In new format, members and suppliers meet together
Vizient will bring together members and suppliers in one place (the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas) for the Spring Connections Summit, May 1-3. In prior years, Vizient held two separate Summits in the spring – one for members, one for suppliers. The events were back to back with an overlap day during which members and suppliers shared sessions. “However, through attendee feedback, we learned that this networking time hasn’t been adequate,” says Jan Tankersley, vice president, event strategy, marketing and planning for Vizient Inc. “In 2018, we are integrating the events and changing the name to the Vizient Connections Summit.”
The first day will feature breakout meetings in which hospitals with similar characteristics or goals can come together to share how they are addressing challenges, explains Tankersley. There will also be networking opportunities for suppliers to meet with Vizient teams. The day will close with a reception for all attendees.
On day two, the opening general session will feature a keynote speaker and another series of networking opportunities for suppliers and members. The day will also include recognition of suppliers for achievements in distribution service excellence, participation in specific Vizient supplier programs and recognizing the national account manager of the year.
The third and final day of the Summit will be focused on education for both members and suppliers through a series of “rapid fire” presentations on key industry topics, trends and case studies, says Tankersley.
“We believe the new format will afford members and suppliers more opportunity to network and share innovative ideas on how to best address the challenges facing the healthcare industry today.
“A few of the topics at our Connections Summit in the spring will include how to best affect clinical outcomes through the use of data, how to best lower costs and improve quality of care, how to manage during this time of uncertainty in healthcare reform, and strategies to address rising pharmacy costs and specialty drugs.”
Vizient’s fall Connections Summit – including the Innovative Technology Exchange – will be held at the Wynn/Encore Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, Oct. 1-4, 2018.