#AAOE2026: 3 Minutes with Samantha Towler
At this year’s AAOE Annual Conference, taking place April 20-22 in Louisville, Kentucky, Samantha Towler, Ancillary Patient Services Manager at the Tennessee Orthopaedic Alliance, and Lora Pada, AVP, Customer Success at Infinx, will challenge how you think about prior authorizations. We asked them a few quick questions to preview their session—and the answers were too good not to share.
Session: Avoiding Day-of Cancellations: A Case Study in Prior Auth Optimization
1. What’s one myth or outdated practice you’re going to bust in your session—and why does it matter now more than ever?
The myth? That same-day cancellations are just an unavoidable part of orthopedics. In reality, many of them are preventable—especially when the root cause is poor prior auth workflows. That inefficiency is costing practices real money and patient trust.
2. What’s a mistake you see practices make over and over again—and what could they do instead?
Running prior auth processes manually or inconsistently across locations.
Instead, standardize and automate. Real-time tracking and EHR integration can flag gaps before they cause cancellations—and your staff will thank you.
3. What’s one idea from your session that attendees can implement the next day—and what kind of results could it unlock?
Start tracking day-of cancellations—by cause.
Just that one change reveals where your breakdowns are (like imaging or insurance delays), and gives you a clear place to start fixing them. Revenue protection starts with visibility.
4. If you could sit next to a first-time attendee during your session, what would you whisper in their ear to help them get the most out of it?
“Pay attention to the ‘before and after’ metrics—this isn't theory, it's a playbook.”
And if your team groans every time prior auth comes up, this session might be your turning point.
5. What’s something you wish you had known earlier in your career that you’ll be sharing with attendees?
That automation doesn’t replace your team—it empowers them. We saw fear at first, but once we focused on training and transparency, morale and productivity both went up.
6. Why should someone who’s still on the fence about attending the conference not miss your session?
Because every missed procedure is lost revenue, wasted clinical time, and a frustrated patient. This session shows you how to prevent that—and scale smarter with the resources you already have.
7. What’s one trend in healthcare—or in orthopedics specifically—that’s influencing your session topic right now?
The rise of same-day imaging and procedures—and the need for lightning-fast back-end processes to support them. If your authorizations can’t keep up, you’ll lose patients to practices that can.
In this challenging environment with its heavy demands, having the right tools and insights isn’t optional—it’s essential. Our speakers will give you both. But only if you’re in the room. Review the complete session lineup: Full Session Schedule
Seats are filling fast—don’t miss your chance to learn from dozens of experts at #AAOE2026. Did you know that over 60% of the speakers are AAOE members? They “get it” when it comes to smart orthopedic/MSK practice management!
Register Now: https://bit.ly/speaker-insights – Winter value pricing, saving you $250 over the in-person rate, ends Thursday, January 15th!