5 Tips for Success at the 2018 ASA Annual Meeting
James Nichols
Helping RCM leaders achieve higher levels of staff efficiency and more accurate reimbursement.
Planning to attend the 2018 ANESTHESIOLOGY? Annual Meeting?
Here’s a short list of tips to help you before and during the upcoming 2018 ANESTHESIOLOGY? Annual Meeting in San Francisco.
This is our seventh year at the show and we have some great ideas about how to use your time to your best advantage!
#1 Plan Out Your Calendar
The first tip has to do with planning in the weeks leading up to the show. You only have a limited amount of time in San Francisco, so make sure you carefully review the list of different education sessions that are being offered. Start by making a list of sessions that you absolutely cannot miss and get those on your schedule. Then, once you have the must-haves out of the way you can start to fill in the gaps with other sessions that might sound interesting, or with time that you will spend on the exhibit floor.
Filling out your dance card is important to ensure that you don’t miss your most sought-after sessions, but you should also leave time on your calendar for the unplanned.
We at OpenTempo are excited for the “Fatigue Risk Management: Making Overnight Call Safer” session on Saturday by Dr. Keith Ruskin from the University of Chicago. At OpenTempo we prevent fatigue and mistakes through rules and policies built into our advanced scheduling platform, but it will be interested to hear about the physiology side of fatigue and countermeasures you can implement.
Another interesting session is “Operating Room Efficiency: Could There be a Hidden Patient Safety Issue?” by Dr. Vilma A. Joseph and Dr. Shamantha Reddy from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. We are highly focused on efficiency, coordination, and communication in all areas of healthcare, but especially in the Operation Room. We are excited to hear Dr. Joseph and Dr. Reddy’s take on ways to measure operating room efficiency, the role technology has played, the impact efficiency has on the Anesthesiologist, and how they identify the impact that production pressure has on patients.
You can easily find sessions that appeal to you by using the ANESTHESIOLOGY? 2018 Educational Program Planner.
#2 Network. Network. Network!
This is the most important tip we can offer and is the reason you should allow for unscheduled and unplanned time. At the show, you will be surrounded by more than 14,000 colleagues and representatives from over 300 industry companies. Take the time to chat with the people you share a table with at lunch or the person you’re sitting next to you during a session, after all, you attended the show to connect and learn! It’s not every day that you are surrounded by so many peers and like-minded individuals. We guarantee you will get value from opening up and putting yourself out there.
There are also various networking events that you can participate in. Here are a couple of our favorites to help you get out there:
Feeling motivated or just want to blow off some steam? Get out and join the Hope For The Warriors 5K Run/Walk to support wounded warriors and their families. Learn more here!
Hosted by Airway Ex, this challenge invites attendees to compete in six video games to increase their anesthesiology skills and knowledge. The Simul8 Challenge encompasses various area of focus and awards daily prized with a Gran Champion announced on Monday, October 15. Learn more here!
#3 Put Yourself Out There
ANESTHESIOLOGY? 2018 is being hosted in San Francisco. Make sure you take time to enjoy the wonderful city! OK, so your legs and feet probably hurt from walking around the huge Moscone Convention Center all day, but San Francisco offers a wealth of fun things to do after the day’s sessions end. You already know that you should be networking, so grab some colleagues and get out there and enjoy everything the city has to offer. Click here to find a list of 18 things to do at night in San Francisco
Also, many industry vendors are more than happy to take you out for a free dinner and drinks on the town. Take them up on their offer if your organization allows it! Typically, a team isn’t taking you and your colleagues out to sell you right there on the spot. Believe it or not, vendors are also there to have fun and to network. So instead of turning it down, accept that invitation and put yourself out there!
Got some time to kill? Click here for a list of the “25 Best Things To Do in San Francisco”
Also, be sure to follow the official #ANES18 hashtag on Social Media for the latest updates.
#4 Explore the Exhibit Hall
In the time between sessions make sure you are taking in everything the exhibit hall has to offer. Check in with your vendors and say “hi”. You never know, there may be a new product offering or service they have recently released that you are unaware of.
OpenTempo will be at Booth #1830 and we will be showing how you can optimize the deployment of your clinical resources through Advanced Scheduling capabilities and market leading Clinical Workforce Analytics.
To find more information about the Exhibit Hall and a list of all vendors click here.
#5 Make Sure to Stop at OpenTempo!
Of course we are going to recommend you stop and see us! Not only do we believe that our products and services and second to none, we too are looking forward to networking and meeting new people and customers.
Visit OpenTempo to learn more about:
Physician Scheduling - How OpenTempo can help you manage complex clinical work assignments more effectively.
Anesthesia Scheduling - Ask us how we help Anesthesia Departments maximize their scheduling system.
Time Tracking & Compensation - How to use time tracking tools and compensation management to monitor productivity, forecast overtime, and calculate incentive compensation.
OpenTempo Insights - How to leverage analytics and bring together workforce data from across your organization to help inform staffing decisions.
OpenTempo works with health systems and leading academic medical centers to inform strategic decision making and empower service-line leaders to drive effective staffing approaches. The results are clear: efficiency through better staff scheduling, increased clinician satisfaction through more balanced assignments, and optimized clinical labor expense.
Also, have the chance to meet with Andy Comeau, OpenTempo’s Chief Executive Officer. Andy will be at Booth #1830 meeting with industry and thought leaders to discuss product and company direction and how OpenTempo is partnering with leading healthcare organizations to change how they approach scheduling and workforce management. Click here to schedule a time to meet with our team!