A Spring Break to Remember

By Terry L. Bucknall, CRA

I’m so excited to have the honor of chairing AHRA’s 2015 Spring Conference “Spring Break,” to be held March 31- April 2 in fabulous Lake Buena Vista, FL at the Disney Coronado Springs Resort. With affordable room rates and amenities, including complimentary round trip transportation from the airport and Disney properties, you will want to bring the whole family.

We have some special treats planned, and for the very first time at a Spring or Fall Conference, through the generosity of our meeting sponsor GE Healthcare, a keynote speaker will kick off the meeting. Our honored speaker, Timothy Trysla, Esq, Partner at Alston & Bird LLP, will address the group on a very hot topic: Understanding Radiology Reimbursement & Cost Reporting Policy in the Age of Integration and Cost Containment Pressure. Mr. Trysla has had extensive experience working on healthcare policy and advocating adequate payment for imaging as well as serving as a health policy advisor for the House of Representatives and as a senior advisor at CMS.

The Design Team, along with our conference planners and the AHRA staff (with a special shout out to Mike Suddendorf), has put together an array of speakers and topics that will be of interest to everyone.

The all-day CRA Exam Workshop will be held on Tuesday, March 31 and our very own experts, Luann Culbreth, Sheila Sferrella, and Maureen Firth will lead our future CRAs in a lively and informative day of CRA test preparation. This workshop is highly recommended for anyone planning to take the CRA exam. It will provide you with an overview of the material covered on the exam and will allow you to pinpoint areas where you might need to do a little more studying.

The Basic Track, designed for our newer imaging leaders, also begins on March 31, and runs through April 2. The Basic Track is presented by seasoned imaging administrators and offers a detailed overview of everything a new leader needs to know.

The Advanced Track begins on April 1 and has a variety of sessions that will appeal to everyone. Attendees will be treated to a return visit to AHRA by Mike Holland, who gave a standing-room only presentation on Lean Six Sigma at the 2014 Annual Meeting. You don’t want to miss this presentation.

The Design Team is planning some fun activities for attendees, and it all starts with the “Thrill Seeker Contest,” going on now. Check the website weekly to play to win a $250 Disney parks gift card. Leading up to the conference, a new Disney trivia question will be posted every Monday. For each correct answer submitted, you will be entered into the drawing. Anyone can play, but you must be registered for the Spring Conference by March 25 to be eligible to win.

All of us on the design team (John J. Beall, Sandra M. Edson, Doug Sprague, Tricia W. Trammell, Laurence A. Weinreich, and myself) plan on showcasing our generous vendors and making this a conference you’ll always remember. We hope to see you on “Spring Break!”

Terry L. Bucknall, CRA is the 2015 AHRA Spring Conference design team chair and the director of women’s imaging at Sheila R. Veloz Breast Imaging Center in Valencia, CA. She can be reached at bucknalltl@henrymayo.com.