance.
Master Mindfulness
presented by: Sun or Storm
Monday, Oct 21, 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Though it’s hard to measure to the impact of
feeling rushed, un-fulfilled, irritated, or overwhelmed
on our lives, we know it’s real when
we find ourselves feeling bereft of energy, joy,
patience, or brain cells! Many of us don’t feel the
way we want to feel every day. We have a choice
to make: blame the factors you can’t control
or control the way you react to those factors.
Join Anna McDevitt and a team of mindfulness
advocates to learn the tips and techniques that
are relevant to you. You can choose to attend
one or all the Master Mindfulness sessions at the
Medtrade conference in Atlanta.
This article originally appeared in the Aug/Sep 2019 issue of HME Business.