VGM Takes 2020 Heartland Conference Virtual

Redubbed Heartland At Home, the move was made to address COVID-19 concerns. The event will run as a virtual conference from June 15 to July 10 and will be free to VGM members.

• By David Kopf
• Apr 22, 2020

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, VGM & Associates has reformatted its annual Heartland Conference to run as a online conference now named Heartland At Home that will run from June 15 to July 10.

Originally slated for June 15 to 17 as a conference and expo at its traditional location, the Five Sullivan Brothers Convention Center in Waterloo, Iowa, COVID-19 required VGM to reengineer the event as a four-week virtual conference that emphasizes education and connecting providers.

“Our goal first and foremost is to keep our guests, our employees and our community safe,” said Sarah Conger, VGM’s vice president of events and corporate projects and Heartland Conference chairperson. “Heartland At Home allows VGM members to get the same great education they know from attending previous Heartland Conferences, except this year it’ll be in the comfort of their own homes.”

In terms of registration, VGM will fully reimburse attendees that already registered for the original June 15-17 Heartland Conference. Also, VGM will let its members attend Heartland At Home at no cost as a member-exclusive benefit.

In terms of format, one day during each of the Heartland At Home’s four weeks will feature a session from five tracks:

• Billing and reimbursement
• Rehab
• Business operations and leadership
• Respiratory
• Accessibility

VGM will release a final schedule and open registration on May 4. Those that register are eligible for CEUs and contact hours.

The conference will also feature Heartland Hangout, which are virtual roundtables dedicated to each track where attendees can discuss best practices, challenges and success. 

The ability to meet and connect with peers as well as attend educational sessions are two major draws for VGM’s Heartland Conference, so the virtual event has focused on delivering those two components, said Clint Geffert, president of VGM & Associates.

“I’ll admit it, moving Heartland online was a tough decision to make,” Geffert said. “But I can say with confidence that everyone at VGM is committed to making Heartland At Home an incredibly special experience for all of our attendees.”