HomeTown Health, a network of rural hospitals and partners throughout the Southeast United States, held its 23rd Annual Spring Conference April 12 - 14, 2023 at the Jekyll Island Convention Center in Jekyll Island, Georgia.
CUMMING, Ga., April 24, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- HomeTown Health, a network of rural hospitals and partners throughout the Southeast United States, held its 23rd Annual Spring Conference April 12 - 14, 2023 at the Jekyll Island Convention Center in Jekyll Island, Georgia. The event brings together key rural healthcare stakeholders, rural hospital leaders and staff, industry experts, business partners and educational experts who share a commitment to the sustainability of rural healthcare.
"The purpose of this conference is to discuss lessons learned, best practices and ways that we as rural healthcare providers can continue to grow through shared financial and operational solutions. Together, we explore innovative ways to continue to work together while broadening and supporting our knowledge of industry-impacting legislation, activity and regulations. It is our goal to help rural healthcare not only survive but thrive in the rural communities that our members call home," shares Kristy Thomson, COO of HomeTown Health.
As a certified educational provider by the Georgia Rural Health Innovation Center, the conference kicked off providing Hospital Board & Leadership training for board members serving in rural hospital boards across the state of Georgia. HomeTown is one of two approved programs within the state offering this mandated training to ensure board members are well-equipped to lead and serve their healthcare organizations with a robust understanding of the complexities of healthcare and healthcare leadership.
The conference continued with workshops providing training related to Trauma Informed Care in Post-Acute Populations with Kerry Dunning, Medical Malpractice & Nuclear Verdicts with Inspirien, as well as a closed session for participants in the Georgia Small Hospital Improvement Program (SHIP). The first day of conference rounded out with a Town Hall for Florida attendees as well as a revenue cycle breakout session led by Sandy Sage of the HomeTown team, with guest speaker Hassan Arain, Business Development & Market Performance Director of Anthem East Region.
Day two of the conference included rural health industry updates from HomeTown Health CEO Jimmy Lewis, legal updates from Michele Madison at Morris, Manning & Martin, succession planning education from the Caldwell Butler team, and a legislative update with Chairman Matt Hatchett and Chairman Butch Parrish of the Georgia House of Representatives. The afternoon Town Hall meeting featured insights from Lynnette Rhodes, Esq. who serves as the Executive Director of Medical Assistance Plans for the Georgia Department of Community Health. Rhodes was recently voted president-elect (vice chair) of the National Association of Medicaid Directors (NAMD) board for 2023 and is slated to serve as president of the board in 2024. Rhodes shared insights on Medicaid unwinding and its impacts on covered patients as well as healthcare organizations.
The conference concluded on Friday morning with a training session on financial best practices with Bubba Joiner of Draffin Tucker and a national rural health update form Alan Morgan, CEO of the National Rural Health Association. Morgan shared valuable statistics and insights on the status of rural health and rural health patient outcomes nationwide, rural workforce impacts from COVID-19, as well as Congressional updates that impact rural healthcare facilities.
"The caliber of the education provided in this conference and the opportunity to have so many vested rural health partners in the room, sharing best practices, updating us on relevant need-to-know information is of utmost importance to our rural healthcare facilities survival. HomeTown Health is proud to work with great advocates for rural health at the local, state and federal level, and we are grateful for the rural healthcare teams who make attendance and participation a priority each year," says Jimmy Lewis, CEO. "It is our goal to ensure a quality training event that is impactful for every attendee, and we couldn't do it without those who sponsor, speak and share their expertise and experience."
Media Contact
Jimmy Lewis, HomeTown Health, LLC, 470-655-6950, [email protected]
SOURCE HomeTown Health, LLC
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