First opened in 1979, Medtrade 2004 will mark the trade show's
25th anniversary. “We are excited to celebrate the show's
longevity in the industry,” says Show Director Zuzette
Estevez. “This year, the focus on Medtrade's anniversary is
very exciting in that industry pioneers and newcomers alike will be
able to see how far we have come and how far we can go to improve
how home health care is delivered in America.”
More than 21,000 home medical equipment providers and home
health professionals are expected to attend the annual expo, which
will have more than 250,000 products on view from 900 exhibitors.
“Attendees will be able to see the newest technology, meet
with their suppliers and take advantage of show specials,”
Estevez explains.
With the theme of “Building Business and Improving the
Quality of Life,” this year's conference program will help
home care providers keep up with the latest industry trends and
regulatory requirements, Estevez says. The show will offer 180
educational sessions in 11 tracks in the areas of accreditation,
business operations, information technology, legal, nursing,
pharmacy, professional development, rehabilitation and assistive
technology, reimbursement, respiratory and sales and marketing.
On Tuesday, Oct. 26, from 7:30 a.m. to 8:15 a.m., start your
show off with a motivational presentation by David Williams,
well-known industry consultant and advocate. In this special
session, Williams recounts the story of his decades-long battle
with progressive multiple sclerosis and shares the lessons he has
learned along the way about life, relationships and controlling
your own destiny. Williams will also be at the Invacare booth
during the show to sign copies of his just-released first book,
Battling the Beast Within.
Other special sessions during the show include the American
Association for Homecare's (AAHomecare) “Washington
Update,” which will offer an overview of the legislative and
regulatory issues that have come up in the last year. On Wednesday,
Oct. 27, at 7:30 a.m., the association will outline its plan for
representing the industry in Washington.
On Thursday, Oct. 28, from 7:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.,
representatives from the Accreditation Commission for Health Care
(ACHC), the Community Health Accreditation Program (CHAP) and the
Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations
(JCAHO) will delve into provider accreditation in Medtrade's
“Accreditation Summit.” Panelists will describe their
accreditation services, processes, benefits and costs, and each
will discuss how their programs can meet the needs of home health
care companies under the Medicare Modernization Act.
And, be sure to save a spot on your schedule for the
“Retail Design Workshop” led by Jack Evans of Global
Media Marketing and Ed Lemar of Gladson Store Design, two of the
industry's leading retail consultants. Sponsored once again by
HomeCare following its success at Medtrade Spring, this
special workshop will teach providers how to make their showrooms
into inviting, open spaces that can work to generate sales. (See
page 12 for more information.)
Medtrade 2004 will be held Oct. 26-28 at the Orange County
Convention Center in Orlando. To find out more, visit www.medtrade.com or
call 800/933-8735.
AND THE SHOW GOES ON
Come ‘Meet the HME Experts’ with HomeCare
For the first time, Medtrade will offer a series of “Meet
the HME Experts” panels every day of the show, sponsored by
HomeCare. Each morning from 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., these
panels will present best practices in reimbursement, sales and
marketing and legal and regulatory issues from the industry's
leading experts — among them several of HomeCare's
columnists and Editorial Advisory Board members.
“These ‘Best Practices’ panels will bring
together the top experts in HME to share their insights, discuss
current issues and field questions so attendees can learn the
latest trends and cutting-edge solutions,” according to Jack
Evans, president of Global Media Marketing.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 8:30 A.M.-10:00 A.M.
“Meet the HME Experts in Reimbursement” will present
reimbursement strategies that work with HIPAA, Medicare audits and
fraud and abuse issues. Moderated by Bruce Brothis of Alternative
Billing Solutions, the panel includes Maureen Hanna of Healthcare
Reimbursement Consultants along with HomeCare contributors
Jane Bunch of JB&CS and Miriam Lieber of Lieber Consulting.
WEDNESDAY, OCT. 27, 8:30 A.M.-10:00 A.M.
In “Meet the HME Experts in Sales & Marketing,”
HomeCare columnists Wallace Weeks of Weeks Group and Louis
Feuer of Dynamic Seminars & Consulting, plus Alison Cherney of
Cherney & Associates, will present sales and marketing
strategies for maximizing sales-per-customer and net profits,
increasing ROI for advertising and building long-term relationships
with referral sources. Evans will moderate this panel.
THURSDAY, OCT. 28, 8:30 A.M.-10:00 A.M.
With Moderator Jeff Baird of Brown & Fortunato, “Meet
the Experts in Legal & Regulatory Issues” will offer
advice in coping with surprise NSC inspections, reimbursement cuts,
DMERC audits, the Medicare Modernization Act (MMA) and DOJ/OIG
investigations of joint equity arrangements and marketing programs.
Panelists include HomeCare columnists Cara Bachenheimer of
Invacare Corp. and Neil Caesar of the Health Law Center, and Asela
Cuervo, Law Offices of Asela Cuervo.
If you want to improve your company's business practices, then
come “Meet the HME Experts” with HomeCare. For
information on these daily sessions, visit www.medtrade.com or
call 800/933-8735.
For Fun and Sun in Orlando …
Check out the following Web sites or call for more information
to plan your trip and get details about the area's biggest theme
parks and attractions.
Busch Gardens Tampa Bay: 888/800-5447
www.buschgardens.com
Discovery Cove: 877/4-DISCOVERY
www.discoverycove.com
Kennedy Space Center: 800/572-4636
www.kennedyspacecenter.com
Sea World Adventure Park: 800/4-ADVENTURE,
(407) 351-3600 ▸ www.seaworld.com
Universal Resort: 407/363-8000
www.universalorlando.com
Walt Disney World Resort: 407/939-6242
www.disneyworld.com
Special Events Before and After the Show
Even though Medtrade's official dates are Oct. 26-28, there
are several special events before and after the show to round out
your visit.
MONDAY, OCT. 25
Join Jane Bunch of JC&BS and Louis Feuer of Dynamic Seminars
& Consulting as they put you through Billing and Sales Boot
Camp. Two of the industry's most entertaining and energetic
speakers, Bunch and Feuer will share the latest information on
strategies that can improve your business. Hear a presentation
about the challenges billing and sales departments must address as
they work together to grow revenues, including the conflicts, the
issues and the goals for HME companies to meet in order to build a
cohesive business organization. Then spend the rest of the day
learning how to compete and getting the answers you need from this
dynamic duo. Sessions focus on the latest issues in reimbursement,
including new rules, regulations and appropriate intake, and key
selling strategies, including ways to reach important referral
sources. For information or to register for this all-day program,
visit www.jbcservices.com or call 678/445-1221.
MONDAY, OCT. 25
Following its presentation at Medtrade 2003, the Continuum of
Care, presented by AAHomecare, will offer continuing education
credits for practitioners, clinicians and therapists to gain access
to the latest clinical and practice protocols in four tracks: home
health nursing, rehabilitation and assistive technology,
respiratory therapy/sleep-disordered breathing and orthotics and
prosthetics. This one-day workshop will offer a comprehensive look
at the issues and challenges that home health, rehab and
respiratory providers face. CEUs will be offered for each track
from RESNA, AARC, VNA and NRRTS. For information on the Continuum
of Care, visit www.aahomecare.org or call 703/535-1887.
FRIDAY, OCT. 29
RESNA (Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology
Society of North America) will administer ATP, ATS and RET
exams as part of the organization's credentialing program. For
more information or to register, visit www.resna.org or call
703/524-6686.
