VGM's 21st Heartland Conference Builds HME Community

Published in Complex Rehab on June 30, 2022

More than 1,000 people from across the U.S. and Canada converged June 13-15 in VGM’s hometown of Waterloo, Iowa, for three unforgettable days at the 21st annual Heartland Conference. Each year, the event brings members of the home medical equipment (HME) community together for networking and education, along with some fun surprises throughout.

The 21st annual Heartland Conference featured numerous opportunities for attendees to connect, including community dinners, the iconic Heartland hog roast with fireworks, and a special event for nearly 200 first-time attendees.

In a bold twist, VGM featured a comedian and magician as the keynote speaker. Devin Henderson amused and inspired the crowd with his meaningful message, “Something greater is always possible.” And we can’t forget the 28 people who milked a cow for the first time.   

“Heartland Conference is all about connecting our membership communities with opportunities to learn and engage with each other,” said Jeremy Stolz, interim president of VGM & Associates. “Our robust lineup of education sessions was geared toward helping our members grow and take something home to help grow their business.” 

Industry experts from across the country presented on topics such as billing and reimbursement, respiratory, accessibility, regulatory and audits, rehab, operations, sales and marketing, retail, and more. Nearly 70 session options were available for registrants to earn an estimated 14.75 contact hours. Attendees also had the option to attend pre-conference sessions and panel discussions, and the opportunity to engage with more than 80 vendors in this year’s expanded exhibit hall. 

“The HME community plays a vital role as part of the healthcare industry,” said Jill Blaser, Heartland Conference chair. “Heartland offers top-of-the-line education designed to help HMEs take care of their business and, ultimately, their patients.”   

“We appreciate our wonderful members and vendor partners joining us in our hometown,” Stolz said. “We got to see them experience all the magic of Heartland Conference, and we can’t wait to see them all again next year.”

The Heartland Conference will return to Waterloo June 12-14, 2023. To learn more about the Heartland Conference, please visit www.vgmheartland.com.  