With some adjustments, the Federation of American Hospitals Conference and Business Exposition has continued to give provider and supplier communities an opportunity to interact amid the pandemic.
February 2022 – The Journal of Healthcare Contracting
By Pete Mercer
When the coronavirus hit in early 2020, the U.S. was faced with a lot of uncertainty and no rulebook to help people and businesses make safe and informed decisions. Business conferences across all industries came to a screeching halt, forcing a creative approach to live conferences through virtual portals and online hangouts. Even though modern tools and technology proved to be a unique solution to a dynamic problem, it is hard to replicate the value of meeting in-person.
As live events and conferences have slowly come back in the past year, business leaders have had to implement several changes to ensure the safety of the attendees and the overall success of the event. The Federation of American Hospitals Conference and Business Exposition, one of the health industry’s leading events, is returning this year to continue the tradition of giving members of the provider and supplier communities an opportunity to interact and conduct business while participating in continuing education programs.
“We were really fortunate to have one of the last meetings in 2020 and in 2021,” Kerry Price, Senior Vice President, Operations, of the Federation of American Hospitals said. “After careful consideration and feedback from our attendees, in 2021 we changed the date to June 6-8 (traditionally held in March) and relocated from our usual home of Washington, DC to Nashville, Tennessee. We adhered to the current CDC COVID-19 guidelines and had a very successful meeting with more than 1,000 attendees. The FAH was one of the last in-person meetings in 2020 and one of the first in 2021!”
Navigating healthcare and business
For this year’s conference, the Federation is addressing the biggest challenge that healthcare has faced for the past two years. Price said, “The theme and topics for the 2021 conference centered around the pandemic, its impact, and how we are doing business differently.” The healthcare industry was hit hardest by the pandemic, which should provide fruitful conversations about how healthcare companies and hospitals can be better prepared in the future.
Just like before, this event gives suppliers an opportunity to meet directly with representatives from GPOs and IDNs. Federation said the conference will host approximately 90% of the buying power in the healthcare industry in one location, while featuring high-quality educational workshops that are designed to address current issues surrounding national accounts, capital equipment, pharmaceuticals, purchased services, and the supply chain. According to the FAH, “many companies are utilizing the FAH Business Exposition as their first quarter, and in some cases their second quarter, travel budget.”
Leaders in government, the business community, and the media will share their unique insights into the challenges of COVID-19 and what is being done to recover and navigate healthcare and business in the middle of a global pandemic. Additionally, attendees will hear about the experiences and challenges faced by those who manage the government programs that are critical to the healthcare industry.
The FAH will also recognize leaders and supply chain heroes for their work to support the healthcare industry and ensuring that hospitals are equipped with the tools they need to treat patients. “We also launched the Heartbeat of Healthcare Supply Chain Award at the Conference, which is an industry wide recognition program designed to spotlight the supply chain unsung heroes, who stepped up during the pandemic, but will continue annually, to recognize our supply chain heroes,” Price said.
Changes to the conference
Conferences and live events may never look the same. With the state of the pandemic continuing to evolve and change, the Federation has had to make some adjustments to improve the safety for anyone who attends.
“For 2022, we will require vaccinations and adhere to recommended CDC guidelines,” Price explained. “I think we will always be more mindful of cleanliness, and we have always made our attendees’ health and well-being a top priority. We have also realized how important it is to continue to hold in-person meetings and will always strive to make this happen.”
The challenges of live events going forward could change drastically, so flexibility is a crucial part of the process. Even with all the plans in place to mitigate any COVID-related complications, Price said she understands that having a contingency plan is better than not being prepared for a worst-case scenario. “We were so fortunate to have in-person meetings in 2020 and 2021; however, if we needed to, we would have found a way to connect virtually,” Price said. “2022 will hopefully continue to build on what we learned in 2020 and 2021, find a way to keep people together in-person while protecting the health and well-being of our attendees.”
The 2022 FAH Conference and Business Exposition will be held March 6-8, at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C.