Client News and Media Recognition

NC Providers Council to hold annual conference in October.

August 29, 2011 (Raleigh, NC) — The North Carolina Providers Council will hold its annual conference, this year entitled “The Change Imperative: Retooling to Meet the Challenge,” October 4-6 at the Sheraton Greensboro Hotel and Conference Center at Four Seasons in Greensboro, NC.

According to Executive Director, Bob Hedrick, this year’s event is more critical than ever before.

“North Carolina’s health care system is confronting its most sweeping transformation in decades and it is having a dramatic impact on the people we support. We need to be armed with the information and tools needed to meet these sweeping federal and state changes.” he said. “The NC General Assembly has imposed provider cuts leaving people with disabilities in a compromised state. Medicaid costs are rising and we have been given an ‘imperative to change.’ We must find even more creative ways to support people with limited resources.”

The NC Providers Council preserves and promotes access to quality services for people with intellectual/ developmental/ physical disabilities, mental illness and substance abuse who require support to remain in their communities.

“The conference offers three days of the most up-to-date and relevant information critical to all providers,” said Richard Anderson, president of the council’s Board of Directors and Director of Governmental Affairs & Strategic Development for True Behavioral Healthcare, Inc., “information they need to thrive in the changing world of providing support services for people across in North Carolina. A stronger, more collaborative provider network is essential.”

According to Anderson, conference sessions are “specifically designed to address many of the questions and challenges providers are facing during these new economic and political times as we move to managed care.”

Sam Hedrick, president of RHA Howell, and program chair for this year’s conference, adds that topics range from “The Change Imperative: Retooling To Meet The Challenge;” to “Legislative, Budget, and Policy Changes Affecting Providers;” and “Affordable Care Act – Progress, Challenges, Opportunities.”  Among the 25 speakers lined up for this year’s conference are Lanier Cansler, Secretary of the NC Department of Health & Human Services; Worth Bolton, Clinical Instructor at the UNC-CH School of Social Work; Pam Shipman, CEO of PBH and Dr. Pam Silberman, CEO/ President, NC Institute of Medicine.

The 2011 conference provides attendees the opportunity to earn continuing education units (CEUs) through the Council’s partnership with the UNC School of Social Work, Jordan Institute for Families.

The NC Providers Council is also accepting sponsorships for the event.  Any agency, organization, business or individual that would like to sponsor the conference can do so on the website: www.ncproviderscouncil.org.

Registration and a complete conference agenda are also available at the website. For more information, go to www.ncproviderscouncil.org or call 919-784-0230.