HFMA Conference Preview

2012 ANI Aims for the Impossible
By Heather Hogstrom

The Healthcare Financial Management Association’s (HFMA) 2012 National Institute will be held June 24-27 at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Convention Center in Las Vegas. During this time of change and transition in healthcare, ANI challenges attendees to do the impossible today and do it again tomorrow.

To inspire attendees, keynote speakers include the following:

• Track legend Carl Lewis, a nine-time Olympic gold medalist, will discuss what it takes to overcome the odds and achieve your goals in your healthcare career and beyond.

• Chesley B “Sully” Sullenberger, III, the famed pilot who safely guided a US Airways jetliner to an emergency landing on the Hudson River, will emphasize passion for excellence and preparedness, leading by example, and reaching for high standards of quality and service.

• David Walker, former US Comptroller General, will discuss how to rein in out-of-control government spending, restore fiscal responsibility, and reform Social Security, healthcare, defense, tax, and political systems.

• Kevin and Jackie Freiberg, authors of Nanovation: How a Little Car Can Teach the World to Think Big, will share strategies for leading innovation and finding ways to overcome healthcare challenges such as reducing costs and improving quality.

A total of 29 CPEs are available, with nine preconference and 20 during the conference. A variety of sessions are being offered, including the following:

On Sunday, June 24, attendees can get exam ready with the HFMA Certification Candidate Practicum and earn 9 CPEs by solving practical, common healthcare finance problems in a group setting. Lectures, case studies, and discussions will cover the six areas of the Certified Healthcare Finance Professional core curriculum: revenue cycle, budgeting and forecasting, financial reporting, internal controls, disbursements, and contracting.

On Monday, June 25, a provider panel will discuss costs and risks associated with ICD-10 readiness as well as the lessons they’ve learned. The session provides 1.5 CPEs and will help attendees prepare for the new code set, address key risk areas, and manage resource challenges.

On Tuesday, June 26, a workshop on Medicare audit and appeals will give practical advice for RAC, ZPIC, and MAC audits. Attendees can earn 1.5 CPEs while learning how to best prepare for Health and Human Services’ increasing audits and scrutiny as well as how to streamline audit replies, create efficient appeal strategies, and optimize appropriate reimbursement.

On Wednesday, June 27, featured speakers Gregory Meier, CPA, and Dottie Bringle, RN, of St John’s Regional Medical Center in Joplin, Missouri, will share how their hospital responded to a devastating tornado and the lessons they learned about disaster recovery. This session provides 1.5 CPEs.

For more information about the conference, visit www.hfmaconference.org.

— Heather Hogstrom is an editorial assistant at For The Record.