Join us for a full day of meaningful dialogue and expert-led sessions designed to help DME owners and operators navigate today's evolving home care landscape with clarity and confidence. With timely topics, seasoned speakers, and space for connection, you'll leave feeling energized, informed, and better equipped to lead through change.
Agenda
8:30 AM - 9:00 AM Registration/Breakfast
9:00 AM - 10:15 AM Power of the Pause - Facing a Challenging Policy Climate presented by Michael "Ike" Isaacson, SVP Government Relations, VGM & Associates
In a time when policy shifts are fast, fierce, and often polarizing, how do we respond with intention instead of reactivity? This session explores the transformative power of the pause - an intentional space to reflect, regroup, and reframe - in navigating today's turbulent policy landscape. With a spotlight on current Durable Medical Equipment [DME] legislation, participants will examine how advocacy can be both strategic and compassionate amid regulatory uncertainty. Whether you're confronting barriers to access or pushing for equitable reforms, this session offers practical tools to stay grounded, resilient, and effective in the face of complexity.
10:15 AM - 10:30 AM Break
10:30 AM - 11:45 AM Marketing 101: Strategies for Business Growth and Business Revenue presented by Kayla Mahler, Director of Marketing, VGM & Associates
Do you have set marketing initiatives with KPIs? If so, when is the last time that you checked how your marketing initiatives are performing. This session is not just Marketing 101; it's a roadmap to success specifically crafted for providers. We'll delve into strategy on social media, website, and paid advertising to discover where your marketing dollars can create the most significant impact. Brace yourself for a revelation on how marketing, when made easy and swift, becomes the catalyst for increased traffic or marketing qualified leads. Additionally, a marketing startup guide will be presented, offering valuable recommendations on free or low-cost tools to build essential marketing assets.
Learning Objectives:
- Describe how to create a social media marketing strategy.
- Name three tools to help implement marketing strategy and tactics.
- Discuss how to simplify and expedite marketing efforts, making the process more efficient.
- Discuss how to create marketing KPIs and how to track success.
11:45 AM - 12:45 PM Lunch and networking with participating vendors
12:45 PM - 2:00 PM Thriving Through Talent presented by Brooke Kraft, SHRM-SCP, VP of Talent Management, VGM Group, Inc.
In today's rapidly evolving talent landscape, DME organizations face unprecedented challenges in attracting, developing, and retaining top talent. From shifting employee expectations to increased competition and economic uncertainty, the pressure to build a resilient and engaged workforce has never been greater. This session will explore the current dynamics of the talent market and provide actionable strategies for cultivating a thriving workplace culture.
Learning Objectives:
- Identify and respond to emerging talent market trends and challenges.
- Foster employee growth through intentional development and engagement practices.
- Build a culture of belonging, purpose, and performance.
- Measure the effectiveness of talent strategies using meaningful metrics and feedback loops.
2:00 PM - 2:15 PM Break
2:15 PM - 3:30 PM Developing a Data-Driven DME Strategy presented by Alan Morris, SVP of Strategy at VGM
In today’s rapidly evolving healthcare landscape, Durable Medical Equipment (DME) providers must go beyond intuition and tradition to remain competitive—they must become data-driven. This session will equip attendees with the strategic mindset and practical tools needed to harness data for smarter decision-making and sustainable growth.
We’ll begin by exploring the foundational elements of strategy—data, development, and deployment—and how each plays a critical role in shaping a resilient DME business. Attendees will learn how to identify and integrate multiple data sources, including CMS expenditure trends, DMEPOS market projections, and internal performance metrics, to inform strategic planning.
Through real-world examples and industry-specific insights, we’ll examine how to:
- Recognize and evaluate key data sources that drive strategic clarity.
- Translate data into actionable goals aligned with market growth and site-of-care shifts.
- Deploy strategy across the organization with clear roles, KPIs, and accountability systems.
We’ll also address the growing importance of payer and referral relationships, and how data can be used to strengthen these partnerships. Whether you're preparing for expansion, navigating regulatory changes, or optimizing operations, this session will leave you with a blueprint for building a strategy that’s not just informed—but transformative.
Attendees will walk away with:
- A framework for developing a comprehensive, data-informed strategy.
- Tactics for deploying strategy effectively across teams and departments.
- Insights into aligning business goals with industry trends and growth opportunities.
3:30 PM - 4:00 PM Roundtable Interactive Discussion with VGM Team
4:00 PM Closing Remarks
Featured Speakers
Michael "Ike" Isaacson
SVP Government Relations, VGM & Associates
Mike “Ike” Isaacson is the Senior Vice President of Government Relations for VGM Group. In his role, he focuses on advocating for and elevating the DMEPOS industry. Ike is a consummate coach who excels at mentoring others to serve as grass root champions for a better climate to serve customers. Working with the Government & Regulatory Team, healthcare providers, and other industry advocates, Ike is dedicated to advancing the life changing work that our members do in their communities.
Prior to joining VGM Group in 2017, Ike spent 23 years as a state and national leader in not-for-profit community-based healthcare settings. His work advocating alongside individuals, families, communities, and healthcare partners at the state and federal levels centered on providing access to high quality healthcare and consumer choice.
Staying true to his service roots, Mike sits on the Board of Directors for several non-profit agencies in his local area, assisting them in fund development, legislative initiatives, and community outreach. Over the years, Ike has become a sought-out speaker on leadership and employee development. Utilizing his “student of the game” approach, he has helped to guide and develop leaders across the country. His real-world delivery, using his personal and professional life experiences, provides entertaining and thought-provoking presentations.
Ike and his wife Teresa spend their time raising and following their four children in all the activities and directions they take in life.
He has a bachelor’s degree in social work and a master’s in public policy from the University of Northern Iowa.
Brooke Kraft
Vice President of Talent Management, VGM Group
Brooke Kraft is the Vice President of Talent Management at VGM Group, where she leads the strategic direction of recruiting, hiring, and learning and development (L&D). With a strong focus on leadership training, career pathing, and skills-based recruiting, Brooke plays a pivotal role in shaping the company’s talent strategy to support organizational growth and employee success.
She holds a master’s degree in industrial-organizational Psychology, which underpins her data-driven and people-centric approach to talent management. Brooke is also deeply committed to community impact and serves as the Board President of Inclusion Connection, a local nonprofit dedicated to fostering inclusive opportunities for individuals of all abilities.
With a passion for empowering people and building strong, future-ready teams, Brooke continues to drive innovation in talent development and organizational effectiveness.
Kayla Mahler
Director of Marketing, VGM & Associates
Kayla Mahleris the Director of Marketing. She previously served as the Marketing Manager for Digital, Systems, and Data at VGM & Associates, where she managed all aspects of digital marketing, data, and marketing systems. Kayla also held the position of Operations Manager at Essentially Women for 1.5 years and at U.S. Rehab for 4.5 years. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies from Central College in 2009 and her Master’s degree in Communication Studies from the University of Northern Iowa in 2017. In her free time, Kayla enjoys running, biking, kayaking, and singing.
Alan Morris
SVP of Strategy at VGM
Alan has 18 years of experience in the healthcare field. He has a strong background in industry analysis and research, especially related to business opportunities and strategies. He uses his extensive knowledge to help VGM's members and vendors have insights necessary to implement effective business strategies. Alan worked for VGM from 2007 to 2014 and again since 2022. He has given keynotes, seminars, and webinars on healthcare trends that affect DMEs.
He also has experience in leading an analytics function for a large midwestern health system. There, he guided a team of internal consultants and analysts who worked on healthcare areas such as strategy, finance, clinical, operations, and value-based contracting. He also gained expertise in healthcare policy, strategic partnership management, and performance management.
Registration
$75 per attendee
$500 sponsorship/exhibitor [4 available]
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