Making a difference in healthcare legislation

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In this episode of the Insights podcasts, we chat with this year’s recipient of the MGMA Legislative Liaison Award, chief informatics officer at Galen Medical, Misty Hickman, BS, FACMPE.

The award recognizes a medical practice professional serving as a state MGMA Legislative Liaison who has provided outstanding leadership in the education and motivation of MGMA members through grassroots and advocacy involvement on legislative and regulatory issues of importance to medical group practices. Hickman’s advocacy work with the Tennessee MGMA has amplified the voice of healthcare in legislature.

Don’t quite have time to listen to the entire episode? No worries. We’ve compiled an assortment of highlights for your convenience:

(6:43): “I think people need to get out of their comfort zone. Don’t be afraid to step up and volunteer – whether its legislative liaison, secretary, membership chair – anything that MGMA has to offer, because of the value you get from the friendships. … That’s the one thing that’s so humbling to me is I wouldn’t be where I am today without all those friendships. But just serve. ... Just take that step (and) volunteer.”

(9:23): “It gets me out of my silo, to talk to my friends and my peers, and it actually takes away from the everyday monotony of working in the medical practice. I kind of see it as a benefit because it takes my focus away. … We always have to build in time for ourselves, and that’s what we’re terrible at because we’re always wanting to serve others.”

(11:13): “We have a lot of episodes of care where I’ve gotten to know a couple of the legislators. Just to get to know them, you notice that they’re everyday people, and a lot of them have no idea what happens in healthcare. That’s the big thing to stress – these people don’t understand our world, and they’re making decisions based on how they got treated at Doctor X down the street. So it’s just ... more building relationships and passing along the information you learn through MGMA.”

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We'd love to hear from you. Tell us what you think. Let us know if there's a topic you want us to cover or an expert you would like us to interview. Email us at podcasts@mgma.com. 

The MGMA Insights podcasts are produced by Daniel Williams, Rob Ketcham and Decklan McGee. 
 
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You can now register for The Transformative Healthcare Delivery Certificate (THDC) Program that will run Dec 6-7, 2022. THDC is an in-depth online learning experience that provides healthcare leaders with a mastery of Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), Clinically Integrated Networks (CINs), Commercial Value-Based Care Programs and CMS’ Value-Based Care Programs, including MIPS and APMs