Essentially Women Annual Conference

OXFORD, Miss., Feb. 6, 2013—Essentially Women—the premier Group Purchasing Organization for women’s health care products—prepares to launch Focus on the Future 2013. This event, its 13th annual Educational Conference and Tradeshow, will take place on March 17-19, 2013 in Charleston, S.C. The tradeshow features exhibits with the leading manufacturers and distributors of women’s health care products, the introduction of new product lines and exclusive show specials. Exhibits will represent many different product categories including but not limited to: post-breast surgery, compression, lingerie, orthopedics, wigs and other hair loss solutions, lymphedema, accreditation, software packages, billing outsourcing, breast cancer awareness products and other medical equipment and supplies.

Between the conference, social reception and tradeshow, members will have the extraordinary opportunity to network and learn from key players in the industry—business professionals, industry consultants, major manufacturers, smaller unique wholesalers and retail colleagues. The time spent sharing and comparing ideas and candidly discussing pressing industry and operational concerns can dynamically help members increase their knowledge, promote successful business practices, enhance communication and strengthen relationships with vendors and industry leaders.

The educational courses will provide members with product training and information on business development, management, successful sales, merchandizing, marketing techniques, accreditation grassroots lobbying, Medicare updates and so much more. All courses are in the approval process with the American Board for Certification and Board of Certification/Accreditation continuing education credits and will provide the highest caliber of training, education and skill development available to the women’s health industry.

Denise Ryan will present “Great Balls of Fire!” One of the greatest challenges we all face is keeping ourselves motivated. This is particularly difficult and extremely important with our fast-paced high responsibility jobs today. It’s easy to lose enthusiasm and get burned out, stressed out, and finally, checked out. This high-energy session gives attendees six steps for getting the fire back in their lives professionally and personally. It’s not just a motivational speech; it’s a method attendees can apply long after the speech. She will also present “Motivation by Chocolate” This session features two things everyone likes, chocolate and motivation. It teaches nine key motivational concepts that can help participants get more out of every day, both personally and professionally. Attendees will learn about persistence, passion, effective allocation of resources, the law of diminishing returns, and much more. The session includes a chocolate tasting to demonstrate not only how to appreciate chocolate, but life itself.

Dr. Jessica Bensenhaver will present “Current and Future Surgical Techniques for Breast Cancer.” Bensenhaver will present an overview of the surgical management of breast disease. After recently completing her fellowship in breast oncology, she can offer a fresh perspective. Learn about current surgical therapy and the evolving management techniques that are creating new options for the future of breast cancer surgery.

Kelly Franko will present “Leadership Awareness and its Impact on Ability to Drive Change.” Self awareness proves vital in leadership development. Understanding your own limitations lays the ground work for developing yourself and your leadership skills. Learn how to develop self-awareness in order to identify personal growth opportunities that strengthen your ability to build and retain phenomenal teams.

Mike Sperduti will present “The Elephant Man Married a Supermodel! Overcoming Insurmountable Odds and Accomplishing Your Goals.” Thanks to his motivational magic, you’ll leave this the conference ready to tackle the world. As the leading sales expert in the healthcare industry, he helps Fortune 100 to small one women armies do what needs to be done to survive and thrive during these challenging times. This is a high impact program that promises to be fun and provides the philosophies, strategies and tactics to help transform you and your company into industry leaders. Sperduti will also present: “The Power of Love: UpCaring-Providing Better Care and More Profits!” The session is all about seizing the power of love and your sales/service team. He will share his latest skills and techniques to develop more meaningful relationships with referral sources and patients. You will experience a “mind shift” that will inspire you to provide better care and new offerings with confidence and close more business at higher margins. Sperduti will moderate a panel discussion. Interested in candidly discussing industry and business issues with your colleagues? Vendors and members will share new sales and marketing ideas, information on successful business development, dealing with Medicare regulations and contracting strategies.

Dr. Michelle Holmes will present “Lifestyle and Survival After Breast Cancer.” Women who have survived a breast cancer diagnosis naturally want to know what they can do to have a long and healthy life. Holmes will review what is known about how body weight, exercise, diet, and common medications may affect survival after breast cancer.

Kerry Banz will present “Merchandise Planning for Retail Businesses: Maximize Your Profit Potential and Increase Your Cash Flow.” Merchandise plans are more than an open-to-buy plan; they are the key to a successful retail business. Merchandise plans minimize markdowns; projects your cash flow; and creates balance and flow in your inventories. They allow you to respond to your customers’ demands by identifying trends and opportunities in their early stages, allowing you to stay ahead of the curve and be proactive in your business. Most importantly, a well-executed merchandise plan results in better profitability and increased cash flow for your business. You will learn the all the secrets to creating strong merchandising plans and implementing the plans to maximize your profits in this action-packed session. Whether you are the owner of a HME looking to boost your cash flow or the owner of an independent retail store looking to increase your profits and cash, this session is for you.

Andrea Stark will present “Medicare Reimbursement: Making Sense for the Mastectomy Fitter.” Many fitters are constantly challenged by ever changing Medicare requirements. During this session Stark will help you to make sense of it all. She’ll address questions about documentation requirements, utilization, replacement requirements, use of ABNs, and so much more. To learn more call 800-988-4484 or e-mail [email protected]. Also visit www.essentiallywomen.com.