Thousands of healthcare leaders will come together in Boston for four days for the 2018 Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) conference starting this weekend.
The conference, which runs from Sept. 30 to Oct. 3, will focus on bringing people together to share the latest strategies, trends and best practices of medical groups.
Make sure and watch for our coverage next week live from MGMA18 right here at FiercePracticeManagement.
What should you watch for? Take a look:
Starting Monday morning, focus areas include patient-centered care, best practices in operation, strategy and planning, government affairs, professional development and leadership, financial management and updates on federal laws and regulations.
Several sessions will focus on how medical practices can succeed in an era of significant payment reform. MGMA’s government affairs staff will update participants about the quality, cost and EHR components of Medicare’s Merit-based Incentive Payment System and opportunities for practices interested in alternative payment models.
Monday, Oct. 1, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Mollie Gelburd, J.D., and Drew Voytal, both associate directors of government affairs for the MGMA, will provide a Washington update. They will review the healthcare issues under consideration and finalized by Congress and federal regulatory agencies, including Medicare payment policies and compliance and security issues.
Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2:45-3:45 p.m. This session will include a discussion of regulatory relief efforts by MGMA government affairs staff. Anders Gilberg, senior vice president of government affairs, Jennifer McLaughlin, J.D., senior associate director of government affairs and Robert Tennant, director of health information technology, will provide an overview of regulatory burdens impeding physician practices and efforts to mitigate them.
Wednesday, Oct. 3, 8:15-9:15 a.m. Tennant will provide up-to-date information on critical health information technology issues coming from Congress, federal regulatory agencies and the private sector. Topics for the session include opportunities for administrative simplification and revenue cycle automation, EHRs, interoperability and cybersecurity.
Wednesday morning the conference will wrap up with a series of sessions that focus on specialties including anesthesia, pediatrics, family medicine, obstetrics/gynecology, gastroenterology and orthopedics.
Who are the keynote speakers at MGMA? Here's a rundown:
Sunday, Sept. 30, at 3:30 p.m. The conference gets underway with author Simon Sinek, a trained ethnographer, who will share his unconventional and innovative views on business and leadership. He teaches leaders and organizations how to inspire people and will talk about how to innovate to build a stronger healthcare organization.
Monday, Oct. 1, 8:30-10 a.m.
Mel Robbins, entrepreneur, best-selling author, social media influencer and motivational speaker, will talk about how to inspire others to embrace your ideas. Her latest book, The 5 Second Rule, provides people with the keys to taking action.
Tuesday, Oct. 2, 10:30-11:45 a.m.
Robin Farmanfarmaian, a speaker, author and entrepreneur, will present her audience with a road map to the healthcare revolution. She’ll outline where the industry is headed in the next five years, including growth in virtual care, artificial intelligence and focus on the patient journey.