Leadership | 09.29.25
Cultivating Excellence: Day 1 at #NAMSS25
By NAMSS Publications Committee
Welcome to the NAMSS 49th Educational Conference and Exhibition, taking place live in Portland, Oregon. More than 1,000 MSPs traveled to cultivate excellence and empower Tomorrow’s MSP® across three days of education, networking, and enrichment. Throughout the weekend leading up to the opening reception and ribbon cutting, MSPs engaged in some pre-conference programming before officially kicking off the conference. Here, the NAMSS Publications Committee recaps the key sessions, events, and conversations that happened on Monday, Sept. 29.
Become the DJ of Your Life
To start the day, NAMSS President Karen Claxton, MBA, CPCS, CPMSM, FMSP, took the stage to welcome attendees to #NAMSS2025, reflect on the year’s accomplishments, and celebrate our vibrant community of MSPs. NAMSS Secretary-Treasurer Amy Lyons, MBA, CPCS, CPMSM, FMSP, then provided a financial report before turning the mic back to Karen for her presidential address and awards presentation. Congratulations to the 2025 NAMSS awardees!
- Ebony Smith, CPCS, CPMSM, NAMSS Certification Impact Award
- Don Eberly, CPCS, CPMSM, Joan Covell-Carpenter Award
- Nyleen Flores, CPMSM, CPCS, CPCO, CASC, FMSP, Joan Covell-Carpenter Award
- Michelle Butler, MS, CPCS, CPMSM, FMSP, NAMSS Fellow
- DeLaine Christie, CPCS, CPMSM, FMSP, NAMSS Fellow
- Vicki Mash, MBA, CPMSM, CPCS, FMSP, NAMSS Fellow
- Amanda Walker, CPCS, CPMSM, FMSP, NAMSS Fellow
- Anne Roberts, Esq., CPCS, CPMSM, ICON Award
- Sarah Meshak, Esq., NAMSS Leadership Award
After the awards, Karen then thanked outgoing board members and welcomed new board members before inviting NAMSS Conference Committee Chair Ann Klinger, CPCS, CPMSM, to the stage for a conference overview and keynote introduction to opening keynote speaker Rich Bracken.
Rich brought the tunes and dance party vibes to the session room, giving attendees actionable takeaways and reminding MSPs that they are their own most important resource. As you take in all you’ve learned at conference, reflect on Rich’s advice to:
- Book time on your calendar to do something for yourself, whether it is cleaning your office or getting a head start on a project you haven’t had time for, because you are always putting others first.
- Boundaries are important, and “no” is a complete sentence. Be proactive about setting boundaries, and even offer other times to help to ensure you are prioritizing your own needs and tasks.
- Routines allow mental capacity and positive energy. Test a new routine, like picking out your work outfit the night before to free up some brain space in the morning.
- Give yourself an “adult passing period” by blocking off five minutes after a meeting to get water, take time for yourself, and consider what follow ups you have to do from that meeting.
- Invest in self-care. Whether it’s a spa day or listening to a song that makes you happy, put yourself first for a moment.
- Self-belief is of the utmost importance. Overcome imposter syndrome, remember your input is unique, and start buying into yourself, even in small doses.
By following this advice, you have the power to DJ your own life. Making a playlist of your favorite hype songs helps, too.
Concurrent Session Key Takeaways
Review some quick-hits from today’s sets of concurrent and general sessions:
- In a world of increasing social media and technology use, MSPs are dealing with unique cases of unprofessional conduct from medical staff, which can lead to higher staff turnover and lawsuits.
- What should MSPs look for when reviewing a provider’s CME participation data? Understand that education isn’t about completion; it’s a journey of learning, and continuing medical education is there to help doctors do that. MSPs can encourage providers to prioritize their professional development.
- Seventy percent of an employee’s view of a company comes directly from the leaders’ emotional intelligence. Company performance is 22 times higher when emotional intelligence is a stated priority.
- Did you attend a Skill Booster Session today? In the AI session, the following prompts were presented: Thought prompt tips = [role/perspective] + [goal] + [audience] + [key details] + [format] + [tone] + [constraints]
- What is scope of practice? A nurse compact differs from physician compact in that nurses only need one compact license, and it is good in any participating compact state whereas physicians need separate compact license for each state.
- In the afternoon provider enrollment session, a recommendation was made to create data entry standard (i.e., using USPS address formatting an abbreviations, etc.) and to standardize file naming conventions. Publications Committee member Teresa Saulnier, CPCS, CPMSM, says, “As my hospital moves toward sharing one database between hospital credentialing and privileging, payer enrollment, and residents, I know this will become even more important than it already is!”
Live From Portland
#NAMSS2025 attendees have a lot to share about their conference experience so far, why they choose NAMSS membership, what NAMSS certification means to them, and what their favorite hype song is as inspired by today’s keynote. Let’s hear what they had to say:
- “I was recently certified, and I figured I'd make the most out of it. I joined NAMSS for discounts on CEs, because I think the education is really important, and I love the free webinars and all of the things available to me.” —Chelsea Schoaff, CPCS
- “Mine is Bruno Mars, ‘Uptown Funk.’ How do you not feel good? Especially if you got your favorite outfit on, your hair is done, you’re ready to go out, feeling yourself. And some days you are not feeling like yourself, but if you hear that song, how are you going to be mad?” —Crystal Isham
- “I have a lot [of favorite hype songs], because I love music. But ‘Footloose’ is always my go-to. If I’m out anywhere and I want to dance, that is my go-to. It will get me going.” —Tracy Wood
- “The keynote was fabulous, a great way to start off conference. Who doesn’t love music to get you going? My hype song is ‘Pour Some Sugar on Me’ by Def Leppard.” —Shannon Carlson, CPCS
- “My favorite song to get me hyped and motivated is actually set as my alarm every day. It’s ‘Pretty Girls’ by Wale.” —Teanna Strickland
- “I love Bruno Mars’ ‘Uptown Funk’ and Justin Timberlake’s ‘Can’t Stop the Feeling’ from the ‘Trolls’ movie.” —Flora Flint
- “I volunteer with NAMSS because I want to help the MSOs, the credentialing staff, with their job, and I want to hear what their pain points are and what I can do in my job. I work for a locums company, and I want to know what I can do to make their jobs easier when we’re bringing new providers in.” —NAMSS Publications Committee member Arianne Smith
- “I spoke with the lovely Sonia Villescas today. She is a veteran MSP and has been a member for a while but is a first-time attendee. While we waited for the headshot photographers to return from break, I asked her the new attendee questions. She prepared for conference by submitting a budget in advance and checking the weather forecast. She said that her company didn't even know that NAMSS existed! She plans to take back the information she has learned and hopes to bring her whole team to conference next year. Her advice for future attendees is to bring walking shoes, not boots (she's from Texas), and to stay hydrated. She also prepared questions for presenters in advance. Sonia also shared that she really enjoyed the leadership pre-conference seminar.” —Teresa Saulnier, CPCS, CPMSM
What’s Next?
Tomorrow is another full day at #NAMSS2025! The general session panel “The Road Ahead: Regulatory & Government Trends Shaping the MSP Role” begins at 8 a.m., followed by rounds of concurrent sessions, more Skill Booster sessions, pop-up networking in the afternoon, and the NAMSS Night In: Karaoke! event kicking off at 5 p.m. We can’t wait to cultivate and empower you as Tomorrow’s MSP®, together.
Acknowledgements
Thank you to the NAMSS Publications Committee for contributing to these daily recaps as conference reporters.
2025 NAMSS Publications Committee
NAMSS Publications Committee