Management and Staff Glossary

Academic Status

Academic: An organization whose majority owner is a university, or their organization type is a medical school or university hospital.

Non-Academic: An organization whose majority owner is not a university, and their organization type is not a medical school or a university hospital.

Accountable Care Organization (ACO)

A group of coordinated health care providers who form a healthcare organization characterized by a payment and care delivery model that seeks to tie provider reimbursements to quality metrics and reductions in the total cost of care for their population of patients. The ACO is accountable to patients and the third-party payer for the quality, appropriateness, and efficiency of the care provided.

Advanced Practice Provider (APP)

Specially trained and licensed providers who can provide medical care and billable services. Examples of advanced practice providers include audiologists, certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs), dieticians/nutritionists, midwives, nurse practitioners, occupational therapists, optometrists, physical therapists, physician assistants, psychologists, and surgeon’s assistants. Note: Residents are not considered advanced practice providers in the MGMA datasets.

American College of Medical Practice Executives (ACMPE) Status

The ACMPE (American College of Medical Practice Executives) status held by the staff member.

• Not certified
• Certified (CMPE)
• Fellow (FACMPE)

Certified in Position

Whether or not the staff is certified in their position.

Compensation Method

The compensation plan/financial funds flow model that best represents the compensation plan for the individual.

• Hourly
• Salary Only (No Bonus)
• Base Salary + Discretionary Bonus

Demographic Classification

Metropolitan Area (50,000 or More): The county in which the practice is located is defined as a metropolitan (metro) county by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), based on recent Census Bureau data.

Nonmetropolitan Area (49,999 or Fewer): The county in which the practice is located is defined as a nonmetropolitan (nonmetro) county by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), based on recent Census Bureau data.

Demographic Classification (Expanded)

Metro - Counties in metro areas of fewer than 250,000 population: The county in which the practice is located is a Census Bureau defined urbanized area with a population less than 250,000.

Metro - Counties in metro areas of 250,000 to 1 million population: The county in which the practice is located is a Census Bureau defined urbanized area with a population of 250,001 to 1,000,000.

Metro - Counties in metro areas of 1 million population or more: The county in which the practice is located is a Census Bureau defined urbanized area with a population of 1,000,001 or more.

Nonmetro - Completely rural or less than 2,500 urban population: The county in which the practice is located is referred to as “rural.” It may or may not be adjacent to a metropolitan area and has a population less than 2,500.

Nonmetro - Urban population of 2,500 to 19,999: The county in which the practice is located is referred to as “rural.” It may or may not be adjacent to a metropolitan area and has a population between 2,500 and 19,999.

Nonmetro - Urban population of 20,000 or more: The county in which the practice is located is referred to as “rural.” It may or may not be adjacent to a metropolitan area and has a population of 20,000 or more.

Employment Status

Whether the employee was actively employed, newly hired or no longer employed. If the individual was employed the entire fiscal year, they were actively employed. If the individual was newly hired by the practice during the reported fiscal year, their FTE was adjusted to be reflective of the hire date and is not annualized. If the individual left the practice for any reason during the fiscal year, the FTE was adjusted to be reflective of months worked and their compensation and hourly rate would not be annualized.

Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC)

A reimbursement designation that refers to several health programs funded under Section 330 of the Public Health Service Act of the US Federal Government. These 330 grantees in the Health Center Program include:

• Community Health Centers which serve a variety of underserved populations and areas;
• Migrant Health Centers which serve migrant and seasonal agricultural workers;
• Health Care for the Homeless Programs which reach out to homeless individuals and families and provide primary and preventive care and substance abuse services; and
• Public Housing Primary Care Programs that serve residents of public housing and are located in or adjacent to the communities they serve.

FQHCs are community-based organizations that provide comprehensive primary and preventive health, oral, and mental health/substance abuse services to persons in all stages of the life cycle, regardless of their ability to pay.

Fiscal Year

The corporate year established by the practice for business purposes. For many practices, this is January through December of the same year. The data reported is representative of the completed fiscal year.

Formal Education Level

The formal education level that best represents the individual.

• High school diploma or the equivalent
• Associate degree or other two-year degree
• Bachelor’s degree or other four-year degree
• Master’s degree
• PhD, JD, EdD
• MD, DO
• MD or DO (with master’s degree)

Full-Time Equivalent (FTE)

A measure based upon the number of actual hours worked regardless of whether it’s spent in clinical or nonclinical activities. A 1.0 FTE individual works whatever number of hours the practice considers to be the minimum for a normal workweek, which could be 37.5, 40, 50 hours, or some other standard. Regardless of the number of hours worked, an individual cannot be counted as more than 1.0 FTE.