FICPA’s 2008 Health Care Industry Conference

Changes Well Received at the FICPA’s 2008 Health Care Industry Conference

Held on April 24-25, 2008, this year’s conference was host to more than 300 professionals who are involved in the health care industry. As co-sponsors, the Florida Hospital Association, Georgia Society of CPAs and the Healthcare Financial Management Association helped the FICPA provide attendees with the knowledge, expertise, and know-how to remain a leader in the health care industry.

Attendees at this year’s conference were exposed to a few changes from past conferences, including different tracks, a new general session topic, and electronic manuals. Based on attendee comments during and after the conference, these changes seemed to be well received.

When the conference planning committee came together to plan the conference agenda, they took into careful consideration the comments and suggestions received from the attendees and changed the “Industry” tracks to “Operational” and “Executive” tracks. This change allowed attendees to choose topics that better fit their type of practice and the variety of roles they play within their jobs.

Additionally, the committee discussed ways to reach out to the CFOs in the health care industry by creating a panel of CEOs. During this session, the CEOs discussed their expectations of their finance organizations, as well as their views on today's health care environment, including their biggest challenges and issues. The “town hall” format also allowed attendees to ask questions of the panel which was a big hit.

Members of the CEO Panel discussing their views on the Health Care industry

Another change this year was the implementation of electronic manuals vs. hard copy manuals. Attendees received the speaker’s presentation materials a week prior to the conference, allowing them time to review the material in advance. On site, attendees were given an abbreviated booklet with 1-2 page outlines of the speaker’s material, allowing them to follow along and take notes. Overall, the response to the new electronic manual and booklet was positive. Attendees were happy they didn’t have to carry around a 900+ page binder and enjoyed having the material in advance for review:

• “I like not having to carry the huge binder – great idea to have electronically.”

• “Having the outlines worked great rather than having all the paper used including all presentations.”

While some things at the conference were different, some things remained the same, including an agenda with several local, regional, and national speakers presenting in-depth information about the latest trends and updates surrounding the health care industry during the two-day conference.

Featured Keynote speaker Randy Kammer, Vice President of Florida Regulatory Affairs and Public Policy with Blue Cross/Blue Shield, provided a “State of the Union” address that identified critical problems with the current health care system and the Presidential Candidate’s positions and how it affects the industry.

Other general session topics included:

• Washington Legislative and Regulatory Update with Medicare and Medicaid Focus

• Trials, Tribulations and Trends - A Look at Leading Legal Issues Affecting the Florida Managed Care Market

• Health System Reform, the AMA's Health Care Policy Agenda

• Tax Update Impacting the Healthcare Industry with an Accounting and Auditing Spin

In addition to a loaded agenda with multiple “must know” topics, the FICPA Health Care Industry Conference had 14 sponsors and vendors who participated in the event. Thanks to these sponsors, attendees enjoyed enhanced breakfast, lunch and morning and afternoon breaks and were also able to visit with companies who provide products and services for CPAs within the Health Care industry. As an incentive, the FICPA held a drawing for a $150 cash prize for the attendees who visited the vendors while at the conference. The winner of that drawing was Kathleen Bailey.

A special THANK YOU goes to our sponsors, including:

• Aon Risk Services, FL

• Capital Planning Group, LLC

• Commerce Bank

• CPA Health Partners, Inc.

• Danna-Gracey

• Deloitte & Touche LLP

• Ernst & Young LLP

• Florida Medical Business

• Grant Thornton LLP

• Healthcare Appraisers, Inc.

• KPMG LLP

• Moore Stephens Lovelace, PA

• PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

• Ruden McCloskey Smith Schuster & Russell PA

Attendees enjoyed enhanced breaks, including cookies sponsored by Grant Thornton

Attendees visited several vendors on hand to provide information about their products and services.

Over 150 of the attendees enjoyed the cocktail reception Thursday night where they stayed well after “last call” to network and visit with other health care professionals.

Member enjoying the cocktail reception Thursday night.

A special THANK YOU goes to the conference committee for all their hard work in planning such a large and successful event.

Members of the committee include:
Curtis Bernstein, Committee Chair and Executive Track Chair
Kim Griffin-Hunter, Committee Vice Chair and General Session Chair
John Amrhein - Accounting & Auditing Track Chair
Craig Richmond – Operational Track Co-Chair
Doug Cooper – Operational Track Co-Chair
Mark Tourin – Sponsor Chair
David Benn
Peter Ceccacci
Stanley DeHart
Rick Friedfeld
Farlen Halikman
Marian Jacklich
Scott Jeffries
Ralph Lawson
Joseph Miller
Steve Nouss
Brian Regan
Curt Rosner
Amy Stanton
Robert Wheeler

Most importantly, the FICPA would like to thank the attendees for coming to this year’s conference. We hope you enjoyed the event and will return in future years to come.

Next year’s conference is scheduled for April 23-24, 2009 at the Hyatt Regency Orlando Airport Hotel.

<< Back	Start Over	Next >>