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MED Hosts Respiratory Conference in San Antonio
SAN ANTONIO, Texas — At The MED Group’s annual respiratory conference, Kelly Riley, director of the National Respiratory Network, urged attendees to make sure they got their money’s worth at the conference. “The theme of this is ROI — return on investment,” she said.
To help providers achieve a high ROI at the conference, sessions were packed with accreditation tips, legal and expert advice on home sleep testing and reimbursement issues, and networking opportunities.
On Day 1, Vianna Zimbel, BS, RCP, RRT, and accreditation consultant, discussed ways providers could get “blindsided” on initial on-site surveys and re-surveys. She urged attendees to pay special attention to state regulations and state board of respiratory care requirements.
On Day 2, providers rotated through 11 roundtables for one-on-one discussions with experts, including Jeff Baird, an attorney with Brown & Fortunato; MED’s Vice President of Government Relations Don Clayback; and Dr. Thomas Speer, a fellow of the American Association of Sleep Medicine.
During the roundtables, The MED Group announced the launch of its new Certified Repair Centers educational program for respiratory.
“The game is changing,” said Dick Fuller, director of MED Certified Repair Centers. As a result, providers have a strong incentive to repair respiratory equipment — specifically concentrators, given the transfer of title mandate.
The program, which kicks off this month, will mirror the MED rehab CRC program. Technicians move through three levels of certification: bronze, silver and gold. The bronze level offers general information on customer service, safety and equipment. Silver certification includes specific technical information on concentrators and compressors, repair, maintenance, diagnostics and theory of operation, plus courses on respiratory illnesses. Technicians earning gold certification will attend a four-day, regional Technical Training Seminar for hands-on learning and brand specific comparisons. MED membership is required for participation.
In all, 112 respiratory members attended the show, representing 32 states and 70 HME companies.
