Annual Conference

This year’s conference is focused on the safety net almost a year into Medicaid expansion. We’ll share insights and trends on how the changing landscape of healthcare has impacted free clinics -- how they operate, the care they provide, and the type of patients they serve.

Join us in Harrisonburg, Virginia for our 2019 Annual Conference, the premier educational and networking meeting for Virginia’s free and charitable clinics and their safety net partners and advocates. The event will be held at the Hotel Madison & Shenandoah Valley Conference Center, situated on the edge of the James Madison University and a five minute walk to downtown. This year's attendees can expect to learn, share, and network with peers from across the Commonwealth. Workshop tracks have been developed to accommodate a variety of attendees:

• Patient Care Track - ideal for clinical staff and volunteers, program directors, etc. 
• Resource Development Track - ideal for development and communication staff and volunteers
• Expanding Care Track - ideal for clinical and administrative staff and volunteers
• Operations Track - ideal for clinic executives and board leadership  

We are anticipating over 100 attendees this year and look forward to seeing you there!

CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

Sunday, November 17  

1:30-4:00pm: Annual Meeting (members only)
5:30-6:30pm: Welcome Reception presented by Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association
6:30-8:30pm: Annual Banquet: A Celebration of the Safety Net presented by Virginia Association of Health Plans
The annual banquet will bring safety net providers together in celebration – honoring patients, providers, and partners while spotlighting the critical role free and charitable clinics have played and continue to play in providing quality health care to Virginia’s most vulnerable citizens.
 

Monday, November 18

7:30-8:45: Breakfast presented by Aetna Better Health
9:00-10:15am: Breakout Session One

• Customizing Care Plans Based on Social Determinants of Health with Rachel Sposito (​Patient Care Track)
  • ​​In previous conference sessions, we have discussed the organizational benefits of identifying and tracking Social Determinant data. This session will build on that knowledge but shift focus to the individual patients that you serve. By helping patients overcome their barriers to care, helping the care team shift from a prescriptive approach to an inclusive approach and by communicating effectively across the team, patient and provider goals can be more readily achieved. 
• Fundraising 101: An Introduction to Successful Fundraising with Kathy Liang (Resource Development Track)
  • Presented by the University of Richmond's Institute on Philanthropy, this fast-paced fundamental workshop focuses on the basic elements of fundraising & philanthropy and the role of development in a nonprofit organization. This workshop reviews major areas of fundraising, including: major, planned, and annual giving; capital campaigns; policies; finance; marketing; and many other topics. Part one of a comprehensive learning experience with sessions that build on each other and are designed to accommodate participants with little to no fundraising experience all the way up to more advanced development professionals.
• Asking the Source: Why Safety Net Dental Services Are Underutilized Panel with Sarah Holland, Julie Bilodeau, and Steven Horan (Expanding Care Track)
  • In 2018, leadership from Richmond-area safety net clinics collaborated with community partners and grassroots stakeholders to conduct research to better understand barriers to accessing dental care. The project involved interviews with community members, providers, and referrers (home visitors, community health workers and other lay health professionals who work at the community level and often refer for care). The results were eye-opening and include recommendations that clinic professionals can implement to better meet the needs of those in need of care.​
• Exploring Inclusive Engagement in Healthcare: Race - Part 1 with Jacqueline Johnson (Operations Track)
  • ​In an increasingly multicultural society, it is critical for healthcare providers to work across lines of difference to support its most vulnerable populations. These individuals’ interactions and experiences are often shaped by biases around race and class. This workshop will provide participants with an opportunity to reflect on their own race and consider how it impacts workplace and community dynamics. Attendees will walk away with practical tips and approaches to bias-free decision-making and engagement while providing healthcare to underserved communities.

10:15am-10:45am: Break presented by Americares
10:45-12:00pm: Breakout Session Two

• Women's Health in a Charitable Clinic Setting with Rachel Sposito (Patient Care Track)
  • ​Women's health and GYN care in a charitable clinic setting can be challenging AND one of the most common reasons female patients seek care including contraception, genital infections, management of abnormal bleeding, pelvic pain, breast complaints, perimenopausal symptoms, and osteoporosis screening/management. In this open-forum style discussion, we will talk through challenges, best practices, and support for the female patient. 
• Fundraising 201: Understanding the Impact of a Culture of Philanthropy as You Develop Your Fundraising Plan with Laurie Rogers (Resource Development Track)
  • ​Presented by the University of Richmond's Institute on Philanthropy, research has found that those organizations that experience success in fundraising have developed a culture of philanthropy within their organization. In this workshop, you will learn what this means and how the culture of philanthropy works hand in hand with the fundraising cycle to create success. Part two of a comprehensive learning experience with sessions that build on each other and are designed to accommodate participants with little to no fundraising experience all the way up to more advanced development professionals.
• Expanding Access to Primary Care: Leveraging the New Nurse Practitioner Autonomous Practices Licensure Law with Cindy Fagan, Susan Adamson, Teresa Tyson, and Rebecca Bates (Expanding Care Track)
  • ​The new autonomous practice licensure law for nurse practitioners (NP) effective January 2019, supports expanded use of NPs to increase the primary care workforce across the state. Evidence on expanded state scope-of-practice regulations on health care delivery suggests greater numbers and growth of NPs, and greater care utilization especially among rural and vulnerable populations. This session will provide an overview of the new autonomous practice law, review the evidence on service delivery and explore opportunities to leverage use of autonomous licensed NPs to expand access and primary care capacity in charitable and free clinics through a panel of administrative and clinical shared perspectives.
• Health Record Privacy Laws in Virginia: A Compliance Primer with Jon Joseph (Operations Track)
  • Medical record management in the Commonwealth is complex. Providers must protect sensitive documents being mindful of HIPAA and state law compliance, while also navigating appropriate rights of access and disclosure to patients, other providers and third parties. When any misstep can create liability with legal consequences, it is important providers remain aware of evolving rights and responsibilities. This session will highlight important areas including pertinent federal and state privacy laws as well as exceptions; proper handling response and compliance to subpoenas, search warrants and court orders; patient access rights; and considerations for use of electronic health records.
     

12:00-1:15pm: Lunch presented by Magellan Complete Care
1:30-2:45pm: Breakout Session Three

• Hepatitis C: Education & Patient Connection with Terry Kemp Knick (Patient Care Track)
  • ​In this session we'll describe the Hepatitis C (HCV) epidemic in Virginia, learn to appreciate the importance of comprehensive harm reduction related to HCV transmission; review how to best support patients and understand the barriers and stigmatism they face going from screening to cure; walk through steps needed to go from screening to cure of HCV; review current treatment medications and understand how they are available for all patients; identify support and resources to treat patients locally; and review UVA Hepatitis C telemedicine and provider training options for treating patients in your clinic.
• Fundraising 301: The New Frontier of Philanthropy, A Survey of Fundraising Innovation with Kathy Liang (Resource Developoment Track)
  • ​Presented by the University of Richmond's Institute on Philanthropy, Philanthropy is changing and, as fundraisers, we need to know what’s on the horizon so we won’t be caught not knowing about new options when donors ask questions. This workshop will briefly describe the many new ways donors are giving, including impact investing, B-corps, lending, pay for success and more. Part three of a comprehensive learning experience with sessions that build on each other and are designed to accommodate participants with little to no fundraising experience all the way up to more advanced development professionals.
• Preventing Diabetes: Implementing a Prediabetes Program at Your Clinic with Sally Eissler (Expanding Care Track)
  • ​Prediabetes is a serious health condition that approximately 84 million American adults—greater than 1 out of 3—have. Of those with prediabetes, 90% don’t know they have it, putting them at  increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. The good news is that diabetes prevention focused on lifestyle changes that stick significantly helps to prevent or delay type 2 diabetes and other serious health problems. In this session, attendees will learn about the CDC’s National Diabetes Prevention Program, success from case studies, and how they might effectively provide this programming in their clinic.  
• Exploring Inclusive Engagement in Healthcare: Class - Part 2 with Jacqueline Johnson (Operations Track)
  • ​In an increasingly multicultural society, it is critical for healthcare providers to work across lines of difference to support its most vulnerable populations. These individuals’ interactions and experiences are often shaped by biases around race and class. This workshop will provide participants with an opportunity to reflect on their own socioeconomic status and consider how it impacts workplace and community dynamics. Attendees will walk away with practical tips and approaches to bias-free decision-making and engagement while providing healthcare to underserved communities.

3:00-5:00pm: General Session
Advocacy, Messaging & the Safety Net presented by Optima Health with Nicole Pugar and Roy Heffley
Advocacy helps free clinics advance their mission, increase their funding sources, and solve community problems. Effective communication is key and, if done properly, allows clinics to advance the issues they care about and helps bring about lasting change for the people and communities they serve. In this session, participants will be kept abreast of the latest legislative updates, informed on post-election analysis and how best to get their message across to key audiences including legislators, the media, and other key stakeholders.  

Nicole Pugar, VAFCC Government Affairs & Policy Analyst, has focused primarily on health care law and policy for the past 17 years (and has represented the VAFCC for the past two years). Nicole has significant knowledge of Virginia’s Medicaid system and avidly studies health care payment and delivery reform models. She is particularly interested in Medicaid policy and advocating for Virginia’s most vulnerable populations including patients of Virginia’s free and charitable clinics. Since representing VAFCC, Nicole has helped the Association and its members advocate for the expansion of Medicaid, protect neighborhood assistance program (NAP) tax credits and has helped increase and retain state funding that enables free clinics to continue to provide patient care. In addition to VAFCC, Nicole also works with Virginia Health Catalyst (formerly the Virginia Oral Health Coalition) and has worked with Rx Partnership, two additional organizations that support Virginia’s health safety net.

Roy Heffley, Communications Confidence, has been called both a communications genius and the best executive communications coach in the country. For 20-plus years, Roy was a network journalist in Washington, DC.   At ABC News, he wrote and produced broadcasts by Peter Jennings, Sam Donaldson and many others. Roy also worked in the White House Oval Office and inside the Camp David family quarters, as the world’s network pool producer for many of President Ronald Reagan's live broadcasts. Today, Roy prepares top executives for everything from speeches and presentations to the Paris Air Show and 60 Minutes. 
 
 

Tuesday, November 19 

7:30-8:45: Breakfast presented by Aetna Better Health
9:00-11:00am: Closing Plenary presented by Anthem HealthKeepers Plus

Charting the Course for Tomorrow: Insights on the Trends that Matter for Virginia’s Free Clinics and Actionable Steps to Take Today with Matt Thornhill, SIR's Institute for Tomorrow
In this dynamic and eye-opening plenary, futurist and generations expert Matt Thornhill of SIR’s Institute for Tomorrow will provide relevant data and insights on the trends impacting free clinics nationally and here in Virginia. He’ll help us understand the demographic, societal, cultural and political changes we need to navigate in order to serve our public and provide access to the healthcare they need. Plan on seeing what’s coming in a whole new light and be prepared to leave with key action steps to take immediately to get better aligned with the future.
11:00-11:30am: Closing Announcement
 

REGISTRATION

Conference registration includes all three days of training, networking, conference meals and banquet. All attendees will need to secure their own hotel reservations (details below). Registration and room reservation deadline is October 25. Registration has closed.   

• $275 - Member-Only Early Bird Registration (Through October 11)
• $300 - Member-Only Late Registration (After October 11)
• $325 - Non-Member Registration
• $190 - Conference Meals & Banquet (for guests of conference attendees)

Group Incentive Reimbursement: In the hopes of having as many of our members join us as possible, VAFCC is pleased to offer a $25 reimbursement for each registration when three or more attendees are registered from the same member clinic. Reimbursement applies to both early bird and standard registration pricing and will be issued following the completion of the event.

Additional Details: All registrations must be paid in full and in advance. Scholarships are available for members in good standing (application available in the VAFCC Member Center). The cut-off date for registration is Friday, October 25, 2019. Refunds will be issued through October 10, 2019 with a $15 service charge per registration. After that date, no refunds will be issued, but you may substitute attendees.

Crowd Release: By registering for this event and by your presence, you consent to be photographed, filmed, and/or otherwise recorded. Your registration constitutes your consent to such photography, filming, and/or recording and to any use, in any and all media throughout the universe in perpetuity, of your appearance, voice, and name for any purpose whatsoever in connection with VAFCC events.

 

ACCOMMODATIONS

All attendees need to secure their own hotel reservations. Our rate at the Hotel Madison Shenandoah Valley Conference Center, located at 710 South Main Street in Harrisonburg, is $109 per night, plus tax, and includes parking and Wi-Fi. The room reservation deadline is October 25, 2019. To book, modify, or cancel your reservation, call the Reservation Line at 540-564-0200 and ask for the VA Association of Free and Charitable Clinics Annual Conference. You can also reserve by email at reservations@hotelmadison.com or online at www.hotelmadison.com. Group rate is available for two days pre- and post-event based on availability. Suites are available at the rate of $129, subject to availability. 
 

Event Sponsors:

Event Exhibitors:   

                       


                         
                    
Interested in becoming an exhibitor or sponsor? Please contact Rebecca Butler at 804.340.3434 or email at rbutler@vafreeclinics.org to discuss sponsorship and exhibiting opportunities.