Heartland Conference Begins Today

WATERLOO, Iowa–This week, nearly 1,000 HME providers,
manufacturers and speakers are expected in Waterloo, Iowa, for the
VGM Group’s Heartland Conference 2008.

Set to kick off tonight, the primary conference venue will be
the Five Sullivan Brothers Convention Center, and the Waterloo
Center for the Arts will also be used. While the annual event is
famous for its hog roast, officials say this year’s
conference will offer more than the perfect pig.

“The Heartland Conference hosts a record number of
educational offerings this year,” said VGM’s Sara Bauer, vice
president of education, noting 90 speakers will present more than
100 sessions in eight tracks: executive, operations, rehab,
regulatory, products and technology, reimbursement, respiratory and
sales and marketing.

< Additionally, Bauer said, “attendees can receive up
to eight different types of continuing education
credits.”

A variety of special sessions–including Billing Boot Camp, the
Certified Environmental Access Consultant (CEAC) exam, U.S. Rehab
technical training, Assistive Technology Supplier/Practitioner
training and Wound Care/Bariatrics–will run during the week before
Heartland’s official close on Thursday. Individuals will sit
for the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society
of North America (RESNA) exam on Friday.

According to VGM President Ron Bendell, “The Heartland
Conference is critically important to the industry at this time
because [providers] will obtain the latest information with regard
to managing competitive bidding and other reimbursement issues such
as the [Deficit Reduction Act], understanding and coping with
government fraud, abuse and other regulatory initiatives and
developing methods to expand their business opportunities.

“The conference allows providers to network with other providers
and learn how others are coping with and thriving in today’s
ever-changing environment.”

For more information, visit
www.vgmheartland.com.