Call For Speakers
Share Your Experience at Heartland Conference!
Since 2001, Heartland Conference has brought together professionals across the home medical equipment and homecare industry for education, connection, and practical insight.
We invite subject matter experts, healthcare professionals, business leaders, consultants, vendors, and experienced practitioners to propose educational sessions that help attendees solve real challenges, strengthen their organizations, improve care, and prepare for what is next in the industry.
Whether you are an experienced presenter or sharing your expertise at Heartland for the first time, we encourage you to submit a session that is relevant, actionable, engaging, and grounded in real-world experience.
Review the requirements and timelines below before beginning. All proposals must be submitted through the online form.
Key Dates
| Milestone | Date |
|---|---|
Call for Speakers open |
September 5, 2026 |
Proposal submission deadline |
October 31, 2026 |
Selection notifications sent |
No later than Jan. 1, 2027 |
Full schedule released |
No later than Feb. 15, 2027 |
Final presentation materials due |
Six weeks before the conference, May 3, 2027 |
Heartland Conference |
June 14-16, 2027 |
Late or incomplete proposals will not be reviewed. An automated confirmation will be emailed after a proposal is successfully submitted.
About the Heartland Audience
Heartland Conference attendees represent a wide range of roles and experience levels across the HME and homecare industry. The audience includes organizational leaders, operational professionals, clinicians, billing and compliance professionals, technology leaders, sales and marketing professionals, and other healthcare-industry experts.
Attendees expect current, credible, practical education they can apply after the conference. Strong sessions respect the audience’s existing knowledge while making complex information understandable and useful.
What We Are Looking For
We are looking for sessions that help attendees:
- Respond to emerging industry, regulatory, clinical, workforce, and technology challenges
- Apply proven practices to improve business operations, patient care, compliance, or customer experience
- Learn from real examples, case studies, successes, setbacks, and lessons learned
- Evaluate new ideas, tools, technologies, or approaches
- Leave with steps, resources, or strategies they can use in their organizations
- Engage with the content through discussion, reflection, examples, activities, or application
The strongest proposals will clearly explain:
- Why the topic matters to the Heartland audience
- What attendees will learn or be able to do
- How the session will go beyond information sharing
- What practical value attendees will take back to their organizations
- Why the proposed speaker or speaker team is qualified to teach the topic
Proposals are unlikely to be selected when they:
- Primarily promote a company, product, service, device, or speaker
- Function as a product demonstration or sales presentation
- Lack clear, measurable learning objectives
- Are overly broad, introductory, or theoretical without practical application
- Repeat information readily available elsewhere without adding a fresh perspective
- Rely heavily on audience data collection, lead generation, or post-session solicitation
- Do not demonstrate sufficient speaker knowledge or experience
- Do not align with a Heartland education track or audience need
Education Tracks
Select the track that best aligns with your proposed session. Heartland Conference may place an accepted session in a different track when another placement better supports the program.
Explore reimbursement, audits, documentation, regulatory requirements, and strategies that help organizations reduce risk, maintain compliance, and strengthen revenue-cycle performance.
Potential topics include:
- Medicare and Medicaid updates
- Documentation and medical necessity
- Audit readiness and response
- Denials, appeals, and reimbursement
- Billing accuracy and internal controls
- Compliance-program development
- Payer requirements and emerging policy changes
Focus on the systems, practices, and decisions required to operate and grow a sustainable HME or homecare organization.
Potential topics include:
- Workflow and process improvement
- Financial strategy and performance
- Inventory and supply-chain management
- Customer and service operations
- Productivity and capacity planning
- Quality improvement
- Scaling and organizational change
Address the clinical, operational, funding, documentation, and advocacy considerations involved in delivering complex rehab technology.
Potential topics include:
- Documentation and funding
- Clinical evaluation and outcomes
- Pediatric and specialty solutions
- Assistive technology
- Collaborative care models
- Repair and service delivery
- Legislative and payer advocacy
Explore the changing healthcare ecosystem and the policies, partnerships, and delivery models shaping home-based care.
Potential topics include:
- Value-based care
- Legislative and regulatory developments
- Health-plan and payer partnerships
- Advocacy and public policy
- Care coordination
- Alternative payment models
- Integration across care settings
Equip leaders and people professionals to build capable teams, develop talent, strengthen culture, and lead through change.
Potential topics include:
- Leadership and manager development
- Coaching and feedback
- Employee engagement and retention
- Culture and accountability
- Workforce planning
- Succession and talent development
- Leading hybrid or remote teams
Explore current clinical practices, technologies, regulatory developments, and patient-engagement strategies in respiratory care.
Potential topics include:
- CPAP and sleep therapy
- Oxygen therapy
- Noninvasive ventilation
- Remote monitoring
- Patient adherence and engagement
- Clinical documentation
- Respiratory program operations
Help organizations create meaningful customer connections, communicate value, develop markets, and support sustainable growth.
Potential topics include:
- Digital marketing
- Retail strategy
- Brand development
- Referral relationships
- Customer experience
- Sales-team development
- Ethical and compliant growth strategies
Examine how organizations can use technology effectively while protecting information, systems, and business continuity.
Potential topics include:
- Cybersecurity and data protection
- HIPAA-related technology considerations
- Artificial intelligence and automation
- Technology selection and implementation
- Digital transformation
- Business continuity
- Emerging technology risks and opportunities
Session Formats and Lengths
Heartland Conference accepts proposals for the following session formats:
Educational Session
A 60-minute session led by one or more presenters. Sessions should incorporate meaningful participant engagement and allow time for questions and a review of the learning objectives.
Panel Discussion
A facilitated discussion featuring multiple perspectives and companies on a defined industry issue. The proposal submitter serves as the primary contact and is responsible for identifying proposed panelists, coordinating preparation, and submitting required materials.
Pre-Conference Workshop
A 3-hour application-focused experience in which participants practice, discuss, or work through a topic held on the first day of the conference. Proposals should explain how the additional time will be used and what participants will complete or apply.
Lunch & Learn
A focused 45-minute educational session delivered during a scheduled meal period.
Heartland Conference determines the final session format, length, schedule, and room assignment based on program needs. Submission of a preferred format does not guarantee that assignment.
What You Will Need to Submit
Session Information
- Session title: Maximum 80 characters, including spaces
- Education track: Select the track that most closely aligns with the topic
- Preferred session format and duration: Choose from the available options
- Session description: 100 to 150 words
- Three learning objectives
- Intended audience: Identify the roles that will benefit most
- Experience level: Foundational, intermediate, or advanced
- Session takeaways: Identify the practical tools, decisions, actions, or resources attendees will gain
- Engagement approach: Briefly explain how attendees will participate or apply the content
- Previous presentation information: Identify whether the session has been presented previously and, if requested, where and when
- Special audiovisual or room requirements: Identify needs beyond the standard equipment provided
Presenter Information
For each presenter, prepare:
- Full name
- Professional title
- Organization
- Email address
- Phone number
- City and state
- Professional credentials
- Biography of approximately 100 words
- Headshot
- Relevant speaking, teaching, professional, or subject-matter experience
Disclosure Information
Presenters selected for the program will be required to disclose relevant financial and professional relationships connected to the proposed content. Heartland Conference may require additional information or take steps to address a relationship that could affect the balance or independence of the education.
Disclosure belongs in your speaker process because continuing-education standards emphasize identifying, addressing, and disclosing relevant financial relationships, along with preventing commercial bias and marketing.
How to Write a Strong Session Description
Your description should help reviewers and prospective attendees quickly understand:
- The need, problem, or opportunity the session addresses
- What the session will cover
- How the content applies to the Heartland audience
- What attendees will gain from participating
Write in clear, audience-focused language. Avoid company slogans, promotional claims, unexplained acronyms, and descriptions that focus primarily on the presenter or organization.
Recommended description structure:
[Describe the challenge or opportunity.] During this session, participants will explore [key concepts, practices, or examples]. Attendees will learn how to [primary application or benefit] and will leave with [specific takeaway, tool, or next step].
How to Write Learning Objectives
- Every proposal must include three clear, specific, and measurable learning objectives.
- Each objective should complete the statement: "After completing this session, the participant will be able to..."
- Each objective should include an observable action verb, such as:
- Apply
- Compare
- Create
- Demonstrate
- Describe
- Develop
- Differentiate
- Evaluate
- Identify
- Implement
- Select
Avoid vague verbs that are difficult to assess, such as:
- Appreciate
- Become aware of
- Know
- Learn
- Understand
Examples
After completing this session, the participant will be able to:
- Identify three common billing errors and select an appropriate corrective action for each.
- Apply two leadership practices that support employee accountability and engagement.
- Compare available respiratory-monitoring approaches using defined clinical and operational criteria.
Heartland Conference may edit proposed objectives for clarity, measurability, or accreditation alignment without changing the intended purpose of the session.
How Proposals Are Reviewed
Proposals are reviewed using the following criteria:
- Addresses a current or emerging audience need
- Aligns with at least one education track
- Is appropriate for HME, homecare, or related healthcare professionals
- Has a clear purpose and three measurable objectives
- Provides substantive education rather than promotion
- Uses credible, balanced, and appropriately supported content
- Includes practical application or usable takeaways
- Is complete, focused, and clearly written
- Describes an achievable scope for the requested session length
- Explains how attendees will engage with or apply the content
- Demonstrates relevant subject-matter expertise
- Shows appropriate professional, teaching, or lived experience
- Identifies all proposed speakers and their roles
- Adds a useful perspective to the overall conference program
- Complements other proposed sessions
- Offers timely, distinctive, or innovative value
- Can be delivered within available scheduling, format, accreditation, and operational requirements
Heartland Conference may accept a proposal as submitted, request revisions, combine related ideas, recommend a different format or track, or decline the proposal.
Educational and Non-Commercial Expectations
Heartland Conference sessions are educational forums. A speaking role is not a sales, promotional, or lead-generation opportunity.
Speakers may discuss relevant technologies, services, equipment, business approaches, and industry solutions when they are necessary to the educational purpose of the session. The overall presentation must remain balanced and should not be structured to promote a single company or commercial offering.
Selected speakers will be required to:
- Disclose relevant relationships
- Follow educational and commercial-neutrality requirements
- Use generic terminology when appropriate
- Present alternatives fairly when specific products or approaches are discussed
- Support clinical, regulatory, or technical claims with appropriate evidence or sources
- Remove or revise promotional content when requested
- Keep attendee education separate from sales or lead-generation activities
Attendee Privacy and Data Collection
Heartland Conference speaking opportunities are provided for education, not for access to attendee data or sales leads.
Speakers may not:
- Receive or request attendee lists because of their speaking role
- Scan badges or collect business cards in connection with a session
- Use sign-up sheets, lead forms, QR codes, gated downloads, or appointment links to collect attendee information
- Require attendees to provide information to access presentation materials or session resources
- Use attendee information obtained through the session for unsolicited marketing or sales activity
Presentation slides, handouts, and other approved session resources will be distributed through the official channel designated by Heartland Conference.
If Your Proposal Is Selected
The primary proposal submitter will receive selection results by email no later than January 1, 2027. Selection communications will be sent to the email address included in the submission.
Selected speakers will be expected to:
- Accept the speaking invitation by the stated deadline.
- Confirm all presenters and their contact information.
- Complete required speaker and accreditation documentation.
- Disclose relevant financial and professional relationships.
- Participate in speaker onboarding or required education.
- Develop the session around the approved learning objectives.
- Use the Heartland Conference presentation template.
- Follow presentation, accessibility, evidence, citation, and commercial-neutrality requirements.
- Submit final slides, handouts, references, and supporting materials by[DATE], six weeks before the conference.
- Make required revisions following Heartland’s educational and compliance review.
- Present at the assigned time and location.
Failure to complete required documentation, submit materials, make required revisions, or meet deadlines may result in withdrawal of the speaking invitation.
Presentation Materials and Technology
Selected speakers will receive additional presentation specifications and submission instructions.
Speakers will be required to:
- Use the Heartland Conference PowerPoint template
- Follow the required slide dimensions and formatting
- Meet applicable accessibility requirements
- Include requested disclosure, learning-objective, reference, and closing slides
- Submit the final presentation by the stated deadline
- Use the conference-provided presentation computer and audiovisual setup unless another arrangement is approved
- Identify special audiovisual or room needs during proposal submission
Heartland Conference may review and revise presentation materials for formatting, accessibility, accreditation compliance, educational quality, or commercial neutrality.
An attendee-ready PDF of the presentation and approved supporting resources will be made available through the conference’s official attendee platform. Speakers are responsible for securing permission to include and distribute third-party material.
Speaker Registration and Expenses
Each approved presenter will receive one complimentary conference registration.
The complimentary registration:
- Is valid only for the Heartland Conference year in which the speaker is selected to present.
- Has no cash value and is non-transferable unless otherwise approved by Heartland Conference.
- Cannot be deferred, carried forward, credited, exchanged, or applied toward registration for a future Heartland Conference.
- Must be used during the conference year associated with the accepted presentation.
Unless otherwise communicated in writing, speakers are responsible for their own travel, lodging, meals outside of conference-provided events, and incidental expenses.
Ready to Submit?
Before beginning the form, confirm that you have:
- A focused title of no more than 80 characters
- A 100- to 150-word session description
- Three measurable learning objectives
- A defined audience and experience level
- A clear explanation of attendee takeaways and engagement
- Complete information for every proposed presenter
- A biography of approximately 100 words for each presenter
- Any special audiovisual or room requests
- Reviewed the speaker agreements that appear at the end of the submission form
Allow enough time to complete the full proposal. Incomplete proposals will not be reviewed.
Proposal deadline: October 31, 2026 at 11:59 PM CST