Why You Should Attend CMIA Connect
Sep 23, 2022
HTM Insider with Jenn and Karie_Sub_01_3
Sun, 9/18 8:55AM • 26:18
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
biomed, jenn, conference, sacramento, classes, register, ceus, event, vendors, attend, education, join, support, check, awards, students, people, website, yip, industry
SPEAKERS
Chyrill Sandrini, Karie Heiselt, Jennifer Nichols
Chyrill Sandrini 00:10
Hello again, it’s Chyrill with HTM Insider brought to you by MultiMedical Systems. Really excited about our episode today, we have some very special friends on Jenn Nichols of TRIMEDIX and Karie of QRS. They are some of the event gurus behind the magic at CMIA. Connect. We’ve got this screen up today because it really wants you guys to take a look at it. I want you guys to go to www.CMIAconnect.org. That’s where you’re going to find this page. Why is this important? Because you need to register and buy your tickets. Because there’s only so many spots available, we want to make sure that you have a spot, only a few days left. So jump on this today, guys. So you’re gonna go to this website, and you’re gonna see where it says buy tickets. So you click on Buy tickets. And it’s pretty easy step by step, really easy to purchase your ticket, you can go for one day, you can go for both days. There’s a lot of great things going on. There’s food that’s provided some of the events, a lot of prizes given to you by the exhibitors. So up there at the top of the page, you can click on exhibitors. Now what is an exhibitor, it’s the vendors, you want to go around and meet these vendors, there’s a lot of job openings, there’s a lot of networking going on. And you really want to stop by and check out these booths. Most of these booths be offering prizes as well. So you want to make sure you enter at those locations. And of course, MultiMedical systems will be there. We’re so happy to sponsor this event. So great to have this back in person. Then another thing you want to check out is the event schedule. What are you going to do? When are you going to do it? When do you need to be there. And you can go through there and scroll, it’s very well put together, you can find the classes, click on the classes, see what that class is about and kind of plan your day out if you want to. If you change your mind, you could change your mind that day on the spot. You’re welcome to come to any of the classes are open to everyone that attends the CMIA conference. Now, if you want to know more about the speakers, or the keynote speakers, you can click on keynote speaking right there at the top. We even have Herman McKinsey, he’s always great. And yours truly will be delivering a keynote speech as well at a lunch event. One of the other things you can look at is where am I going to stay? If you’re not local to Sacramento, we do have a host hotel, the Grand Sheraton, but there’s many hotels nearby, and maybe carpool share a room with a couple of people to reduce cost. But it’s really worth your time and your effort to come to this conference. There’s a lot of CEU credits available. You could check out Sacramento, a lot of the vendors host dinners and networking events, as well as networking events, also a CMIA and you don’t want to miss the award schedule. So actually check that out. If you have any questions. Jenn, Karie and myself are here to help. So we’re gonna dive in today about this conference. Jenn and Karie have been doing it for a lot of years. So without any further ado, I’d like to introduce my dear friend Jenn Nichols. Jenn Nichols. Can you introduce yourself?
Jennifer Nichols 03:44
Hi, my name is Jenn Nichols. I’m the Division Vice President for TRIMEDIX for the Pacific Division. I cover the territory from Kansas to the Pacific Ocean and my CMIA hat. I am the conference theocracy in my neck. This is my 10th year doing that for CMIA
Chyrill Sandrini 04:01
and Karie?
Karie Heiselt 04:02
Yes, I am carry with QRS calibrations. I am the Managing Member at QRS calibrations. I’m also from CMIA hat I am the Treasurer for State.
Chyrill Sandrini 04:13
Excellent. And that’s what we’re talking about today. Guys, if you’re in California, we’re talking about CMIA: California Medical Instrumentation Association. What is that? It’s a place for Biomedicine California get together. It’s a biomed Association here in California. My CMIA hat? Well, I just fell in where Jenn tells me to and what Karie needs. So anyway, slides we’re gonna get started today just talk about the nuts and bolts of CMIA. Where’s that, Jenn? What day is it? What time is it? And how do you register?
Jennifer Nichols 04:49
Okay, so CMIA is a nonprofit organization with a mission of really dedicated to promoting education and furthering the career of biomed in the state of California and anybody outside of California is welcome to attend. Come work for us to California to the awesome. We do an annual conference about every two years. So this year we are meeting in Sacramento. The conference will start on Thursday, September 29. With a industry toward that lock energy which will include hands on pm for either mamo or is C-arm. Friday, we’ve got a whole lineup of education for you, as well as Saturday. So we have over 30 speakers with 45 CEUs available. We have three keynotes, Friday lunch, Friday dinner Saturday live, that will get CEUs for you as well. If you have a certification to renew this year, we have your Dean David, we have Chyrill is actually one of our keynotes as well. Yeah. And then Herman McKenzie, as well, from the Joint Commission have an outreach event that we also inspired part of our education of molding the future of biomeds. And so we’ll be doing an outreach event for at least 60 biomeds in the Sacramento area. And that’ll be at ERD and Rancho Cordova, the overall mission, again, is to provide education. So it’s a two day event, you cannot come Thursday, stay through Sunday, the wrap up each year as a Casino Night for all biomed, that’s going to get fun networking events, it’s the first time we’ve been back in person in about two years, that’ll be a great place to connect with new friends at all. If you want to register, you just go to CMIA connect.org. And there’s a link there to register. You can buy your ticket online, we have an app for the conference with the all the speakers, all the CEUs, one of the great things about our platform is you’ll be given CEU at the conference, and it’ll be transferred to CLA platform where you can then just kind of report for any certification path. So it’s going to be a great event, hopefully, but make it but really, again, our focus is education and network.
Chyrill Sandrini 07:01
So what website, where did they go to find us?
Jennifer Nichols 07:06
CMIAConnect.org or if you go to CMIA.org that’s easier to remember that you can find the link to get there, you’ll see a big picture of the reg Sacramento that highlights you know, you hit the right page there, we’re on a 30 day countdown. So register now it gets your hotel, all the information there on and it’s a great platform for vendors as well that we’ll be exhibiting. I forgot to mention we do calaman exhibit hall full of vendors, we’ll have about 50 vendors and attending in support of CMIA. So we appreciate all the vendors that are coming out. But we look forward to having them in exhibit hall. There’ll be three hours down on Friday afternoon. And then again, three hours for Saturday morning interaction.
Chyrill Sandrini 07:49
Great. Karie, tell us why should a vendor attend CMIA or any of the biomed associations across the United States? What’s the benefit that you at QRS get out of these type of conferences?
Karie Heiselt 08:01
As the vendor coming to the conferences, you get face to face interaction with the customers from every day, you also get to see and live in their world of education of CEUs, of camaraderie and benefits that they can get from coming together and and promoting the biomed world. And the ways to keep promoting new people into the environment for vendors and biomedical like to keep the industry growing.
Chyrill Sandrini 08:32
You know, I love it. I love the laughs. I love the crazy dance floor that sometimes comes up. We’re always like, we are not the best dancers in this industry. But we try. That’s true. Right, Jenn? It’s true. Yeah. So what about students if you’re going to school right now because I know we have American River College up in Sacramento that has a biomed program should a student attend and why
Jennifer Nichols 08:58
From my perspective students should attend for a couple reasons. One, they’ll get a better understanding of what biomed is they’ll meet people used to be that they can network with their potential employers that will be attending as well. And again, it gives them a perspective of what a day in a biometric life with all the classes, the different trading, networking. And I think it gives them a perspective of where they can go to find help, where they can go to find a network and it’s not a one time fee. Don’t make connections here that you’ll keep for years after the conference. CMIA is an organization across the state. As you mentioned, we have eight chapters. So in addition to this conference, on each of the chapters holds bimonthly meetings in a local area, whether it were empires iego, la Sacramento, they’ll have a place to continue that partnership and that network being after the conference. And if you’re a student, we also have the outreach event which is free of charge. That is Friday afternoon again and ERD. There’ll be a rotational program that we offer For that’ll be four to six hands on session. And you’ll get to enjoy a panel of current leaders in the industry as well. That’ll be talking through what their experiences by on that day. So definitely come out of your student learn more about it.
Chyrill Sandrini 10:12
Yeah, I’m proud to say my daughter is going to be doing a class on how to break into the biomed. Industry. I know you were instrumental and inspiring her, Jenn. So thank you. Been a biomed for a year, but she’s already jumped in and coming all the way from Arizona to talk to new students. So she’s really excited about that.
Jennifer Nichols 10:33
We’re glad to have her.
Chyrill Sandrini 10:34
Yeah. So Carrie, let’s talk about what are some of the really fun things that you find that CMIA presents to vendors and biomed What are your favorite parts
Karie Heiselt 10:46
the favorite parts of the soldier interaction in the face to face so you can put a name to the face that you talk to you or email on a consistent basis. See you my is a big little world. So violent is a small world. So you see people that could have been on East Coast that are now in California. And they, they’re it’s interesting to learn their lives and their personalities, and then to also bring them in for, you know, for $25 for you know, registration in association into CMIA. And you get all this education, you get the CEUs, you get a network of people that are there to assist them.
Chyrill Sandrini 11:22
Yeah, and then incredible 25 bucks, if you’re a biomed in California, the surrounding areas $25. And let’s talk about the food, there’s always food at CMIA that you have to pay extra for the food, or can you just come in, eat your way through the conference? Well, I’d
Jennifer Nichols 11:39
Well, I’d like to say you can eat your way through the conference. But you can still do that if you buy a ticket. So if you wanted to do you have to buy a ticket, you will select all of your meals, you’ll get six meals included in your registration clause. So to breakfast to lunch and the awards dinner and you don’t want to miss the goods awards dinner, we have a feed out there as well as our breakup scholarship professional, the year and lifetime award ended up very exciting. And then if you want to in addition to that, and you combine extra ticket for the Casino Night, which will be awesome. There’ll be doing Las Vegas in Sacramento, we’ll have poker table roulette blackjack. We’ll also be having karaoke and a couple other fun items. So hopefully you’ll find the next ticket to join us for Casino Night on Saturday.
Chyrill Sandrini 12:23
And if they aren’t in the Sacramento area, and they need accommodations, where do they go?
Jennifer Nichols 12:28
Do you need accommodations or the conference will be held at the Sheraton grand Sacramento and you can find a way to book your hotel in the CMIA connect block online. So if you look at CMIAconnect.org, there’s a link there and that’ll stay hotel or accommodation. And that will take you directly to the hotel lot where you can reserve your hotel room. And it is not the air force that you don’t need a car. You could just take Uber from the airport and everything is in downtown Sacramento near the river walks it’ll be a bit tight, and then moves it right back to the airport about 20 minutes.
Chyrill Sandrini 13:04
So let’s just talk about like, okay, so I haven’t registered yet won’t be the final day that I can you know, buy a ticket or attend a conference is there a cut off time,
Jennifer Nichols 13:15
we will take all registrations until Friday morning. So show up, you can register on your iPhone if you want to. And you can do it in advance if you want to prices do increase at the door just because there’ll be extra logistics. But it’s $150 right now, for the Thursday, Friday, Saturday event. It’ll be 160 at the door and register anytime. And that would be the first look at the tember 29th.
Chyrill Sandrini 13:44
Okay, September 29, as I know, it’s right around the corner. Gosh, just suddenly, like what a month away?
Jennifer Nichols 13:50
It’s actually like 28 days, if you look at the anxiety counter on the website.
Chyrill Sandrini 13:56
Yeah. Yep. And by the time this goes to air, I’ll probably be like two weeks. So you gotta get in there. But you got to join us. Carrie, I know, you volunteered with CMIA for I don’t know how many years you’ve been involved. I mean, you’ve been a steady pillar and see my along side of Jenn since I’ve been involved in the organization, are their volunteer opportunities live abominate wants to get more involved in CMIA, or the conference? Is there something that they can help with?
Karie Heiselt 14:24
There are volunteer opportunities. Yes, I’ve been with CMIA. Now since 2009. I started as a secretary for my local chapter, which was Inland Empire at that point and then move the way up and then got to state. You want to volunteer look at the website for the chapter in your area. Log on for membership, and then join a meeting. So watch your calendars. Join the meeting in the next area. You can always reach out they’re always looking for help and support for at the meetings or other conferences. So use your website, get your membership, and then join your chapter and Watch the dates and then go for the dinner or afternoon, whatever they may be doing. Each chapter does a little bit different, but join your chapter and help support because this is all volunteers that that do this.
Chyrill Sandrini 15:14
Now, Jenn, your manager, and he let’s say you have biomeds come to you. And they go, Hey, Boss, can I get a couple days off to go to CMIA? What would you say? And how should they pitch it to their managers as something that they should? Let them attend?
Jennifer Nichols 15:32
A good question. So I don’t necessarily think you need to take time off. This is a continuous education training opportunity and goes towards your career development and your performance throughout the year. So I would see this as a benefit of increasing yourself career wise to your employer being a more value add. I think the reasons you should go are the hands on experience at CMIA provides students sessions, their 90 minute sessions, you get some good materials and take that, even if it’s just you touching base with the topic for the first time, it really sets a desire to grow in the knowledge base after you meet the MIA. I also think you meet people along the way at the conference or in CMIA meeting, that you can use as help when you can get tech support or just an idea to bounce off if they’ve seen the same thing where they are. Now, I think it’s selling points or education, career development, professional development, networking, all of that would resonate with me if I was to, you know, somebody come to me and ask me tonight go to CMIA.
Chyrill Sandrini 16:34
Nice. Now, what about the classes? Right? What about class? Do you have to sign up for the classes? Um, how do you plan your schedule? I know it’s overwhelming the very first time go, and even as a speaker, you know, teach all over the state? It you don’t really know like, what the plan is, when you first hit the floor? You open your book? Oh, my gosh, where should I go? Can you just pop into classes? Or should you register before?
Jennifer Nichols 17:01
No question, you can pop into classes. So we have designed a website that you can look at all the classes in that time block that are being offered. So there’s six sessions at a time and each time block. And you can pick the one that resonates with you, they all have a bio or a speaker, they also have the information on what classes will be offered. So the abstract of that class itself. So between the two of those, you’ll have enough information to decide what class is best for your knowledge or your increased knowledge. And then you’ll have the opportunity to do that for five different windows three opportunities on Friday into on Saturday. Again, you don’t need to pre register, you can do it when you get there, do it on the play whatever works for you. But do download the app and then you’ll be able to see all of that free prior to showing up. And if you do want the CEUs attached to your CMIA profile, or you want just the CEU credits report, in general, you’re going to need to log on to your profile and have that available. At the each session you will be asked me to scan the QR code, the beginning portion, and a QR code at the end of the session to show that you attended and therefore will give you the CEU from there and automatically trickle over. So again, if you’re going somewhere, make sure you show up on time to the class and that you stay to the end to get your full CEU credit.
Chyrill Sandrini 18:18
Yeah, it’s a great time you guys, if you haven’t attended at biomed Association, in your state or in your area, and you’re not part of CMIA I encourage you to reach out if you want to reach out to Jennifer carrier myself. We’re accessible we could help you get logged in or to find the website or if you have any questions but I gotta tell you you can’t miss this event. This is the last event guys whether it right before COVID Like for the world shut down wasn’t it January? where it was.
Jennifer Nichols 18:47
Yeah, was it was, January 2020
Chyrill Sandrini 18:50
Yeah. Yeah, amazing. It’s been a long time. So we missed you guys. And we really want you to come on down to Sacramento or up to Sacramento, depending on where you’re coming from. And really reach out and enjoy the experience. That’s going to go over a couple more things, ladies. So what’s the attire like? Because I’ve had biomed asked me why haven’t I ever what to wear, I don’t have anything fancy. Gym, get fancy to CMIA
Jennifer Nichols 19:15
You don’t have to come fancy we’ll take you as you are. A typical dress code would be collared shirts. No tie, no jacket needed unless you feel like and some dress slacks. Flip flops, you could probably leave for the Casino Night. Otherwise, we’re come as you are.
Chyrill Sandrini 19:34
Hey Karie, don’t you think that some type of business card or makeup little slips of paper with your name on it is a good idea?
Karie Heiselt 19:41
Yeah, I think it’s a good idea always to bring some association to yourself and where you want to be whether it’s your personal email or your work, we will have that you know in the registration information, but you know, bring your business cards. You know, bring something that if somebody does want to talk to you later, you’re ready to have that conversation. And then most and foremost, it’s come out to support for your violet of the year that’s going to be awarded and the scholarships for the Frank Yip, for the upcoming students. So be prepared to, you know, stay and get involved and just come to your class and then head on out. We need everybody to come and stay and listen and support.
Jennifer Nichols 20:20
Who is Frank Yip?
Karie Heiselt 20:23
Frank Yip is we have a scholarship fund for the students and Frank Yip, is I’m gonna, I need to look back on him. But he was a biomed, from long before and he established the fund and we have some information on him on the website. So you can see how the fun got started, and where it all drove from. But we have I believe, four or five award winners that are going to get their scholarship award and plaque on the evening of the awards and presentation plus the biomed of the year, and the lifetime CMIA members. So it is a great idea to come for the classes, enjoy the lunch, enjoy the dinners, and then support the award ceremonies.
Chyrill Sandrini 21:05
So we’re talking cash, how much cash Jenn is involved in the franc gift scholarships.
Jennifer Nichols 21:11
The awards are $500 out of this car. So the four winners will be getting a $500 Check. We’d love to see them there. And that all works out with their schedule. If not, we’ll be mailing it and have a local celebration at CMIA chapter.
Chyrill Sandrini 21:26
How do you get nominated for Frank Yip?
Jennifer Nichols 21:28
Good question. On our website, we’ve made it super easy for everybody to apply. It’s an automated process, you can go right into the website, it’s about three pages. The first stage has probably got 20 fields on it, which includes your first name, your last name, all of the basics, right? Second page, gents, your resume and a letter of recommendation. And the third day you’re confirming everything, you should probably start a little early to get out. So the next timeframe we’re looking at is having CMIA Connect 2024 in the first quarter of 2024. So nominations will probably be due towards the end of Q4 of 2023. But you can go on now submit your information early if you want. And then all of that information goes through to the scholarship to writing to review. And then on notify winners are notified. And I will add if you’re a winner, you do get a free conference registration to attend. So when a double bonus, you get a $500 check to offset school expensive. And then you got you know, the free registration to come on up and be part of the award ceremony.
Chyrill Sandrini 22:31
I mean, that’s so exciting. I love to go to the award ceremony. I remember my first year I made I got just what, 10 years ago now I think we’re in San Diego. I just remember being in San Diego, and I didn’t know who Frank gift was and what the awards were about. Uh, gosh, the party was fun. Yeah, well, they’re all
Karie Heiselt 22:51
it’s fun when you’re there.
Chyrill Sandrini 22:52
Ah, okay. What’s the CMIA of the year? Like how do you how do you nominate for that? Is that the same process? Is is it from those people are
Jennifer Nichols 23:01
The Professional of the Year, you can either self nominate or had somebody nominated or you very similar process to the brains? Yes. That does include the many your typical information about yourself? Or your nominated does it for you a resume? And typically it include the letter of why and qualify in three different areas? How do you support the CMIA? How do you support the industry? And how do you support your community. So we’re looking for those three things, when you look. So if you’re going to interested in applying for the conference award that will be handed out Q4, Go check out those three bullet points on examples of what we’re looking for. But again, it is an electronic submission very simple if you have everything. The only difference is we do ask for letters of recommendation for the professional year. So it’s not encouraged to get two to four letters of recommendation to attach to your application. And the process would be the same order to be reviewed all application and notify is the winner at an awards.
Chyrill Sandrini 24:06
Now it’s great. I remember Jose from Kaiser, he got it last last year Jose Zimbrada. Well, desert, there’s a lot of volunteer time was CMIA will send this and
Jennifer Nichols 24:17
if you’re interested, you could check out all of the previous winners on CMIA.org, they are all listed there. So it’s a very distinguished list.
Chyrill Sandrini 24:24
Yeah, great people. I hope you guys all join us at CMIA conference. CMIA connect 2022 In Sacramento, I’ve really enjoyed spending time with my friends, Karie and Jen, we get we have a lot of laughs together. So, you know, call us text us, email us, you know, we’re here for you. We want to make this a very successful event and we’ve missed your faces. So ladies, you have anything to add to this conversation. What’s your words of wisdom that you can share with them of why they should come and join us at CMIA connect 2022
Karie Heiselt 25:00
My Words of wisdom are to show up so come register support your vendors support the educators that have flown in to support our events. But the first and foremost is we need your bodies there
Chyrill Sandrini 25:14
and Jenn?
Jennifer Nichols 25:14
I second that. We want to be everybody’s faces after two and a half years apart and want to network we want to meet new people and lots of all great and fun and lasting memories. So we hope you’ll join us for CMIA Connect ’22 in Sacramento.
Chyrill Sandrini 25:28
Thank you ladies for joining me today and we really want to see weapon second minute was gonna be great weather. It’s beautiful on the river there. If you’ve never been, you have to experience that with a golden bridge that crosses the Sacramento River. Join us and follow us here at HTM Insider at any place that you listen or watch your podcast for us on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. So if you have any questions, give us a call. Send me an email message LinkedIn message me, and I’ll get back to you. Thank you again ladies for joining me today. It’s been such a pleasure. Thanks, Chyrill for having us, thank you. Bye!