HFMA’s Annual Conference 2021 kicks off Nov. 8, with options for healthcare finance professionals to attend in Minneapolis or virtually

• HFMA’s Annual Conference 2021 offers attendees eight content tracks and more than 90 live and virtual sessions.
• The three-day conference kicks off Nov. 8 with an industry message and keynote address followed by an opening reception and HFMA’s 75^th Anniversary Celebration, complete with dinner, cocktails and a live band.
• For those attending in person, a redesigned exhibit hall will include open-air theaters in which the breakout education sessions will be held, allowing for social distancing.

HFMA’s Annual Conference 2021 — featuring more than 90 sessions in eight content tracks — will be held Nov. 8 to Nov. 10 in Minneapolis and virtually.  

The conference kicks off at 4 p.m. Nov. 8 with HFMA President and CEO Joseph J. Fifer, FHFMA, CPA, providing an update on new developments impacting healthcare finance leaders and discussing HFMA’s strategic initiatives. The keynote address “10 Ways to Have a Better Conversation” will be presented by Celeste Headlee, a journalist, author and communications expert.

At 5:30 p.m., the event’s opening reception begins, providing time for attendees to catch up and network. HFMA’s 75^th Anniversary Celebration, complete with dinner, cocktails and a live band, begins at 7:30 p.m.

“Regardless of whether you choose to attend in-person or virtually, the 2021 Annual Conference promises to provide a long-awaited opportunity to reconnect with friends and colleagues, catch up on the latest industry trends and best practices and, as always, have a little fun,” said Fifer.

Registration and CPE

To take advantage of early-bird rates, prospective attendees should register by Oct. 8. Those attending virtually will have access to educational and networking events.

As a matter of health and safety, HFMA is requiring everyone attending the Annual Conference in-person to show proof of vaccination.  Logistics are being developed to make the proof-of-vaccination process as easy and convenient as possible. Details will be provided soon on the conference website.

Conference participants can earn up to 14 CPE credits.

Session highlights

For those attending in person, a redesigned exhibit hall will include open-air theaters in which the breakout education sessions will be held, allowing for social distancing. The hall also will showcase products from leading healthcare vendors and offer arranged and informal networking opportunities.

There will be more than 90 live and virtual sessions across seven content tracks: accounting and finance, consumerism, emerging technology, business strategy, cost effectiveness of health, leveraging data and analytics, and revenue cycle. Below are just a few of the highlights.

Nov. 9

To learn what changes are needed to address the systemic and cultural issues in the U.S. healthcare system and create a healthy culture, join Robert Pearl, MD, Stanford University professor, Forbes contributor and author, for his keynote “A Clear Path to Change Our Healthcare System’s Culture of Uncaring.” 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. CT

The Accounting and Finance track is brought to attendees in partnership with the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA). In the “AICPA: Building an Ethical Work Culture — Moving from What to Why” session, Clare Levison, CPA, owner of Inspired Responsibility, and a finance and ethics expert, will use a principles-based framework to explore best practices and decision-making models for the cultivation of ethical leadership and the building of an ethical culture in the workplace. 9:20 a.m. to 10:10 a.m. CT

In the Business Strategy track, join HFMA Director of Content Strategy Brad Dennison and Senior Editor Paul Barr for the “Healthcare 2030” session, where they reveal insightful results from member surveys and provide a glimpse of what the future of healthcare will look like. 9:20 a.m. to 10:10 a.m. CT

Join OSF Healthcare System’s Jennifer Ulrich and Strata Decision Technology’s Scott Mason for “Leveraging Dynamic Planning on the Road to Financial Recovery.” Learn about an advanced financial planning process that involves forecasting to improve agility and close gaps, combined with performance management to drive accountability and continuous improvement. Making the switch to dynamic planning helped OSF leaders during the COVID-19 pandemic, and today the organization is leveraging a rolling forecast to plan for future case and volume surges. 2:40 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. CT

Nov. 10

Start today with the keynote presentation, “Lessons for the U.S. Healthcare System from a Washington Insider,” by David J. Shulkin, MD, ninth Secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Shulkin will share insights on lessons the private sector can learn from a government health system, unbound by third-party reimbursement. He will also provide an unbridled take on managing population health, enacting a wholistic approach to patient care and improving access for patients. 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. CT

In the Emerging Technology track, the “Building a Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Program with Telehealth Investment” will explore considerations for using telehealth to reach rural populations. The session will detail general principles of telehealth SUD programs and staffing and other considerations for developing a program. 10:30 a.m. to 11:20 a.m. CT

Join Humana’s Chase Dailey for “Specialty Bundles: Advancing Value-Based Care” for a review of a successful value-based approach to patient well-being. The session will explain how to leverage data analytics to align payers and specialists around high-value care pathways while removing unnecessary costs from the healthcare system. 11:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. CT

Hear ways your organization can impact healthcare costs by  leveraging investments and building a valuable M&A strategy as well as the value of benefits navigation in the “Rapid Fire Session: Strategies to Improve the Cost of Health.” Attendees will hear from representatives of several organizations about ways to balance investments to leverage liquidity, fuel revenue growth and seek higher returns. 1:30 p.m. to 2:20 p.m. CT

The “Rapid Fire Session: Leave No Stone Unturned — Opportunities in Specialty Areas of the Revenue Cycle” features revenue cycle case studies describing how providers have produced margin improvements, identified opportunities in pharmacy billing, implemented pre-bill chart reviews, and navigated probate, bankruptcy and complex claims. 2:40 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. CT