Women in Practice Management Conference

Here are some hotels close to the meeting venue.

Please select one and book your room directly with the hotel.

• Element Atlanta Buckhead | .4 miles away | AAOE Pricing Locked in to $147

• The Burgess Hotel | .7 miles away

• Homewood Suites by Hilton Atlanta Lenox Mall Buckhead | .6 miles away | AAOE Pricing is $139

Session Schedule 

2:00 - 2:45 PM ET

Opening Keynote: Being a Servant Leader Without Setting Yourself on Fire

Join Andrea for a discussion on how we can be the best leaders that we can be, and also maintain boundaries to keep our sanity. As women, we often give and give and give to everyone around us, often sabotaging our own physical and mental health, and happiness. This leads to burn out, mental health problems and job dissatisfaction to say the least. Worse, those around us come to expect us to continue act this way or tell us we're selfish as soon as we set boundaries. But there is a better way! We can be awesome leaders AND have boundaries. 

Learning Objectives: 

• Review pitfalls we all fall into in leadership; how to fix or stop doing them. 

• Improving ourselves and our own leadership so that we're more centered and confident. 

• Setting and maintaining appropriate boundaries and expectations. 

Speaker: 

 Andrea Vitalich is an Executive Director at Proliance Surgeons in Washington state. She has worked in healthcare since 2007 and has been in a leadership or coaching capacity for more than 16 years. 

2:24 - 3:30 PM ET

2:45 - 3:30 PM 

People Centric Communication

Stephanie Anderson​ of PeopleCentric will discuss the ins and outs of people-centric communication.

Learning objectives:

• Determine the modes and methods for communication​

• Discuss how miscommunication happens​

• Find your communication style​

• Examine each style and how they interact with other styles​

• Strategize ways to more effectively communicate with others

Speaker:
​

Stephanie Anderson helps organizations grow by creating and executing strategies that achieve their goals and positively impact their communities. She's had a passion for business long before her professional days. At 4 years old, she was setting up shop selling everything from pinecones in her front yard to her Dad’s secret stash of Reese’s peanut butter cups to his store customers. She's been on the business path from the start. The reason? She loves helping people discover their passions and channel them into healthy organizations and teams that make our communities and the world a better place. Right now, she does this as an Engagement Specialist at People Centric Consulting Group. She loves helping organizations become their best and develops highly engaged and empowered teams. 

4:00 - 4:45 PM ET 

Elevate Your Impact! 

Research has shown that women leaders improve businesses. Women leaders help to break down gender barriers and stereotypes, as well as drive innovation and collaboration. The session will inspire women to empower themselves to effect change in the workplace with leadership identity. 

Learning Objectives: 

• Provide examples of achievements and behaviors that we as women can aspire others to emulate. 

• Empower women in leadership positions to development mentorship programs that inspires other women to champion their achievements. 

• Discuss the collaborative approach in leadership and explore ways this approach is effective for teams to adapt quickly to emerging challenges. 

• Discuss ways Authentic leadership fosters positive relationships with those lead. 

Speaker: 

Ruschell Gladden is a seasoned customer service professional with over 25 years of experience in customer care. She has spent the last 20 years of her career navigating the customer service and patient relations aspects of the healthcare industry. 

Ruschell currently serves as the Patient Access Director at Midlands Orthopaedic & Neurosurgery of Columbia, SC. As leader of her department, Ruschell's goal is to enrich the employee experience. This is achieved by her coaching leadership styles which is characterized by collaboration, support, and guidance.

 4:45 - 5:35 PM ET 

 Navigating Difficult Conversations with Empathy and Effectiveness 

In the high-stakes environment of orthopedic practice management, difficult conversations are inevitable. Whether addressing performance issues, managing conflicts, or negotiating changes, these conversations can be challenging yet essential for fostering a productive and harmonious workplace. This session will provide practical strategies and insights for having difficult conversations that honor different perspectives, challenge each other constructively, and recognize the humanity in ourselves and our physicians. 

Learning Objectives: 

• Understanding the Right Timing: Learn to identify the appropriate moments for initiating difficult conversations to ensure they are productive and well-received. 

• Honoring Diverse Perspectives: Explore techniques for respecting and integrating different viewpoints, ensuring all parties feel heard and valued. 

• Balancing Humanity and Professionalism: Discover ways to maintain professionalism while acknowledging and honoring the human aspects of those involved, particularly physicians who may be dealing with stress, trauma, and/or lack of interpersonal skills. 

• Constructive Challenges: Gain skills for challenging colleagues and subordinates in a way that promotes growth and improvement without diminishing their self-worth. 

• Addressing Disruptive Behaviors: Understand the underlying causes of disruptive behaviors in physicians and learn how to address these issues with empathy and support, focusing on stress management and skill development rather than attributing them to character flaws. 

Speaker: 

Olivia J Wolf, MBA is a seasoned healthcare executive and leadership coach with extensive experience in navigating complex interpersonal dynamics within healthcare settings. With a strong background in both executive and operational roles, Olivia brings a unique perspective on fostering effective communication and building resilient, empathetic teams. 

8:30 - 9:15 AM ET

A Winning Combination: Clinical & Administration  

 Solutions in a large practice may often seem siloed between clinical operations vs administrative operations. Ensuring you have constant collaboration between both sides is critical for making decisions that benefit all angles of your practice and keep the team fully engaged. Emory Orthopedics & Spine has created partnerships between our clinical and administrative levels to ensure our team makes well thought- out decisions. 

Learning Objectives: 

After attending, participants will: 

• Learn the value gained from consulting with roles outside of their own using shared governance.  

• Understand how to regularly bring in other areas of their organization for solutions both reactively, but also searching for proactive opportunities as well.  

• Learn how to identify those who are best suited to participate- not only those in key positions, but also emerging leaders. 

 
Speakers: 

Stephanie Hines is the Director of Patient Care at Emory Orthopedics & Spine in Atlanta, Georgia. Across private practice and academic settings, she has driven herself and her team to maximize their skills to deliver excellent patient care and better themselves. Stephanie enjoys her time outside of work cheering from the sidelines for her 3 children and volunteering in her community. 

Denisse Assad is the Administrator of Clinic Operations for the Spine division at Emory Healthcare in Atlanta, GA. She has been with the Orthopedics & Spine department at Emory for 10 years and one of her biggest passions is to build strong working relationships while also helping others achieve the same. In her free time, Denisse loves spending time with her two kids and husband. She also has a love for good food and movies.

9:45 - 11:00 AM ET

Diversity in the Orthopedic Practice

11:30 - 12:30 PM ET

12:40 - 1:25 PM ET

Advocating for Yourself 

 
Self-advocacy is about recognizing your worth and confidently asserting your needs and desires.  It is essential for personal and professional growth.  This session will provide practical steps and examples of how you can effectively communicate your needs and navigate challenges with clarity and conviction, empowering you to achieve your goals and cultivate meaningful relationships both in your career and personal life. 

Learning Objectives:

After participating, participants will: 

• Understand techniques for assertive communication, including how to articulate needs, set boundaries, and express opinions respectfully.

• Obtain strategies for overcoming obstacles and handling difficult situations or conflicts with confidence and resilience.

• Get tips and exercises to boost self-confidence and self-esteem, crucial for effective self-advocacy. 

Speaker: 

Lisa Warren has been the Chief Executive Officer of Andrews Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Center in Birmingham, AL since 2011.  She is the president of the Alabama Chapter of Orthopedic Excecutives.  Lisa served as a physician practice management consultant with Warren, Averett for 10 years.  Other work experiences include management of  Brookwood Hospital’s  primary care physician network and MedPartners, a physician practice management company. She has been a Member of the Board of Trustees for the Healthcare Worker’s Compensation Fund since 2014.