Conferences: Provider picks

Seminar: Diabetes Supplies - The Game Has Changed Speaker: David Sommerfeld Time: 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. Since our company is only an hour drive from Medtrade this year, we plan on taking advantage of the educational seminars with as many of our staff as possible. Our company is very committed to servicing our diabetes customers. We understand how important the paperwork is to receive and keep Medicare reimbursement. Our focus has primarily been meter, strips and lancets, and we need to be aware of changing requirements for supporting documentation. We also plan on building our diabetes business in traditional areas and on expanding our services more in the area of diabetic shoes. We need to stay abreast on paperwork changes in all areas. This year our employees will be able to get the information to make sure we continue to document our services properly. Seminar: Creative Marketing Ideas to Ensure You are the Last Man Standing Speaker: Louis Feuer Time: 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. It is not getting any easier out there. Everyday there seems to be another DME opening its doors. We constantly need to “reinvent” our message to referral sources. Excellent customer service is expected and quite frankly many DMEs provide good customer service. My hope is that Mr. Feuer can provide me and our sales staff with some hands on approaches to create a buzz about our company in the marketplace. We plan on increasing the number of referral sources and referrals from existing customers. I expect to get some tools and ideas to help us meet these goals in 2005. Bob Rowland is CEO of Orange Belt Pharmacy in Deland, Fla. Seminar: Improving Sales Team Performance Speaker: Alison Cherney Time: 11 a.m. to noon Alison Cherney is nationally recognized with regard to her extensive knowledge base in identifying opportunities. Cherney and Associates has worked extensively with many of the industry leaders, and I have worked with some of the national DME companies who have used Alison's services. She has proved what an extensive network the company has created throughout the United States. This year, we have increased the size of our marketing team because of continual growth; working with Alison can only accelerate this and the many goals we hope to attain. Seminar: Looking to buy or sell? Avoid the legal torpedoes that can sink your deal. Speaker: Neil Caesar Time: 11 a.m. to noon Eight years ago, I joined a company whose acquisitions in the next two years totaled 35. We held onto a lot of money that was kept in escrow due to billing errors incurred by those companies. I would have preferred to pay back the escrow money than experience the ensuing hardships and headaches. Spending a few hours with Neil Caesar will save money in the long rune, when hiring the experts for those types of transactions. From reading articles written by Neil, he is able to share and teach methods that will help you achieve all of your goals by creating a blue print. Brian Chambers is director of respiratory at Binson's Home Health Care in Center Line, Mich.