Don't miss out on this impactful educational opportunity, tailor-made for your professional growth. Plus, you can earn up to 16 valuable CEU credits from various professional organizations, including ACMPE.
ACMPE: 15.5 | ACHE: 15 | CEU: 15 | CME (AAPC*): 15.5 | CPE: 12 | PDU: 15.5
Conference Schedule
June 3, 2025 – Day 1
9:45 – 10:00 AM Welcome and Housekeeping
10:10 – 11:00 AM A Series
A1: Creating Predictive Models to Improve Patient Experiences
Traditional | Intermediate | Application
Audience: Operations Director, COO
Content: Transforming Patient Care
Scott Everitt, MBA, Healthcare Analytics, MBA, Vice President of Healthcare Solutions
Practical Data Solutions
Russell Hendrickson, Healthcare Analytics President & CEO, Practical Data Solutions
Predictive analytics can be a game-changer in healthcare, with models to improve patient access, enhance the patient experience and drive bottom-line revenue. This session is designed to provide healthcare leaders with an understanding of predictive modeling's pivotal role, focusing on three key areas: effectively managing appointment slots in light of no-show rates, benchmarking session utilization to reveal operational efficiencies, and aligning physician schedules with patient cycle times to enhance overall patient flow and satisfaction. The speakers will introduce techniques for quantifying potential performance improvements and offer a tangible roadmap for leaders to translate insights into actionable strategies and make data-driven decisions for enhanced efficiency and revenue growth.
- Employ techniques to quantify and mitigate the impact of no-shows, optimizing appointment scheduling and safeguarding revenue
- Discover how aligning physician schedules with patient cycle times can lead to more efficient patient flow and elevated satisfaction levels for patients and staff
- Use predictive modeling to benchmark performance and identify key areas for operational enhancement
A2: The ROAD to Success: Avoiding Potholes During Negotiations
Doral Jacobsen, FACMPE, Chief Executive Officer, Prosper Beyond
Elevate your negotiation skills to prepare for payer contract negotiations and more. The session will define a simple, effective, step-by-step approach proven to positively impact negotiations of all types. This tactical guidance will help you follow the ROAD: Ready – evaluate contract performance and payer partner ‘fit.’ Optimize – define key goals in terms of revenue and cost reduction. Address – pinpoint strategies to discuss negotiation goals successfully. Deliver – provide practice with comprehensive strategy. Discover best practices and the characteristics and actions of better performers in payer contracting negotiations. This presentation is filled with case study examples from various negotiations ranging from small practices to clinically integrated networks and large multispecialty clinics. Attendees will practice some of the skills learned in small groups.
- Outline the steps for current contract evaluation in preparation for negotiations
- Prepare strategies of “when” and “how” to discuss key practice goals in the negotiation process
- Organize the creation and deployment of an impactful payer contracting strategy
A3: BELONG: An organizational framework for nurturing growth
Amy C. Adams, MBA, Regional Human Resources Manager, Baptist Health
Matthew C. Hayes, Director, Baptist Health Medical Group
Paige P. Pugh, BA, System Patient Experience Manager, Baptist Health KY&IN
Session Details Coming soon!
A4: Creating a Competitive Advantage with Digital Transformation
Cornelia Vremes, MBA, EdD, Chief Operations Officer, Kugler Vision
Digital transformation is rapidly changing the landscape of healthcare, and medical practices must adapt to remain competitive. This session explores how ophthalmology practices can leverage a well-integrated technology ecosystem to enhance operational efficiency and financial performance while improving patient experience. By exploring real-world examples, the session will demonstrate how digital transformation can optimize practice management, enhance patient experience and lead to better decision-making through data-driven insights. Attendees will leave with a clear understanding of how to strategically implement digital tools in their practices to achieve sustained growth and improved patient care. The session will be interactive with a dedicated Q&A, and attendees will receive specific resources and tools that can be used in their own organizational settings.
- Identify the critical components of a technology ecosystem tailored for medical practices
- Explain the benefits of digital transformation in improving patient experience, operational efficiency and financial performance
- Review how to overcome common challenges when implementing an integrated technology ecosystem
11:10 AM – 12:10 PM MAINSTAGE SPEAKER
Allison Massari, Session Details Coming Soon!
12:15 – 12:45 PM LIVE Discussion Groups
12:55 PM - 1:20 PM B Series: Details Coming Soon!
1:30 – 1:40 PM Solution Spotlight sessions: Details Coming Soon!
1:50 – 2:40 PM C Series
C1: Partnering with Physician Leaders to Improve Staffing and Operational Stability
Kristin Mascotti, MD, MS-HQSM, CPE, Market Chief Medical Officer, CommonSpirit Health Mountain Region
Tom Rossi, Vice President of Executive Search, Jackson Physician Search
Staffing continues to be the biggest challenge facing medical practices today, and the path to improving physician recruitment, retention, and engagement starts with strong administrator-physician relationships rooted in trust. In addition to staffing challenges, medical groups are also in search of operational and financial stability amid today’s complex and rapidly evolving healthcare environment. Many are opting for a dyad leadership model, as the administrator-physician duo can more effectively address challenges and achieve strategic alignment with their inherent complementary skills sets, perspectives, and experiences. In this session, we’ll lead a discussion about how administrators can best partner with chief medical officers and physician leaders to build a culture of open communication and trust, one where potential points of friction give way for organizational synergy. We’ll also share real-world examples of how medical groups can leverage dyad leadership relationships into the physician recruitment process from the first conversation through onboarding to improve long-term retention and alignment on critical success factors including quality, safety, patient satisfaction, and physician productivity.
- Build trust and diffuse friction with transparent communication channels that help administrators and physicians recognize and address the unintended challenges created by strategic decisions made in the c-suite
- Explore the benefits of physician participation in all facets of decision-making, from patient care to strategic initiatives
- Establish administration-physician alignment during the physician recruitment process through onboarding to improve retention, engagement, and operational effectiveness
C2: Revving up RCM with AI and Automation for a Lean Workforce
Kevin Don, Vice President, Revenue Cycle Management Discovery Behavioral Health
Matt Seefeld, Executive Vice President, MedEvolve
Automation is increasingly important as healthcare organizations strive to reduce the cost to collect. While achieving a lean approach to collections begins with an understanding of how effective staff are in their work, most financial executives lack visibility into fundamental metrics such as the number of “touches” a claim receives before it gets paid. Without an understanding of where and when touches happen, the answer often is to throw more bodies or even bots at challenges. Discovery Behavioral Health, a nationwide network of treatment centers, recognized that this approach is not sustainable. What revenue cycle leaders really need is to empower staff to work smarter and reduce the amount of manual work. This presentation will explore the organization’s journey implementing an infrastructure built on workforce automation and intelligent analytics that holistically addresses the full lifecycle of revenue cycle processes — from front-end registration to back-end billing and collections — across its hundreds of facilities. Participants will learn how Discovery Behavioral Health’s approach — drawing on the power of lean manufacturing principles — has realized a 5.2% improvement in cash flow, created 30% more capacity in its revenue cycle team and benefitted from a 13% improvement in zero-touch rates, a key performance indicator that illustrates the percentage of claims that get paid without any human intervention.
- Dramatize converging financial challenges impacting healthcare organizations and why staffing models built on lean principles and labor effectiveness will define success going forward
- Report zero-touch rates and the types of metrics healthcare organizations should track to understand the health of revenue cycle processes
- Discover the data limitations of PM and EHR systems and how effective intelligence solutions can help holistically address and improve reimbursement lifecycles
C3: Applying AI for Coding Compliance and Operational Efficiency
Joe Ferro, President, Calm Waters AI
Angela Jordan, CPC, CPMS, COBGC, Executive VP, Chart Pal, Calm Waters AI
Traditional E/M coding and leveling of patient encounters is error-prone, time-consuming and stressful. In our experience, more than one-third of encounters for E/M services are inaccurately coded or insufficiently documented. According to CMS data, E/M codes were responsible for more than $1 billion in improper payments in FY 2021. Errors lead to claims denials and delayed payments; each denied claim costs nearly $120 on average to rework, and 65% of denied claims are never reworked at all. Fear of costly and time-consuming payer audits often leads providers to code defensively, and insufficient documentation often leaves providers unable to receive full reimbursement for services provided. In both cases, providers leave billable revenue on the table at a time when they are already being squeezed by rising costs and shrinking reimbursements. Meanwhile, providers frequently spend up to two hours each day on documentation — a burden cited by physicians as a leading contributor to burnout. AI shows great promise in helping providers improve coding accuracy and compliance; in reducing the amount of time spent on E/M leveling; and in capturing reimbursement for more of the services they provide. Even so, many physicians have not yet embraced AI-powered solutions, and many more lack awareness in how to assess their needs and evaluate potential solutions. This session will help bridge that knowledge gap.
- Distinguish exposure to risk from E/M coding errors and insufficient documentation, as well as potential time savings from AI-enhanced processes
- Organize operational efficiency improvements by helping physician colleagues embrace AI-powered tools to increase compliance and reduce burdens on staff
- Breakdown the capabilities and limitations of AI-powered E/M coding solutions
C4: Creating Career Development Pathways for Your Team
Robyn Hoffman, MSPT, MBA, Director of Physician Operations, Ascension Medical Group
Tracey Schwartz, Vice President – Operations, Ascension Medical Group Texas
Session Details Coming Soon!
2:50 – 3:40 PM D Series
D1: Session Details Coming Soon!
D2: Expanding Your Practice: Ancillary Services, Coding Optimization, and Revenue Cycle Improvement
Kem Tolliver, FACMPE, CPC, CMOM, Chief Executive Officer, Medical Revenue Cycle Specialists
Taya Gordon, MBA, FACMPE, CMOM, Chief Revenue Cycle Officer, H4 Technology, LLC
In an increasingly competitive healthcare environment, expanding your practice’s offerings and optimizing operational efficiencies are key to sustained growth and success. This session will delve into innovative strategies for growing your practice by adding ancillary services, optimizing your coding practices, and improving your revenue cycle management.
In an increasingly competitive healthcare environment, expanding your practice’s offerings and optimizing operational efficiencies are key to sustained growth and success. This session will delve into innovative strategies for growing your practice by adding ancillary services, optimizing your coding practices, and improving your revenue cycle management.
Participants will explore:
- Adding Ancillary Services: Learn how to identify and implement ancillary services that complement your core practice, such as diagnostic imaging, laboratory services, physical therapy, and wellness programs. Discover the benefits of these services in enhancing patient care and generating additional revenue streams.
- Optimizing Coding Practices: Understand the importance of accurate and efficient coding in maximizing reimbursements and minimizing claim denials. Gain insights into best practices for coding optimization, including regular training, audits, and staying updated with the latest coding guidelines and regulations.
- Improving Revenue Cycle Management: Explore comprehensive strategies for enhancing your revenue cycle, from patient registration and insurance verification to billing and collections. Learn how to streamline processes, reduce administrative burdens, and improve cash flow.
This session will be highly interactive, featuring roundtable discussions and peer-to-peer learning opportunities. Participants will engage in hands-on activities and case studies, allowing them to apply the concepts learned to real-world scenarios.
- Identify and implement ancillary services that align with your practice’s goals and patient needs
- Optimize coding practices to ensure accurate billing and maximize reimbursements
- Develop and execute strategies to improve revenue cycle management, enhancing overall financial performance
D3: Resist the Urge to Check a Box - Optimizing Discipline
Colleen McCrory, MBA, FACHE, International Leadership Speaker and Coach, Huron
Providing training and learning opportunities is essential. But driving optimal performance in organizations requires discipline — from the learner and the leader. It is not just in developing successful training programs but in successful measures of compliance (frequency) and validation/observation of the quality of implementation and subsequent skill development via real-time feedback. This session will provide true medical practice leadership scenarios — from scheduling/check-in to patient experience and care delivery to post-discharge follow-up behaviors that will help leaders take the practical, tactical application back to their organizations to optimize outcomes. This session challenges organizations to look at their attitudes around compliance or commitment to the expected roles of learners and leaders. While most variance stems from leader behavior, attendees will better understand how to increase the discipline and execution post-training to optimize the investment your organizations make in training and development.
- Examine current training approaches and the quality and effectiveness of current practices
- Prepare the compliance-effectiveness model to optimize competency evaluation and execution
- Outline how to deliver feedback based on phases of skill and competency demonstration
D4: Building Bridges with Employers by Direct Contracting
David Comiskey, Chief Operating Officer, HealthMe
Move on from decreasing reimbursements, pre-approvals and other administrative headaches that come with traditional payers. Discover how to open a new revenue stream by tapping into the self-insured employer market in your region. Approximately 100 million covered employees in the United States are enrolled in self-insured health plans, and ever-growing numbers are being directed to high-quality, lower-cost venues of care at independent practices and ASCs. Learn practical steps on how to contract with self-insured employers in your region from practice leaders who have successfully done it. By contracting directly with employers you can streamline payments and communications, eliminate pre-approvals and payment delays while enhancing patient access and care. Gain insight on how to work with broker advisors and their navigation teams who are actively re-directing patients away from expensive venues of care to independent practices and outpatient centers in your area. There are brokers/advisors developing Community Owned Health Plans for employers and need to expand their provider network. This session will equip clinical practices with both the foundational knowledge and practical steps to leverage transparency and direct contracting, ultimately helping them to thrive as valued partners in the employer healthcare ecosystem.
- Apply principles learned of employer direct contracting for medical practices
- Discover the market size and opportunity self-insured employers can represent for your practice
- Manage the process of joining provider networks that brokers/advisors, TPAs, and nurse navigators leverage for Community Owned Health Plans to employers
June 4, 2025 – Day 2
9:45 – 10:00 AM Welcome and Housekeeping
10:10 AM- 11:00 AM E Series
E1: Harnessing AI and Automation for Next-Level Healthcare
Jennifer Thompson, Chief Executive Officer, Insight Marketing Group
Marketing and business development are increasingly complex as consumer behaviors and competition intensify across healthcare. Artificial intelligence (AI) and automation offer immense potential for healthcare organizations to enhance branding, deepen patient relationships, and accelerate growth. Join this talk to learn research-driven approaches to implementing emerging technologies for healthcare marketing that save time, enhance engagement, and humanize experiences. An estimated 60% of providers will use AI automation to mitigate staff shortages by 2027. Join this session so you can develop an automation and AI content strategy for future growth.
Learning objectives:
- Employ generative AI for automated content creation and ad relevancy
- Discover smart workflows to personalize patient communication
- Report campaign ROI through algorithms and analytics
E2: Optimizing Care Contracts: Strategic & Operational Guide
Laurie A. Bouzarelos, MHA, CPC, FACHE, Founder/CEO/Consultant, Provider Solutions Consulting
Anne E. Saulnier, PMP, CEO, HexIQ Inc.
This session explores strategic opportunities for financial leaders to access and apply Payer Negotiated Rate Data available through the Transparency in Coverage Final Rule. Attendees will understand what information is available to healthcare professionals, identify strategies to benchmark managed care contracts, gain insights to inform data-driven payer negotiations and understand ancillary applications that maximize revenue cycle performance. Integrating case studies and audience engagement, we will demonstrate practical applications of the Payer Negotiated Rate data set.
Learning Objectives
- Overview of Transparency in Coverage Act and the Payer Negotiated Rate Data Set
- Applications for payer contracting and revenue cycle management
- Understanding limitations of the Payer Negotiated Rate Data Set
E3: Bridging Gaps: Chronic Care Management and Value-Based Care
Julie Mobley, MBA, CMPE, CPC, Practice Administrator, Cullman Internal Medicine PC
Learn strategies for patient outreach that streamline value-based care (VBC) initiatives with chronic care management (CCM) services. Through a visualization of real-world data, the audience will tap into unrealized potential within their own organizations to drive additional revenue through leveraging patient-centric CCM to close care gaps. This leads to higher reimbursement through greater incentive payments and accountable care organization (ACO) shared savings. CCM teams have a unique opportunity to build trust and strengthen the patient-provider relationship. Often patients are more comfortable sharing sensitive information, such as loneliness and depression or social determinants of health, with their care manager rather than their provider. Strong communication processes feed actionable information to connect patients with necessary resources and give providers insights into the patient’s health status. A sample action plan will be provided to assist chronically ill patients with medication adherence problems, controlling hypertension, reducing unnecessary emergency room visits, and many other issues. Additionally, a checklist of who should be involved and suggested tools and resources will be given to attendees to help facilitate a successful implementation.
Learning objectives
- Outline the basics of a successful CCM program, including billable CPT(r) codes and eligible diagnoses
- Organize an entire year’s worth of content to provide timely patient communication topics
- Point out which key stakeholders are needed to build a strong team for ensuring patient-centric care that enhances VBC performance
E4: Elevating Team Performance in a Value-Based Care Landscape
Susan A. Aloi, PhD, FACMPE, Assistant Program Director and Faculty, Thomas Jefferson University
The transition toward value-based care represents a significant shift, and the role of effective teamwork is paramount as healthcare organizations strive to optimize patient outcomes while managing costs. The success of value-based care initiatives hinges upon interdisciplinary teams' collective performance and collaboration. This session will explore how to elevate team performance within a value-based care environment. By integrating innovative strategies, fostering interprofessional communication, and cultivating a culture of continuous improvement, healthcare teams can adapt and thrive in this transformative era. Participants will learn what it takes to develop strategies for interdisciplinary collaboration, examine leadership's role with value-based care teams, understand how to address team challenges and barriers, and explore strategies for empowering clinicians and staff.
Learning objectives
- Examine the principles underlying value-based care teamwork, including the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration, patient-centered care delivery, and data-driven decision-making
- Organize strategies for empowering frontline clinicians and staff to take ownership of quality improvement efforts, engage in process redesign, and drive positive change within their teams
- Outline challenges and solutions for transitioning to value-based care models
11:10 AM- 11:35 AM F Series: Details Coming Soon!
11:45 – 12:45 PM MS2
MS2: Transforming Industries, Safeguarding Trust: The Responsible Use of Generative AI in Healthcare
Noelle Russell, Leading AI Innovator and Practitioner, Founder and Chief AI Officer at AI Leadership Institute
Picture a world where AI revolutionizes healthcare, accelerates financial services, and redefines the patient’s experience. The potential is astonishing, but realizing it demands a careful balance between harnessing generative AI's power and maintaining ethical standards. In this dynamic keynote, AI leader, practitioner, and trailblazer Noelle Russell explores the responsible use of generative AI in the enterprise, specifically focusing on healthcare. Russell guides audiences through groundbreaking applications of generative AI in this industry, demonstrating its potential to transform operations, enhance customer experiences, and drive growth. However, alongside these benefits come significant ethical concerns, such as data privacy, fairness, and transparency. This session will tackle these challenges and present strategies to manage them effectively.
Learning objectives
- Discover how generative AI is reshaping their industry and the opportunities it presents for the future
- Outline practical guidelines and approaches for collaborating, communicating, and implementing generative AI
- Examine the importance of using generative AI responsibly
12:50 – 1:20 PM Discussion Groups
1:30 – 1:40 PM Solution Spotlight sessions
1:50 – 2:40 PM G Series
G1: Healthcare Hospitality
Emalee Ligon, MBA, President, True North Initiative
Che Miller, CEO/Founder, True North Initiative
Session Details Coming Soon
G2: Valuation Considerations for Healthcare Joint Ventures
David Lo, CFA, ASA Director HealthCare Appraisers, Inc.
Jordan Zoeller, CFA Manager HealthCare Appraisers, Inc.
Healthcare joint ventures continue to rise in prominence while becoming more diverse and complex. This session will delve into different types of joint ventures within the healthcare industry and the strategic considerations for such joint venture structures. We will discuss common assets that are contributed to joint ventures and the valuation approaches used to determine the value of contributed assets. Such assets discussed include existing businesses and service lines, brands and trade names, know-how and expertise, and payor contracts. Lastly, this session will outline deal term considerations and red flags to be aware of when structuring joint ventures.
Learning objectives:
- Examine between different types of joint ventures and the strategic considerations in pursuing certain joint venture structures.
- Describe the different valuation approaches that may be utilized to value certain assets contributed to joint ventures.
- Identify potential red flags when structuring joint ventures.
G3: Diversity & Inclusion in the Workplace
Barbara Faupel, FACMPE, Practice Manager, Allergy Consultants
Session Details Coming Soon!
G4: The Performance Flywheel: Activating Tactics from Strategy
Jim Sapienza, FACHE, Chief Administrative Officer, Drexel University / Drexel Health clinics
The Performance Flywheel approach considers strategy development as an a priori condition. How does your company, team, or group focus, align and deploy or translate strategy from the C-suite to the front lines? Through strategy deployment. Translating strategy in most American healthcare organizations is centered on the five strategic pillars of people, service, quality, finance and growth. Does the order of these pillars matter? This presentation presents the argument that it does, and the Flywheel is a compelling archetypical model and metaphor to explain and justify the why, the how, and the progressive creation of high performance. This presentation will share best practices and best outcomes as shown through a decades-honed process of annual planning linked to strategy. The presenter and each participant will use the commonly framed SMART objectives methodology in a prepared format to practice their own set of objectives that are current and practical.
Learning objectives
- Distinguish strategy development and strategy deployment using traditional healthcare pillars
- Outline the process steps to create focused and aligned objectives through strategy deployment in objective-setting and objective monitoring
- Prepare draft SMART objectives in the context of their own organization and their unique strategies with a provided format to begin to build their own Performance Flywheel
2:50 – 3:40 PM H Series
H1: The Thriving Leader That Promotes Positive Disruption
Session Details Coming Soon!
H2: Revenue Cycle Enforcement Trends: What Leaders Need to Know
CJ Wolf, MD, M.Ed., CPC, CHC, CIA Clinical Asst. Professor Univ. of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine
Margins are tight, and enforcement agencies continue to scrutinize claims and reimbursement. This session will focus on current trends in revenue cycle enforcement cases and the financial risks of commonly scrutinized types of services. Through a case study approach, we will review actual cases of revenue cycle activities gone awry that resulted in financial fines and/or settlements. The session will explore lack of medical necessity, with sample cases involving urine drug testing, radiology and images services, interventional vascular procedures and pain management; E/M services, with sample cases on upcoding and lack of documentation; misuse of coding modifiers, with sample cases on modifiers -25 and –59; and in appropriate use of incident to billing.
Learning Objectives
- Examine the current trends in revenue cycle scrutiny and enforcement
- Breakdown the financial, legal and reputational consequences of revenue cycle noncompliance through case study examples
- Organize strategies and tools that can help healthcare organizations avoid revenue cycle non-compliance
H3: Seeing Around Corners: Drive Your Practice’s Future with Data
Nate Moore, CPA, MBA, FACMPE, President, Moore Solutions, Inc.
What would your practice do differently if you knew what the future would bring? Would you adjust staffing levels or fine-tune scheduling to prevent lost revenue and improve patient access? Unlike many industries, healthcare providers can use today’s data to know what tomorrow, next week, and next month will look like. Are your patients and providers being scheduled optimally? Are there unfilled appointment slots that are hurting patient access, provider compensation, and practice profitability? Are follow-up patients scheduled in new patient slots, thereby hurting next month’s surgical procedure revenues? Can you catch problems before patients arrive, preventing wasted appointment slots on patients that cannot be seen? Will no-shows be higher tomorrow? When is the best time to double-book appointments? What should your practice management system be telling you to see around corners and make your organization more efficient? Join an interactive session focusing specifically on using real-world appointment data to drive operational efficiencies in your practice. Walk away with actionable insights to increase profitability, improve patient access, and enhance provider satisfaction.
Learning Objectives
- Describe innovative data analysis techniques that reveal hidden patterns and drive efficiencies in staffing, scheduling, and patient access
- Use appointment data to optimize scheduling for better patient flow and provider productivity
- Connect ideas from other practices to opportunities in your practice
H4: Making Safety & Efficiency an Everyday Thing: Daily Huddles
Adam Cava, VP, Chief Operating Officer, Nicklaus Children's Pediatric Specialists
Fiona Dumapit, MSHI, LSSBB, Senior Manager, Business Process & Special Projects, Nicklaus Children's Pediatric Specialists
Tamara Martinez, MBA, HAS, Practice Administrator, Nicklaus Children's Pediatric Specialists
Leigh Turk, MHA, CSSGB, Director, Practice Development & Support Services, Nicklaus Children's Pediatric Specialists
Session Details Coming Soon!
June 5, 2025 – Day 3
9:45 – 10:00 AM Welcome and Housekeeping
10:10 – 11:00 AM I Series
I1: Behavioral Health Integration: A Catalyst for Improving Care
Jonas Bromberg, Psy.D., Principal, Crossroads Health Consulting
Integrated care (IC) is the systematic coordination of behavioral health (BH) services and primary care services. Since physical and BH problems often occur together, integrating care to treat the whole person offers benefits to patients, providers, and health organizations. Patients receiving IC prefer this approach and find it a convenient and effective way of receiving care that reduces stigma and is focused on what is important to them. Providers who practice in an IC model are more able to meet the needs of their patients, improve population health, enhance the quality of care, increase patient-provider engagement, and improve their work-life satisfaction. Organizationally, BH integration involves ongoing cycles of planning, development, implementation, and assessment, to ensure a seamless approach to care that achieves targeted goals, improves outcomes, and the potential to reduce costs. The biggest barrier to establishing IC in primary care practice is implementation knowhow. Participants will gain a better understanding of the benefits of IC, the common models of IC, how to evaluate their practice's readiness, and what to consider in planning and implementing IC, including: defining target goals and approach, understanding the differences between traditional outpatient and primary care BH services, billing for IC, measuring outcomes, and operational considerations in establishing an integrated primary care practice.
Learning objectives
- Organize BH care delivery in three ways to fit the primary care environment.
- Point out three examples of how IC can help patients with BH needs such as stress, anxiety, obesity, sleep problems, chronic medical conditions, and substance use.
- Outline at least six operational elements to consider when integrating BH services in primary care
I2: Physician Compensation Planning - the ROI of an Early and Often Approach
Jessica Minesinger, CMOM, CMPE, FACMPE, SCC Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Surgical Compensation & Consulting (SCC) and MGMA Consultant
This session will focus on prioritizing physician compensation planning and exploring the financial return on investment (ROI) opportunities that come from proactively and routinely reviewing and updating your physician compensation plans and methodologies. We will discuss the MGMA compensation benchmarks, as well as tools and best practices that can help you develop successful, data-driven plans.
Learning Objectives
- Discuss the importance of physician compensation planning lifecycle
- Identify the return on investment opportunities associated with regularly reviewing and updating physician compensation plans
- Describe the value of using compensation benchmarks during the physician compensation planning
I3: New Medical Equipment: Buy or Not to Buy
Les Jebson, MHA, MBA, FACHE, FACMPE, Regional Administrator, Prisma Health Medical Group
For medical practices, securing the latest medical equipment is essential for an array of reasons from providing the latest patient care to market differentiation. Whether the practice is part of an integrated healthcare delivery system or independent – similar objective considerations and analysis should be employed. Updating or acquiring new devices or equipment can be a challenge, especially given the procurement costs and rapid technological advancements. Access to capital for outright purchasing, or leasing costs at certain interest rates and terms have been historical considerations. New consignment or placement agreements have risen in popularity in a post pandemic delivery climate; but come with a slew of potential compliance and long-term liability issues. In this highly interactive and thought-provoking session, we will objectively and critically examine the most important considerations in making the determination for new medical equipment acquisition. We will discuss financial and operational models whilst providing actionable insights.
Learning objectives:
- Review and discuss financial models and considerations for new equipment acquisition
- Analyze potential financial and compliance risks from vendor collaborations in equipment acquisition
- Identify how to create uniform process steps and tools for new medical equipment acquisition
I4: Using Quality Improvement Tools to Improve OR Efficiency
Stephen P. Sales, DHA, Assistant Professor, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
Kyle Springer, MSHA, MS, RN, BSN CCRN-CSC, Founder, Peek Insights, LLC
Process improvement techniques and Lean Six Sigma initiatives are common in healthcare organizations. In the perioperative arena, process improvement studies often examine patient flow before or after the surgery to reduce wait time, discharge the patient faster, or turn rooms over quickly. Improvement science rarely extends inside the operating room. But why? This presentation illustrates a Lean improvement initiative inside the OR to reduce operative time and increase the number of procedures completed. The hospital chose to study the efficiency of trans-aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedures due to the long wait time patients experience before surgery. By directly observing the procedures, using temporal sequencing and spatial analysis, and comparing timestamp data for critical parts of the procedure, the hospital identified inefficiencies resulting in unnecessarily long operative times. Science, by way of data-driven decision-making, had illustrated the inefficiencies and opportunities for improvement in the TAVR procedure. Implementing corrective actions, however, required art. John Kotter's model, 8 Steps for Leading Change, proved to be the right approach to creating lasting change, as operative time was reduced, daily TAVR capacity increased from two to three procedures, patient wait time for surgery decreased, and total charges and revenue increased.
Learning objectives
- Breakdown John Kotter's 8-Step model for change and its uses in process improvement initiatives
- Examine operative procedure efficiency through the use of temporal sequencing and spatial analysis techniques
- Point out the availability, or lack thereof, of benchmarks to compare internal operative times, and potential options for comparison if national benchmark data is not available
11:10 AM - 12:00 PM J Series
J1: Transforming Operations Through Workforce Optimization
Stephanie J. Dorwart, MHA, Chief Executive Officer, Altius Healthcare Consulting Group
RandiLynn Lukac, MHS, Chief Operating Officer, Altius Healthcare Consulting Group
Explore the strategies and methodologies essential for achieving operational excellence within physician practices. Using industry best practices and case studies, this session details workforce management optimization to drive significant improvements in efficiency, productivity and overall performance. Participants will explore the fundamental principles of workforce optimization, gaining a comprehensive understanding of how to align staffing models, scheduling techniques and resource allocation with organizational goals and patient care needs. Through discussion and real-world examples, attendees will learn practical approaches to maximize the utilization of their workforce resources. The session will address the intersection of workforce optimization with emerging trends in healthcare, such as telemedicine adoption, value-based care models, innovative staffing solutions and the integration of AI. Attendees will leave equipped with actionable strategies and best practices for leveraging workforce optimization as a catalyst for organizational success.
Learning objectives:
- Discover principles, best practices and innovative strategies of workforce optimization for enhanced efficiency
- Produce a culture of excellence and adaptability within your organization
- Use actionable strategies for nurturing employee engagement and managing change to drive your practices to peak performance
J2: Session Details Coming Soon!
J3: Optimizing the Patient Financial Experience, Start to Finish
Laxmi Patel, Chief Strategy Officer Savista
Optimizing the patient financial experience is crucial to ensuring patient satisfaction and operational efficiency. The patient financial journey encompasses all financial interactions and touchpoints related to healthcare services, including scheduling, registration, payment, all the way through to billing and debt resolution. This presentation will detail practical strategies and continuous improvement methodologies for streamlining processes, enhancing transparency and improving communication to empower patients to navigate their financial responsibilities effectively, reduce bad debt and improve the bottom line. Attendees will gain insights into how to leverage the right technology with staff education and how to develop collaborative partnerships with payers. Combined, these will transform the patient financial experience, drive improved patient outcomes and greater satisfaction, and result in financial success for the organization.
Learning Objectives
- Manage processes that reveal improvements within scheduling and financial clearance, registration, billing and payment, and billing resolution and support
- Employ optimization strategies across technology, training, patient education and payer relations
- Produce a continuous feedback loop with patients that continuously evaluates and refines financial processes for streamlined workflows, reduced errors and enhanced patient experience
J4: Cognitive Diversity- Understanding Different Thinking Styles
Lei Comerford, PCC, CPQC, Executive Coach, Master Facilitator, Speaker, and Consultant, Lei Comerford Consulting, LLC
Session Details Coming Soon!
12:10 – 1:00 PM K Series
K1: Session Details Coming Soon!
Pam D’Apuzzo, CPC, ACS-EM, ACS-MS, CPMA, Managing Director, VMG Health
Betsy Nicoletti, M.S., CPC, Consultant, Codingintel
K2: What’s new in Payer Contracting
Marcia Brauchler, MPH, FACMPE, COC, CPC, CPHQ CPC-I, President and Founder, Physicians Ally Inc.
Learn what is popping up in payer contract language and fee schedules and discover effective approaches to negotiating with payers, including new, revolutionary access to payer price transparency data. This session will cover reasons to tackle payer contracts, including intangible benefits. We’ll discuss how to get started, including types of payer agreements, identifying your payer contacts, and gathering the data you need. Gain insights into asking for rates that make up for years without any rate increase, ongoing cost-of-living adjustments, and the only acceptable termination and amendment language for payer agreements. Additionally, get useful tips on avoiding terminology that could negatively affect your practice's finances, such as all product participation requirements, penalties for non-timely demographic updates, and so on.
Learning Objectives
- Point out new language in payer agreements that attempts to control providers, and get more favorable language to use in your commercial agreements
- Breakdown real-life examples of payer negotiations, problematic contract language, and how to overcome it to preserve the practice’s strategic growth plan
- Learn how to take advantage of previously-proprietary fee schedule information for your competitors in your market, and get great resources for cost-of-living arguments to back-up your rate request
K3: Purpose-Built AI in Ambulatory Care
Paul Brient, EVP, Chief Product Officer, Athena Health
Session Details Coming Soon!
K4: Resilience Rx: Introduction for Healthcare Leaders
Gary L. Owens, President, Board Certified Coach, The Synergist Group
Frankie Rodriguez, Manager, Strategic Operations, Orlando Health Digestive Health Institute
Session Details Coming Soon!
1:10 – 1:40 PM Community Live Sessions
1:50 – 2:00 PM MGMA Spotlight Sessions
2:10 – 3:00 PM L Series
L1: MGMA Government Affairs – Session Details Coming Soon!
3:10 – 4:10 PM Conference Wrap up and GIVEAWAY!
3:10 – 4:10 PM MS3 Leveling Up: 6 Questions for Next-Level Leadership
Ryan Leak, Transformational Speaker, Best-Selling Author, Executive Coach
Join Ryan Leak, acclaimed author and executive coach, as he delves into the principles of his Wall Street Journal bestselling book, *Leveling Up*. This keynote is tailored to help leaders grow in self-leadership. It will provide actionable insights and strategies to elevate your leadership, drive organizational success, and foster a culture of continuous improvement. When someone is hired to be a leader in an organization, what often doesn’t come with the gig is a leader… for the leader. Ryan equips leaders with impactful questions that allow them to lead themselves when lonely at the top. Through Ryan’s dynamic storytelling of his journey with the NBA and corporate America, this keynote will help you take your life and leadership to the next level.
Learning Objectives:
- Apply Self-Leadership Strategies.
- Produce Organizational Success through Leadership Development
- Utilize Reflective Questions for Personal and Professional Growth