AMDA Annual Conference Offers the Best in PALTC Education

Rollin Wright, MD, MPH, MS, is looking forward to AMDA’s Annual Conference in Chicago this April, and it’s not just because she is  vice chair of the Annual Conference Planning Subcommittee. “There are so many great sessions and opportunities to connect colleagues and experts. I wish I could arrange to be in two places at once,” she says. “We’ve pulled together a robust collection of programs on a wide range of topics, with a healthy dose of sessions addressing topics such as MIPS/MACRA and other regulatory issues, clinician wellness, advance care planning, cutting-edge clinical issues/research, and much more.” And the fact that the conference offers the opportunity to earn up to 25.25 CME credits, 25.25 MOC points, 22.5 CMD management hours, and 18.75 CMD clinical hours is the icing on the cake.

While there are some popular program sessions returning, such as the AMDA/CDC/SHEA Infection Prevention in PALTC Certification Course, Dr. Wright notes that the conference program is new, fresh, and unique every year. The planners study evaluations from previous years, talk to members, and use various publications and forums to keep their finger on the pulse of hot issues, innovations, skills gaps, and education/training needs in post-acute and long-term care (PALTC). For instance, as more non-physician practitioners have gotten involved in AMDA and in PALTC, Dr. Wright says, “We have expanded our programming reach to the interprofessional audience. We have our own unique niche. There is no other show on the road like it.”

Every year there are sessions that have a life-changing impact on Dr. Wright. Last year it was  closing keynote speaker Dr. Lakshman Swamy’s talk on Beyond Burnout. “I was completely inspired by his presentation. It brought current concerns about the culture of medicine to our conference, and I was blown away by it. This was a leading-edge session.” She further notes that last year’s Anne-Marie Filkin Lecture with actress Megan Cole addressed the real challenges of aging and ageism in a powerful way: “Ageism permeates all aspects of our culture. To have someone address it in such a unique, impassioned, and poignant way was important and courageous.”

Of course, it’s not just the formal programming that makes Dr. Wright and others want to clone themselves at the conference. She says, “There is a real sense of community. The love of the long-term care culture draws us together. Outside of our workplaces it’s hard to find people who love and understand this work as much as we do. At the AMDA conference, there is an incredible sense of community and like-mindedness. It completely eclipses the sense of community I get from other conferences.”

Even if you have a topic of interest that isn’t on the formal agenda, Dr. Wright says, “You will find someone like-minded on any topic. The issues people are thinking about eventually land at the conference in some way.” Whatever your interests are, the conference is a professional reunion you can’t miss. Dr. Wright observes, “Practicing in PALTC offers a front-row seat to every aspect of how complex health issues and patient-care needs challenge health systems and impact the personhood and dignity of everyday people late in life. Nowhere else can a provider or a team of providers make a bigger difference in the lives of aging persons.”

The information-packed conference will keep Dr. Wright busy, but she is looking forward to experiencing a bit of Chicago. “I love being in a ‘walkable’ city and just exploring,” she says. She also hopes to get tickets for the NPR show, “Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me,” which is recorded in Chicago. 

Click here to read more about the conference program and register. See you in Chicago!