PrimeFare Annual Seminar: The Little Show that Grew

It is no surprise to the PrimeCare O&P Network that its seminar has grown. In an industry where continuing education opportunities are few and geographically far between, there was a genuine need for an accredited educational O&P seminar strategically located in the mid-South, noted the network.

But what is not merely surprising, but astonishing, is the explosive growth of this event, which has evolved from a tiny ten-vendor meeting in two hotel meeting rooms to a 30-plus vendor Nashville, Tennessee, Convention Center extravaganza that now offers five concurrent educational tracks totaling 56-plus hours of credits, with more than 40 separate sessions presented by a faculty of experts and industry leaders. In just five years since the seminar's inception, PrimeFare has become recognized as one of the top five "must-attend" national shows and meetings vendors add to their annual list, said one respected industry representative.

PrimeFare's phenomenal growth has continued despite a major setback: The third annual PrimeFare was originally scheduled for September 14-15, 200l, and had to be cancelled with less than three days' notice, due to the 9-11 terrorist attack that left airlines grounded and the nation in shock.

Absorbing the loss and redoubling efforts to reorganize and reschedule, PrimeCare successfully presented the delayed seminar, with a freshly updated program of topical sessions, on May 31-June 1, 2002. Since then, seminars continue to be scheduled annually during the late May-early June period, which presents fewer conflicts with other O&P events.

Secrets of Success What's the secret? What has fueled this unstoppable momentum? Can it be bottled and shared?

PrimeCare O&P Network President Catherine Griffith attributes the seminar's success to the same tenets on which the network itself was built: being proactive and responsive to those you serve. "It's good to identify a need and respond quickly to answer it; it's even better to anticipate and fill the need before it becomes critical," said Griffith. Surveys completed by PrimeFare seminar attendees and presenters are taken very seriously; statistics and comments are carefully analyzed and discussed with an eye to future seminar improvements, Griffith explained.

The PrimeCare Network keeps its fingers on the pulse of the industry throughout the year as well, through such venues as a recent blind survey of O&P providers-including both PrimeCare members and non-network members. Returned results indicated that providers' primary concerns are gaining recognition and building good relations with referral sources, negotiating MCO contracts at acceptable rates, and resolving reimbursement issues-information PrimeCare uses not only to better serve its members' needs, but in designing the content of the PrimeFare seminar curriculum, said Griffith. The decision to add a new pedorthic track and a new technician workshop to this year's seminar was fueled by a growing number of requests from O&P providers and business owners, Griffith said.

Already, pre-registration for PrimeFare 2004 is off the charts compared to advance registration in preceding years, said Griffith, commenting several months in advance of the upcoming June 3-5 event. "We're anticipating an attendance of over 150 this year; but who knows? We've already had to make adjustments to our reserved space plans in order to accommodate the greater interest that has already been generated."

PrimeCare Network research also revealed growing concerns and confusion in a number of administrative and O&P business management areas. Since administrators and managers who have been in the business for a number of years have seen many changes and developed successful responses and solutions, PrimeFare has also added an administrative round table featuring a panel of experienced administrative heads and facility managers, prepared to field questions and share their own solutions to problem issues.

"To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time such an opportunity has been offered for administrators, owners, and managers of O&P facilities to pool their knowledge and experience in an open forum for the benefit of all," Griffith said. "This offering is very much in the spirit of PrimeCare, which was itself created to benefit all of its members by sharing their combined skills, knowledge, and collective negotiating power.

"We have recently introduced a mentoring program that helps new owners of accredited O&P facilities who are just getting started in the business," she continued. "As Network members, they can consult an older, experienced, and successful business owner for advice concerning problem issues-confident that they're not revealing a weakness to a business competitor-and that they will receive information and recommendations from a source they can trust. This is the kind of philosophy that contributes to a stronger, healthier O&P industry overall."

Golf Tourney The Ronney Snell Memorial Golf Meet will be held June 3, 2004, at Nashville's Springhouse Golf Club, kicking off the seminar. Last year's tournament raised $2,700 for the O&P Assistance Fund (OPAF), donated in memory of Ronney Snell.

Registration information and a complete agenda of PrimeFare course offerings are available by calling 888.388.5243, or visiting www.primecareop.com

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Related posts:

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