Bigger and better than ever before, the 2017 NAOHP National Conference in Chicago made tremendous strides toward strengthening the occupational health industry by improving the knowledge, relationships, and skillsets of all the professionals who attended. Roughly 48 percent more people attended the event than previous NAOHP conferences, representing the most comprehensive assembly of industry insights found anywhere in the country at one time.
This was the first national conference under the combined leadership of NAOHP’s new president and senior vice president/executive director, Cindy and Tim Ross. The couple set out to increase the value of the conference for the members of NAOHP and to build a stronger occupational health community overall – one in which individuals from every corner of the country could call upon the resources of one another for the betterment of patients and companies alike.
“This was our first time organizing and planning the national conference, and our goal was to really listen to what our members were looking for and what would benefit them the most from attending and to actually deliver those elements during the conference,” said Cindy Ross, president of NAOHP/Ryan Associates.
“This year, I’d say the focus was on coming together to share knowledge and develop our skills as peers in occupational health. And honestly, I couldn’t be happier with the way things turned out.”
“Moving forward, we plan to continue this dialogue with our members and continue to develop the conference as the industry itself evolves,” Ross added. The conference kicked off on Sunday evening with a special welcome reception with presenters, vendors, and all attendees – prior to the start of the sessions on Monday.
There were roughly 25 percent more vendors this year than at previous conferences. Larry Boress, executive director of the National Association of Worksite Health Centers, delivered a rousing keynote address about innovative services employers are now offering to their employees that had attendees talking throughout the whole three-day event.
And that notion – getting people talking – was actually a big part of NAOHP/Ryan Associates’ plans as they developed the schedule for the conference. More networking opportunities were built into the schedule to allow occupational health professionals from around the country to build the kinds of relationships that can last throughout an individual’s entire career. Because occupational health is so nuanced and diverse throughout the country, building a reliable peer network is essential for taking the industry to the next level.
Another key focus of the event was education. The educational seminars were presented in tracks this year to allow attendees to target exactly what they were seeking from the presenters. This not only allowed for more presenters to be included but also led to a larger number of educational opportunities than ever before; of which, many of the topics were suggested directly by NAOHP members themselves.
According to the survey data collected after the conference, many of the attendees felt the learning opportunities were incredibly valuable and expertly presented. Eighty-four people attended a special “CORE” occupational health certification class, leading to a packed house by all accounts, and later received their “CORE” NAOHP certifications. This class will again be offered at next year’s national conference in Nashville (Sept. 23-26, 2018) and entails topics such as gaining insight into the issues facing employers, conducting needs assessments, identifying employer prospects, and much more.
Other highlights from the conference included the entire NAOHP board of directors assembling together in one place (a rare occurrence since their roster is made up of professionals from throughout the country), special sessions involving topics like the opioid crisis as it pertains to the workplace, employer perspectives, and a town hall forum with the board. All in all, it was a highly successful event that served to augment the industry by forming a tighter community encompassing the men and women at the forefront of occupational health.
