The first time I wrote this column was for the inaugural issue of JUCM in October 2006. Today I could reflect on how much has changed around us, yet how much has stayed the same, but you know…no one really cares about what’s happened since 2006.
What we really care about is today, and tomorrow. What’s happening right NOW, and what’s going to happen NEXT. And that’s the inspiration for the 2020 Convention.
Yep, I’m using my guest spot in the CEO column to talk about UCA2020, because we’d like to blow the lid off the Convention this year and it’s going to be amazing. It’s already the biggest and best, but can we push it to 1,000 people? I think we can. #BHAGs!*
In the brochure we’ve claimed an “almost completely different” gathering, but what does that mean?
Our Keynotes and General Sessions are all about disruption, reframing, and deployment and feature out-of-the-box thinkers, from inside and outside healthcare.
Our PreConvention courses are also all new:
- Suturing and Splinting provided in collaboration with Master Clinicians
- End-to-End Patient Experience featuring experts from the Studer Group, Solv and Experity
- The Only Marketing Workshop You’ll Ever Need featuring urgent care marketing thought leaders and innovators
- Clinic Startup Reinvented for the realities of opening a new center or expanding in 2020
- Accreditation Workshop to discover how to obtain or maintain UCA Accreditation
Our Main Convention “tracks” break into four options (mix and match as you like):
- The (Not so) Usual Clinical track featuring the team from HIPPO Education (UC Rap and UC Bootcamp), live demos, ECG courses, ophthalmology with Will Flanery, MD (also known as Dr. Glaucomflecken), best care for LGBTQ patients in urgent care, and more
- The Tools, Pediatrics and Patients track features five pediatric sessions from Children’s Mercy Hospital UC experts, travel medicine with Dr. Donald Herip, point-of-care ultrasound with Will Gluckman, DO, MBA, FACEP, CPE, FCUCM, and a world without antibiotics from author Maryn McKenna
- NOW: Operational Excellence focuses on the nuts and bolts of running a successful urgent care today. Sessions (with many new speakers) include better onboarding, financial modeling for new services, revenue cycle oversight, regulatory changes, and more. Most count for our CUCMP designation, and also include bonus content postconvention for all attendees
- NEXT: Advanced Innovations takes us into the future of strategy development, provider engagement, emerging technologies, care models and payment mechanisms, leadership, hospitality, marketing, and the next wave of mergers and acquisitions. This track’s format has lots of interaction and not much PowerPoint—we’ll even have a group “hackathon” on urgent care’s biggest challenges.
Lastly, it’s just going to be tons of fun (even if you are an introvert like me). Seeing old friends, making new connections, celebrations, games, giving back, splurging a little, dancing, hanging out in the new quiet room, staying up late and getting up early anyway, prizes, and surprises.
With all of that, I’m pretty sure we are going to hit 1,000—we’re already well on the way. Come join me.
*Big hairy audacious goals
Lou Ellen Horwitz is a UCA Board Member and UCA2020 Convention program chair.