2010 Annual Conference -- April 12-14, 2010
(Plus, pre-Conference NAMSS certification prep courses April 10-11!)

Scroll down or click the links to read all about the Conference!

Conference Information
   Introductory Comments
   Location & Accommodations
   Hotel Parking
   Airlines & Ground Transportation
   Attire & Comfort
   Continuing Education Credits
   Exhibits
   Discounts & Scholarships
   Cancellation
   NAMSS Certification Preparation Workshops
      CPCS Certification Preparation Workshops
      CPMSM Certification Preparation Workshops
   Program & Schedule
   Optional NO-COST Treasure Hunt!
   Optional Additional-Fee Round-Table Breakfast
   "Proceedings" on USB Flash Drive
   Registration Fees
   Link to Online Registration
   Open PDF of Entire Program
   Exhibitor Prospectus! Yes, you SHOULD exhibit!
   Current Sponsors and Exhibitors!






Navigate Your Way to Success! --Go to top
The Texas Society for Medical Services Specialists (TSMSS) is providing you with a great opportunity to navigate a sea of change as you make your way to success in a stormy healthcare environment! Join your professional associates, friends, and colleagues April 12-14, 2010 for TSMSS' 33rd Annual Conference. Here's what awaits you in Corpus Christi:

*   An exceptional program of educational sessions at affordable prices;
*   The premier vendors of products and services for the profession; and
*   NAMSS NEW Certification Preparation Courses, designed explicitly to prepare you to take the CPCS and CPMSM exams.

Medical staff services professionals, managed care professionals, provider credentialing specialists, administrators, chiefs of staff, and other medical staff leaders are encouraged to attend the TSMSS Annual Conference and Exhibition. We encourage our fellow professionals from surrounding states to attend as well. If you are a member of your state's NAMSS affiliate, we will extend to you the TSMSS member rate as an expression of our support for your educational endeavors!

Location & Accommodations--Go to top
Corpus Christi and the Corpus Christi Omni Hotel
The Corpus Christi Omni Hotel on the downtown bay front will be the site of the Conference and Exhibition. The hotel is located in the Marina District, minutes from the U.S.S. Lexington, the Texas State Aquarium, and within walking distance of 30 restaurants. All guest rooms have views of the marina and/or bay. The Corpus Christi airport is approximately 8 miles (15 minutes) away.

A block of guest rooms are reserved for TSMSS at a discounted rate of $140 (single/double) plus 15% occupancy tax. To receive the discounted rate, call Omni Reservations at 1-800-THE-OMNI (1-800-843-6664) or call the hotel directly at 361-887-1600. You must identify that you will be attending the TSMSS Annual Conference to get the discounted rate. The hotel room reservation cut-off date is Monday, March 15, 2010; after that date, rooms will be available based solely on availability and may not be available at this special price. The hotel will honor the group rate three days prior and three days after the Conference dates, based on availability, an added benefit for those who want to enjoy pre or post conference fun in the sun!

Hotel Parking--Go to top
If you plan to drive your own car or rent a vehicle, covered parking is available at $9 per vehicle per day; valet parking is available at $15 per vehicle per day.

Airlines & Ground Transportation --Go to top
The three primary airlines serving Corpus Christi International Airport are Continental (Express), American (Eagle), and Southwest. Nonstop and direct flights from Houston and Dallas are available from early morning through late evening, and one-stop service is available from most major airports nationwide. American Airlines is offering 5% discount fares to Corpus Christi for travel between April 7 and 18, 2010. To book your reservations on American Airlines and American Eagle, call the Meeting Services Desk at 1-800-433-1790 ($20 additional fee will apply) or book online at www.aa.com (no additional fee). After selecting your flight(s), under the "Enter Passenger Details" tab, go to the "AA.com Discount Code" field and enter 4840AS.

Complimentary shuttle service is available to the Omni from Corpus Christi International Airport. A phone linked directly to the Omni is available in the baggage claim area; just pick it up and the Omni will answer.

Taxi Service is available from the Corpus Christi International Airport for approximately $24.

Attire and Comfort--Go to top
Business attire/business casual attire is appropriate for all educational sessions. Please remember that temperatures in hotel meeting rooms are seldom set at a level comfortable for all. We encourage you to bring a sweater or jacket in the event you become too cool.

Continuing Education--Go to top
Up to 19.0 CEUs have been requested for approval by NAMSS. Due to concurrent and optional sessions, earned hours may vary from attendee to attendee.

Exhibits--Go to top
Exhibiting companies will be showcasing their products and services to registrants on Monday and Tuesday. Our exhibitors are extremely important partners in the educational process and they offer the latest resources for medical staff services professionals...so you won't want to miss spending every available minute with them! Refreshment breaks will be served in the area and drawings for fabulous door prizes will be held in conjunction with the Exhibits. Almost three hours of dedicated time with exhibitors is included in the program.

Information on exhibit and sponsorship opportunities is available at www.tsmss.org or by contacting TSMSS at 972-755-2560 or by email: soliver@challenge-management.com or jswinburn@challenge-management.com.

Registration Discounts & Scholarships Available--Go to top
Reduced registration fees are available for additional personnel attending from the same hospital or facility. Registration fees will be discounted by $50 for the second and additional attendees. Registration forms must be completed for each registrant and full payment must accompany the forms. A portion of the non-member registration fees may be applied toward first-time new membership for 2010. Scholarship guidelines and an application form are available at www.tsmss.org.

Cancellation--Go to top
Cancellations received in the TSMSS office no later than March 22 will receive a refund minus a 20% administrative fee. After March 22, no refunds will be made, but a substitution from the same organization can be named. Replacement name(s) must be submitted to the TSMSS office prior to the Conference.

Medical Services Management (CPMSM) Certification Preparation Workshop--Go to top
The NAMSS Medical Services Management (CPMSM) Certification Preparation Workshop is a two-day interactive program designed to help you assess your knowledge of the CPMSM exam content and identify areas in which additional study is necessary before you take the exam. This comprehensive workshop provides a high-level overview of the exam topics including accreditation and regulatory compliance; management of the credentialing processes; privileging; medical staff services administration; risk management; information management; and medical staff services operations, reviewed from the perspective of a variety of health care settings including hospitals, managed care organizations, ambulatory care settings and CVOs. Participants will work through a series of interactive activities including scenario-based exercises and case studies supplemented with in-class learning facilitated by experienced NAMSS instructors. A key focus of the course is your development of a personalized study plan for post-workshop study and preparation to take the examination. The course includes pre-workshop preparation materials which you will need to complete prior to class and access to comprehensive supplementary resources to help you prepare for the exam.

Instructors: Kathy Matzka, CPMSM, CPCS, primary instructor, with Donna Goestenkors

Current Exhibitors and Sponsors
Please take time to express your appreciation for the support shown by our exhibitors and sponsors (sponsors shown in bold, below)! These companies support our profession by supplying the services, products, and resources we need to be effective...and they deserve our thanks for, in turn, supporting TSMSS and our members. Next time you are considering which companies to invite to bid on a product or project, think about who supported your own professional development event! These companies deserve our appreciation!

Exhibitors

• American Medical Association
• CACTUS Software
• CredentialSmart
• El Centro College
• Elsevier
• Gulf Coast Chapter of Medical Staff Professionals
• HealthLine Systems, Inc.
• Lott's of Art
• MD-Staff
• Medkinetics
• Millennium Laboratories
• Morrisey Associates, Inc.
• Person On Call, LLC
• PreCheck, Inc.
• Sante Center for Healing
• TalentWise
• TSMSS
• Vistar Technologies

Sponsors
Gold:

• Welcome Reception--Morrisey
• Welcome Reception--PreCheck, Inc.
• Awards Luncheon--CACTUS

Silver:

• Tuesday Breakfast--HealthLine Systems, Inc.

TSMSS Supporter:

• Hardenbergh Interim Staffing Group
• HCPro/The Greeley Company

2010 NAMSS Certification Preparation Courses Saturday, April 10 and Sunday, April 11 (Pre-Conference)

If you are planning to pursue NAMSS certification, you'll want to plan to take the appropriate NAMSS Certification Preparation Workshop! Each Workshop is approved for 14 Continuing Education (CE) credits.

Saturday, April 10 and Sunday, April 11 (9am to 5pm both days) for Workshops
Credentialing Specialist (CPCS) Certification Preparation Workshop--Go to top
The NAMSS Credentialing Specialist Certification Preparation Workshop is a two-day interactive program designed to help you assess your knowledge of the CPCS exam content and identify areas in which additional study is necessary before you take the exam. This comprehensive workshop provides a high-level overview of the exam topics including credentialing and privileging; primary source verification; compliance with standards; and medical staff services operations reviewed from the perspective of a variety of health care settings including hospitals, managed care organizations, ambulatory care settings and CVOs. Participants will work through a series of interactive activities including scenario-based exercises and case studies supplemented with in-class learning facilitated by experienced NAMSS instructors. A key focus of the course is your development of a personalized study plan for post-workshop study and preparation to take the examination. The course includes pre-workshop preparation materials which you will need to complete prior to class and access to comprehensive supplementary resources to help you prepare for the exam.

Instructors: Carol Cairns, CPMSM, CPCS, primary instructor, with Amy Neihaus

Conference Program--Go to top
Monday, April 12
7:00am	Registration
7:00am	Continental Breakfast
8:00am - 8:15am	Conference Welcome
8:15am - 9:45am	Keynote Presentation Destination Connection Linda Swindling, JD, CSP This fun and engaging event leverages the collaborative strength of others. Attendees are divided into cohesive mastermind teams which tap into the power of a network and promote individual success. In this session, you'll have fun and you'll learn…a LOT!
9:45am - 10:05am	Networking Refreshment Break
10:05am - 11:30am	General Session Walk, Talk & Negotiate Like A Chief Decision Maker Linda Swindling, JD, CSP Designed to help you increase your executive power and bulletproof your position. This program offers insight into the art of deal making with instruction on how to: speak so a CEO will hear you, ask outrageously, and how to determine if a deal is worth it.
11:30am - 12:40pm	Box Lunchn Various locations outside General Session room
12:40pm - 2:00pm	General Session Texas Medical Board Update Mari M. Robinson, JD This session will provide an overview of the rules and procedures relating to the disciplinary procedures of the Texas Medical Board.
2:00pm - 2:25pm	Refreshment Break with Exhibitors
2:25pm - 3:50pm	General Session Navigating Unknown Waters: Can Physician Performance Be Changed? Mary M. Bearden, JD This presentation will explore the use of written improvement plans and their effectiveness in changing physician performance. Whether the desired changes are clinical or behavioral, a written contract between a physician who is experiencing problems and a peer review committee is often an effective way to effectuate improvement. If not, the contract may serve as the basis for disciplinary or other action against a noncompliant physician. Communication alternatives and sample language for improvement plans will be provided in the presentation handout.
3:50pm - 4:05pm	Networking & 'Call the Office' Break
4:05pm - 5:30pm	General SessionTaking the Helm of FPPE & OPPE Panel, moderated by Kathy Matzka, CPMSM, CPCS; with panelists Mary M. Bearden, JD; Carol Cairns, CPMSM, CPCS; Richard C. Davis, MD, MSc; Debra Flores, RN, EdD, MBA Few Joint Commission standards have caused as much angst among Medical Staff Services professionals as OPPE and FPPE. In order to untangle the web of standards and perspectives, our panel discussion will provide insights into the differing perceptions of the roles and responsibilities of key players in this complex process. Our panel includes a physician, a quality improvement specialist, an attorney, and a medical staff services professional who will discuss and clarify what is needed to move your organization to compliance.
5:30pm - 7:00pm	Reception with Exhibitors
Tuesday, April 13--Go to top
7:00am	Registration
7:30am	Continental Breakfast
8:30am - 9:50am	Concurrent Session I Choices in Accreditation: What's Required & What's Not Carol Cairns, CPMSM, CPCS Hospitals now have additional choices in accrediting bodies. In addition to CMS, healthcare facilities can be accredited by The Joint Commission, Healthcare Facilities Accreditation Program, and DNV. This session will identify these accrediting bodies and will compare and contrast credentialing and privileging standards.
8:30am - 9:50am	Concurrent Session II Credentialing Basics Deborah K. Marré, CPMSM, CPCS The credentialing environment can be complex and difficult to understand but with a proper grounding in the "basics," you can quickly become comfortable with the scope and breadth of your role and come away with specific ideas and recommendations about how to perform it. In this session, we will touch on key Joint Commission and NCQA standards, explore the various credentialing environments, identify acceptable sources for verification of information, and understand how to identify and handle problematic issues.
9:50am - 10:30am	Refreshment Break with Exhibitors
10:30am - 11:50am	Concurrent Session I Traversing Section 1921 Regina Keegan This session will provide an overview of Section 1921 and its relationship to querying and reporting to the National Practitioner Data Bank and the Healthcare Integrity and Protection Data Bank.
10:30am - 11:50am	Concurrent Session II Managed Care Contracting - Could P4P or Meaningful Use Change the Landscape? Carol Gibbons, RN, BSN, NHA The passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) brought legislation to encourage physicians and hospitals to convert their paper processes to electronic transactions. This legislation will dramatically impact the number of physicians and hospitals that are utilizing electronic medical records (EMR/EHR) software. The challenges to operations and data collection are endless and could dramatically impact the criteria to participate in the most lucrative managed care products. What strategies can you implement in your practice to take advantage of new opportunities?
	Final Exhibits - drawings
12:30pm - 1:45pm	Awards Luncheon All Conference attendees are invited and encouraged to attend the Annual Awards and Installation Luncheon. Award recipients will be introduced and honored. This year, we've made changes that we think you'll like! We're minimizing the talking heads and making it fun for everyone!
1:45pm - 2:00pm	Networking &'Call the Office' Break
2:00pm - 3:30pm	General SessionHot Topics in Credentialing and Privileging Kathy Matzka, CPMSM, CPCS The field of provider credentialing and privileging is constantly changing due to the evolution of accreditation standards, state and federal regulations and new legal precedents. Thrown into this the many differences in interpretation and you end up with a job that is "challenging" to say the least! This program will provide an overview of current "hot topics" in credentialing and privileging including a discussion of recent changes in accreditation standards, and negligent credentialing.
3:30pm - 4:00 pm	Networking Beverage Break
4:00pm - 5:20pm	General Session Storm Season: Regulatory Initiatives and Piloting Rough Water Derek Kang, JD Regulatory initiatives, changes and enforcement are causing waves and organizations are trying to navigate through rough water. Learn to pilot your organization through the fog! This session is intended to provide an overview of enforcement initiatives and strategies for preparation and management of issues.
7:00pm - 9:00pm	Treasure Hunt! (Optional Event-no charge!) Fun Networking Opportunity!!! Join the TSMSS Board for a Treasure Hunt. This is a great way to get to know other conference attendees and have a lot of fun at the same time. Teams will be randomly drawn prior to starting and then it's off to find as many items as you can in 2 hours. The final destination will be a local restaurant for more networking opportunities. The winning team will receive a prize! There is no charge for this event and all conference attendees are welcome to participate. Bring your comfy walking shoes and a digital camera or cell phone camera (one team member on each team must have a digital camera or camera on their cell phone).
Wednesday, April 14--Go to top
7:00am	Registration
7:30am	Breakfast on Your Own OR
7:30 am - 8:20 am	Optional Round Table Breakfast (preregistration required; additional fee; additional CEU) Enjoy a hot delicious "sit-down" breakfast while you share vital tips, ideas, and "tricks of the trade" with your peers! There will be special topics for all medical staff professional environments. An easy way to earn an additional CEU!
8:20am - 8:30am	Networking & 'Call the Office' Break
8:30am - 10:00am	General Session Emotional Intelligence Bob Scott In this session, Bob will give his amusing and thought-provoking look at Emotional Intelligence (or lack thereof) and how the loss of our impulse control can make the smartest of people look really, really stupid. Based upon the research of Dr. Daniel Goleman, participants will learn the art of improving their life's success by improving their emotional intelligence.
10:00am - 10:30am	Networking Refreshment Break
10:30am - 12:00pm	General Session Texas Legislative Update Representative John Zerwas, MD Healthcare is an ever-increasing part of the issues facing the Texas Legislature. Today, it consumes one-third of the State's biennial budget. This presentation will review some of the healthcare issues of the 81st General Session and also will address some of the interim charges.
12:00pm - 12:15pm -	General Session Conference Wrap-Up

Conference Proceedings on USB--Going Green!

TSMSS is pleased to continue last year's decision to support environmental responsibility by providing the educational session handouts and materials on a USB flash drive. At check-in, all registrants will receive a USB flash drive instead of a printed Proceedings. A printed program and schedule of Conference events will be distributed, as well. At least one week prior to the Conference in Corpus Christi, session handouts will be available on the TSMSS website. You may print the materials for the sessions you plan to attend prior to arrival or bring your laptop to view the materials during the session (please note, though, that hotel meeting rooms rarely have many electrical plugs, so you will need to plan to have your laptop fully charged prior to attending each session). The Omni Hotel's business center may also be available for you to print from your USB flash drive, but their standard printing and business center use fees will apply. If you would like to receive a printed copy of the proceedings, you must indicate your preference to receive the printed copy (additional fee of $25 for Members or $45 for nonmembers). Your order must be placed in ADVANCE, by March 22.

Speakers

Bearden	Cairns	Davis	Flores	Gibbons
Marré	Matzka	Robinson	Swindling	Zerwas

TSMSS Conference Registration Fees

TSMSS Conference	TSMSS Members*		Nonmembers
	Before 3/22	After 3/22	Before 3/22	After 3/22
Full Conference (Mon., Tues., and Wed.)	$395	$420	$455	$480
Monday Only	$225	$245	$285	$305
Tuesday Only	$255	$280	$315	$340
Wednesday Only	$160	$170	$220	$230
Wednesday Table Topic Breakfast*	$15	$17	$20	$22
Printed proceedings**	$25	$45	$25	$45

*The Table Topic Breakfast is optional and is NOT included in Conference Registration.
** All registrants will receive a flash drive with the proceedings; if you wish to have a printed copy, you must order it in advance, using this form.

NAMSS Certification Workshop Fees
Please note. No on-site registration will be taken for NAMSS Certification Preparation Workshops.

NAMSS Workshopse	NAMSS Members*		Nonmembers
	Before 3/22	After 3/22	Before 3/22	After 3/22
Certification Preparation Workshop (CPW) Plus Conference	$819	$894	$879	$954
CPW Only	$489	$539	$589	$639
CPW plus Monday	$624	$694	$684	$754
CPW plus Tuesday	$644	$719	$704	$779
CPW plus Wednesday	$549	$609	$633	$669