Leadership

A Day in the Life at NAMSS

By Dora Montemayor, CPCS, CPMSM, Kenickay Prendergast

Monday, Sept. 29 marked the first full day of the NAMSS 49th Educational Conference & Exhibition in Portland, Oregon. Whether you are with the MSP community here in The City of Roses or considering attending a NAMSS conference in the future, we’re here to take you along for the ride. Two NAMSS members, volunteers, and scholarship winners captured a play-by-play of their first full day at #NAMSS25. See what Dora Montemayor, CPCS, CPMSM; and Kenickay Prendergast were up to in Portland!

5:30 a.m.

Dora Montemayor (DM): Rise and shine! Excited to start the first day of the NAMSS 2025 conference! It’s pitch black outside, and there is no coffee available at the hotel.

6:30–8 a.m.

DM: Walked down to the lobby to start my walk over to the conference center. I met the wonderful NAMSS administration staff and another volunteer greeter. Once we got to the conference center, the volunteer greeters received a short tour, and our posts were delegated to us. It was nice to be able to greet the participants coming in and direct them to Exhibit Hall A or the registration desk.

7 a.m., Continental Breakfast

Kenickay Prendergast (KP): The day begins with coffee, but not just any coffee — a latte with my own face printed on top, courtesy of the MD-Staff exhibitor booth. The perfect fuel for a packed day.

8–9:45 a.m.

DM: It’s opening reception and keynote speaker time! It is great to hear what NAMSS has done within the MSP field, including the different certificate programs and educational programs members can join. Also, it’s great to hear and see the different members receive achievement awards and congratulate those members that received scholarships to continue growing in our field.

The keynote speaker brought the energy into the room to get a great start to our first day!

8 a.m., Opening General Session & Business Meeting

KP: The energy in Exhibit Hall A is buzzing as Rich Bracken kicks things off. First-timer jitters give way to excitement as I join hundreds of other MSPs leaning in for inspiration.

9:45–10:15 a.m.

DM: My first presentation was “A Day in the Life of an MSP.” The speaker started off with jokes and set the continued energy in the room. Do we all do what is included in our job description? The role of the MSP is an important one. Who else is going to make sure the coffee machine is working in the physician medical staff lounge, am I right? Just kidding, our job is to protect patient care and ensure quality care at our institutions.

9:45 a.m., Skill Booster: A Day in the Life of an MSP

KP: This session felt perfectly aligned — learning about defining and elevating our role made me reflect on my own path as a first-time conference attendee.

10:15–11:15 a.m.

DM: The second presentation I attended was “Maximizing Impact: How Medical Staff Services Professionals Can Leverage CME for Team Performance, Retention, and Quality Outcomes.” As the room monitor for this presentation, I received my delegated responsibilities to count the attendees in the room and advise the presenters when their time is coming to an end. My takeaway message was to work with the CME department and clinical performance department to see which CME opportunities are needed.

10:15 a.m., Morning Break

KP: Breaks here aren’t just for coffee; I headed to exhibitor booths like Credentialing Chronicles and others, even enrolling in a raffle at the Assured Booth.

11:15 a.m.–12 p.m. 

DM: Time for a lunch break! I selected the turkey sandwich with Doritos chips in the exhibit hall. I was able to catch up with the DEI committee chair and one of our other DEI committee members.

11:15 a.m., Lunch in Exhibit Hall

KP: Lunch was more than a meal; it was a networking opportunity. I sat with Dora (another first-timer) and DEI committee member Claudia, and the conversation flowed about our NAMSS fun activities, sessions, and our next session.

11:30 a.m., Pop-Up Networking: Bridging the Gap

KP: This session was a highlight of the day. I joined Dora and Claudia, both DEI committee members, to lead a thoughtful discussion on identity, bias, and belonging in the MSP profession. We shared our perspectives, encouraged others to do the same, and created a space for honest conversation. It felt both grounding and inspiring to help carry the DEI message forward at NAMSS.

12:10–12:40 p.m.

DM: Time for our DEI pop-up discussion “Bridging the Gap: Recognizing Identity, Bias, and Belonging in the MSP Profession.” We had a great discussion, and thank you to those who participated in our discussion!

12:40–1:10 p.m.

DM: I walked around the vendors’ booths and had a small knee massage at one of the vendor booths.

1:15 p.m., Skill Booster: Prompt Power — Unlocking AI for MSPs

KP: From AI-powered tools to practical takeaways, this session got me thinking about how tech can help transform documentation.

1:15–1:45 p.m.

DM: Next, onto the “Skill Booster Skills: Unlocking AI for MSPs.” What a great topic, as AI is being introduced and everyone is trying to learn about it. My key takeaway is there are two different kinds of AI available: private and public. We still must be cautious on what type of information we are entering when using AI.

1:45 p.m., Afternoon Break

KP: I joined the scavenger hunt challenge, making stops at booths and racking up progress on the app. Took a selfie at booth by registration. made a NAMSS bracelet that I’ll keep as a memory.

2–3 p.m.

DM: Who does not like to play an afternoon game of Jeopardy? The next presentation was “What Is the Scope of Practice?” Playing along helped to confirm my current skill set.

2 p.m., Breakout Session: Provider Enrollment

KP: I headed into “Provider Enrollment: Where We Were, Where We Are, and Where We Are Headed.” This session dug into the past, present, and future of enrollment processes, highlighting the challenges MSPs face and the innovations moving us forward. As someone eager to keep expanding my knowledge, I found myself connecting the dots between my own experiences and the strategies discussed. It was practical, forward-looking, and exactly what I needed to hear.

3 p.m., Break in Exhibit Hall

By now, networking had turned into scavenger hunt strategizing — visiting exhibits and chatting with other attendees about how many stops they had logged. I also stopped at the Axuall exhibitor for a caricature sketch — proof that breaks at NAMSS are never boring.

3–4 p.m.

DM: My last presentation for the day was “Cultivating Excellence With Effective Communication Utilizing Emotional Intelligence.” Understanding how to better communication with self-awareness and self-management, as well as balancing empathy to keep and build relationships. 

Great presentation to end the day! Now to grab some dinner and relax until the evening activities begin.

5 p.m., Reception: Wonderfully Weird, Uniquely Portland

KP: The reception lived up to its name. I saw a real live llama! I tried oxygen therapy with colorful light canisters, enjoyed hors d’oeuvres, and even got on the dance floor to close out the night.

There’s still so much education and connection ahead at #NAMSS25! And if you want to live a day in the life at NAMSS yourself, mark your calendars for #NAMSS26, Oct. 18–21, 2026, in New Orleans, Louisiana.