March 16, 2022
The NHIA Annual Conference in Nashville concludes today. The event, which began Sunday, was the first in-person conference NHIA has hosted since 2019 and attendees continuously remarked how great it was to be able to reconnect, network and form valuable partnerships face-to-face. More than 1,200 home infusion therapy professionals and 110 companies supplying products and services to the industry attended educational and networking events as well as a trade Expo.
At NHIA 2022, we heard how “the future of medicine is infusion,” as we looked at new drugs and developments in areas such as gene therapies.
We learned about the challenges and lessons learned as a health system saw a 700% rise in home infusion patients during the pandemic.
While we heard one presentation projecting that the home infusion market is expected to triple this decade with annual revenue topping $62 billion in 2030, speakers shared countless lessons on how to build a profitable base of business and streamline operations in the present.
We were also lucky to experience the story of the parents of a young boy who started infusions for Gaucher’s Disease at 5 months old. It was heartwarming to hear how home infusion has allowed them a return to normalcy after having to travel 700 miles for his first infusions. They talked about how their son could be himself and how home infusion enabled a connection with other family members and a reclamation of his disease that wouldn’t have been possible otherwise.
At the backbone of many of these discussions was data—data that informs business operations, clinical decision-making and data that can encourage regulations that support patient access to home infusion. We shared ways for providers to participate in important data gathering efforts through NHIF’s Benchmarking Programs.
More than anything, as NHIA members and other industry professionals gathered in Nashville, it became abundantly clear that this year was about connection more than anything else. Emmy award-winning keynote speaker Mark Scharenbroich shared a hilarious and heartfelt message about how the most meaningful interactions require us to acknowledge, honor and connect with others. Just as our community connected in Nashville and reinforced our belonging to this wonderful field, this also reflects the core values of our industry and how home and alternate site infusion exists to acknowledge, honor and connect with our patients in the best way we can.
We hope to see you next year at NHIA 2023, where the event will be held in Washington, DC at the Gaylord National Harbor from March 25-29.
Last week concluded the 2024 National Home Infusion Association Annual Conference (NHIA 2024), which brings together more than 1,600 home and alternate site infusion professionals for four days of networking, education, and exhibits.
The National Home Infusion Association has announced the finalists for its 2024 Exhibitor Innovation Award. The award recognizes groundbreaking products or services that advance the home and alternate site infusion industry.
CMS released its annual monitoring report[link] on the Medicare Part B Home Infusion Therapy (HIT) Services benefit showing that both provider participation and beneficiary utilization have declined over the past year.
