Editor’s Corner: MGMA16 comes together in San Francisco

Joanne Finnegan
Joanne Finnegan

Last week, I joined about 4,700 other people for the Medical Group Management Association’s annual conference in San Francisco.

It wasn’t by chance that the comedian Jim Gaffigan opened the conference on Sunday afternoon in front of a standing room only audience. With all the serious topics on the agenda over the next three days--MACRA, physician burnout, the acquisition of independent practices by hospitals and healthcare networks, the burden of EHRs and documentation--MGMA President and CEO Halee Fischer-Wright said the group deliberately decided to kick off with Gaffigan’s humor to counter the "Debbie Downer" headaches that seem to dominate the world of physician practices these days.

God knows, these days everyone needs a laugh whenever they can get one.

But it was down to business Monday morning when bestselling author Daniel H. Pink took the main stage and talked about changing behavior. Healthcare professionals might not think much about it, but most everyone in the workplace is in the business of persuading, selling and influencing people, he said.

RELATED: MGMA16: Like it or not, clinicians are in the persuasion business

The words often heard in doctors’ offices used to be "The Doctor will see you now.” Today, it’s "The patient will see you now," he said.

Physician practices are more focused on the patient experience and providing greater access and convenience to those patients, according to a new survey released by the MGMA.

RELATED: MGMA16: Paradigm shift: ‘The patient will see you now’

And, of course, the implications of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA) was on most attendees’ minds. I don’t think I met anyone happier than the manager from Florida whose practice did not take Medicare payments. She didn’t have to bother learning the intricacies of the complicated reimbursement system to implement MACRA.

On the other hand, there was a long line to get into the first session of the conference on the Merit-based Payment Incentive System, the payment route most practices will take.

MGMA conference logo

Those who hadn’t signed up in advance for the session waiting in line to see if seats would be available. It reminded me of the movies when the ushers come down the aisles with flashlights looking for seats in the crowded theater for those trying to get into the show. It was a full house.

RELATED: MGMA16: 6 steps to prepare your practice for MIPS

A session in the afternoon focused on the other payment path for MACRA: advanced alternative payment models. Many practices are wondering if this is something they should consider.

There were 80 sessions that attendees could choose from--far fewer than in years past. The MGMA decided to go for quality over quantity and vetted each presentation to ensure they would provide participants with helpful information. Topics ranged from ways to avoid problems during a practice acquisition to commonly made communication mistakes.

In retrospect, it was probably a wise decision that the leaders of the MGMA’s government affairs team offered no predictions on the closing day about the results of the upcoming election. Would they have seen the face of Donald Trump in their crystal ball as the country’s 45th president?

Ultimately, Fisher-Wright may have hit the nail on the head when she told FiercePracticeManagement what needs to change the most is to put the art of medicine back into practice. What draws most doctors into medicine in the first place is their desire to care for patients, something that is getting lost these days for way too many physicians.

RELATED: MGMA16: Bring the art of medicine back into practice, says Fischer-Wright