ALG 1If you did not attend the Fall Conference of the Virginia Personal Care Providers, you missed out on interesting presentations and a great opportunity for networking. I attended as a vendor. Thank you to all who stopped by my booth and greeted me!

One of my personal favorite for this conference was the keynote presentation by Steve “The Hurricane” Weiss. Steve was a very successful homecare administrator who now works as marketing guru specializing in private duty care home care. His presentation yesterday focused on the 5 pillars of a successful referral programs. He generates a lot of energy and buzz in among attendees. To learn more about Steve and his services, check www.homecaremarketing.net.

Betsy Davis, attorney with Spotts Fain, gave a presentation to a packed conference room. In contrast to the excitement generated by Steve Weiss, her presentation highlighted the many challenges facing homecare employers:

  • The introduction of overtime pay for caregivers,
  • The DOL challenging independent contractors status
  • The upcoming change to white collar exemption salary levels

Betsy shared ideas on how homecare providers can structure their workforce to control cost.

Among fellow vendors to the conference, it was a pleasure to see Freeman Thompson again. Freeman is a long-time supporter of the VA PCP Association. He works with homecare employers to mitigate risks and improve outcomes. He specializes in Workers’ Comp and Employment Liability.

Michael Box of Alere Toxicology was also on hand sharing useful information on workplace drug and alcohol testing laws across the country.

Finally, a big Thank-You to the members of the board of the Association. Chuck Mack was nice enough to draw the names out of the red vase for the drawing. Bill Hurt made sure we all felt welcome.