Attendees mingle while participating in an icebreaker activity. Photograph couresty of OPIE Con.
The first-ever OPIE Con-a Futura and OPIE Software user conference and training event-convened at the Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center, Atlanta, May 14-16. The theme was “Come Together. Get Energized. Push Your Practice to New Heights.”
Five educational tracks were offered: a three-day intensive administrative and compliance training; a billing training complete with an on-site computer lab; a three-day intensive clinical course that covered tips and tricks for the clinical paradigm, the importance of data and how to collect and utilize it, establishing meaningful goals, creating justification templates, and more; a three-day intensive Futura track; and a one-day OPIE Software immersion kick-starter program.
The event also featured Peter Thomas, JD, and Kelley Hundt, MBA, as the two keynote speakers. Thomas spoke on “The Changing World of Healthcare and Where O&P Fits in the Future.” He is a principal with the Washington-based law firm of Powers, Pyles, Sutter & Verville; has been a legislative and regulatory advocate for more than 20 years on behalf of healthcare and post-acute care providers as well as consumers with injuries, illnesses, disabilities, and chronic conditions; and serves as general counsel for the National Association for the Advancement of Orthotics and Prosthetics. Hundt, who specializes in the healthcare industry and implementing lean principles to improve processes, spoke on “Empowering Staff to Make Positive and Lasting Changes in Your Practice.” She is a manufacturing systems project manager at the Georgia Institute of Technology Enterprise Innovation Institute.
Attendees also had the opportunity to collaborate and connect with colleagues. For example, during the morning keynote, time was set aside for a variety of activities, from icebreakers to the creation of action items to take back to the office. In addition, each day ended with a reception, during which time conference goers could mingle on a more casual level and meet new colleagues.
