If there is a unifying theme for the Healthcare Financial Management Association's 2011 Annual National Institute (ANI), it could best be described as "value," according to HFMA Technical Director Todd Nelson.
"That is an issue that we have been focusing on now and in the past--the notion of value in healthcare and delivery value," Nelson told FierceHealthFinance. "How do you deliver high-quality, low-cost care? That is really the theme of the conference, and it ties in nicely with the reform information and regulations currently coming out."
However, value isn't a new proposition for HFMA. "We've been telling our members since at least the mid-2000s, if you can be a value provider, you'll be able to survive what happens with healthcare reform," Nelson said.
The HFMA ANI itself has survived one of the biggest recent eroders of the bottom line: the Great Recession. According to Nelson, the projected attendance will be about 4,900, much the same as last year's conference. However, 2009 had experienced a moderate drop in attendance.
While the conference is the leading opportunity for healthcare finance executives to meet and network, it also provides a learning experience for HFMA staff, enabling them to anticipate what the issues and needs of their membership will be for the coming months.
"It's a great learning experience for us. It really stretches our brains," Nelson noted.
For more:
- visit the HFMA ANI website