Secure management approval

If the first challenge is getting a manager’s approval, our advice is not to just ask, but instead to build your case. List the reasons why it would be good for you to attend, whether it’s sessions that address risks your organization faces, a chance to meet with vendors who have a solution you need, or to get CEUs to maintain your certification. Be sure to make the case as to how it will add value to your compliance effort.

To help, the HCCA has a template you can use. Just look at the “Manager Approval Letter” (http://www.compliance-institute.org/About/Pricing.aspx) on the CI 2018 Website: (www.compliance-institute.org).

Business cards

Next, be sure you have an adequate supply of business cards, and make sure to put them in your suitcase or briefcase. It is remarkable how many people forget to bring them each year.

Whether you’re networking with people at the meeting or want to enter a drawing with a vendor or get more information, a business card remains one of the best tools out there.

Picking your sessions

Third, figure out what you need to learn at the meeting. There are two basic strategies you can follow.

Strategy one is to go through the agenda and look at each session to figure out which ones best align with your challenges; then circle the important sessions and build out an agenda. And, if you’re going with a group of colleagues, it’s best to compare your agendas and then, if you see overlaps and conflicts, divide and conquer.

Strategy two is to take advantage of the 11 tracks offered:

• General Compliance/Hot Topics

• Long-Term Care

• Privacy & IT Compliance

• Physician Compliance

• Compliance Lawyer

• Auditing & Monitoring

• Internal Audit

• How To Succeed as a Compliance Professional

• Quality of Care

• Advanced Discussion Groups

• Industry Immersion

Follow a track from start to finish to take a deep dive into a topic of interest to you. And, don’t feel that if you pick a track, you have to stay on it. If there’s a session on a different track you want to explore, you are more than welcome to attend.

Also, note that the Advanced Discussion Groups are a completely different style of learning. Each of these sessions emphasizes discussion, with the session moderator there to facilitate a conversation, not stand in front of the room with slides and a presentation.

Each Advanced Discussion Group is limited to just 50 attendees, making them highly interactive experiences. Just be sure to get to these sessions early. They are seated on a first-come, first-served basis.

Print out the handouts

If you are someone who likes to have a copy of the slides in front of you while you listen to the sessions, print them out in advance. You’ll find them on the Compliance Institute website in the For Attendees section.

Download the CI app

Just search for HCCA Mobile in Google Play or the App Store to find the app. Inside you’ll find a wealth of resources in the palm of your hand. There’s everything from the agenda to maps, and it’s all designed to make navigating the meeting easier.

Book your travel

Finally, one piece of pre-conference logistics: Book your flight and hotel early. We have a limited number of rooms available at ARIA at a special HCCA rate. Don’t end up having to make the trek from another, possibly more expensive hotel. Book your room as early as possible, and remember to do so according to the instructions on the Compliance Institute website.

One warning: If you get an email or call from anyone saying that they will help you with bookings, don’t believe them. There are scam artists out there. Only book following the instructions on the HCCA website.

Once that’s done, it’s time to move on to Phase 2.