At a time when there is general concern that healthcare costs are once again skyrocketing, it is somewhat surprising to see that the Premier Patient and Guest Services Conference is not only still around but growing rapidly. The fourth annual conference, sponsored by Mary Ann Liebert publishers and presented by BioConferences International, will be held Oct. 28-30, 2001 at the Fairmont Copley Plaza hotel in Boston.

The conference focuses on the growth and expansion of premier services within hospitals as well as in the ambulatory care environment. The conference will also highlight how premier services have spread to specialty hospitals -- including cancer centers, cardiac centers, children's hospitals, psychiatric hospitals, rehabilitation hospitals, surgery centers, and much more.

Keynote speakers include Frank Corvino, President and CEO of Greenwich Hospital, Irwin Press, CEO of Press Ganey, the leading patient satisfaction survey firm in the industry, and David M. Jones, Executive Director, Partners International Program.

Other speakers include Leslie Bank, Greenwich Hospital; Carol Blakely, Johns Hopkins; Keith Erskine, HCA International; Aleli Frias, Johns Hopkins; Stephen Gudgell, Mayo Clinic; Lisa Hogarty, Beth Israel- St Luke's Roosevelt Hospital; John Martinez, Fox Chase Cancer Center; Jon O'Sullivan, Value Management; Denise Pelle, New York's Beth Israel Hospital; Maureen Ryan, Washington Medical Center; Craig Solle, Mountainside Hospital; Stuart Spurlock, Medical City Dallas Hospital; and Judy Stewart, Creative Sense.

The conference will feature sessions on managing an international patient services program, nursing issues in the premier unit, generating increased revenue from premier services, starting a premier program, premier services in the ambulatory care environment, premier services in specialty hospitals, the advent of boutique hospitals, instilling the service culture in the premier operation, training and other topics. The complete program and online registration can be found at www.bioconferences.com.

There will be a pre-conference tour of Brigham and Women's Hospital, ranked as the eleventh best hospital in the nation in the annual U.S. News and World Report's Best 100 Hospitals list.

The Annual Premier Patient Services Innovator Awards will be presented at a luncheon on Oct. 29th at the conference.

Exhibitors include Eon Media, Get Well Network, Hotel Recovery, Pyxis, Soexho, Tsoi/Kobus & Associates and Unitex. Other companies that service the hospital, nursing home and healthcare industry who want to exhibit at or attend the conference should contact Michele Keesser at (914)834-3100, ext. 624, or Joanne Gallichio at (914) 834-3100,ext 629.