A record crowd attended the Alabama MGMA spring conference this March, which was hosted by The Wynfrey Hotel. “The MGMA has been meeting here for over ten years,” said Rusti Price, Director of Sales and Marketing for The Wynfrey. “We’re always excited to have them.” The meeting began on Wednesday, March 5th with morning breakout sessions for administrators from various specialties. The conference was officially opened after lunch with keynote speaker Fred Lee, the author of If Disney Ran Your Hospital. Lee applied the principles from his book to physician practices, emphasizing that loyalty is an organization’s best source of long-term strategic advantage. Lee works on improving patient satisfaction, stressing the idea that the medical practice provides an experience for the patient and that, through applying some of Disney’s principles, the healthcare provider can make it as positive an experience as possible. “I enjoyed listening to Fred Lee,” said Helen Combs, Administrator of Alabama Allergy and Asthma. “He has a refreshing approach to quality service in a medical practice.” The administrators attended several breakout sessions that afternoon. Tom Stearns, FACMPE, of State Volunteer Mutual Insurance, talked about the skills required to be a successful medical practice executive. Cynthia Ransburg-Brown of Sirote & Permutt reviewed new aspects of the Stark Law and Tish Spaulding of Spaulding Protocol talked about professional etiquette. At day’s end, there was a reception in the exhibit hall, followed by dinner, and the highlight of the evening, casino night. A Las Vegas-like array of roulette wheels and poker tables was set up, complete with tuxedo-clad “pit bosses.” But of course, this being Birmingham, rather than Vegas, all gambling was done with play money. “Casino night is always fun,” said Wayne Averett, the Fund Administrator of the Healthcare Worker’s Compensation Fund. “And it’s a good way to meet new people.” There were three breakout sessions Thursday morning, with Elizabeth Woodcock, MBA, FACMPE speaking on billing and collections and Lisa Goldstein of the MGMA Department of Governmental Affairs updating administrators on capital hill actions that affect healthcare, while Rosemarie Nelson, MS gave a presentation on implementing best practices. Between sessions, administrators visited the vendor displays stationed in the exhibit hall. The Alabama MGMA limits the number of vendors to the 63 on a first-come-first-served basis. This year, the MGMA turned down 40 vendor applications. “We leave a lot of money on the table,” says Lisa Beard, Alabama MGMA Executive Director. “But by limiting the number of vendors, we make sure our participating vendors have a good experience.” The vendors appreciate this approach and are loyal to the association. “As a vendor at several past MGMA meetings, I was impressed by the number of attendees at this year’s meeting. Lisa Beard and MGMA always do a great job of putting together an excellent, well-run program and this year’s meeting was no exception,” said Martha Wise of the Jefferson County Medical Society/Medical Foundation Trust. The senior MGMA vendor/member is probably Tommy Waddell of Red Mountain Imaging. Waddell, who joined the MGMA 22 years ago in 1986, said of the conference, “it’s the best way to see some of your customers who you don’t get to see as often during the year. And I always enjoy the camaraderie.” A number of productive sessions were held over the remainder of the conference, ranging from I/T tools to legal issues to potential legislative threats. Jim Stroud, CPA of Warren, Averett, Kimbrough & Marino LLC gave a presentation that addressed employee issues in an effort to help practice administrators make appropriate decisions regarding non-productive employees. Gerry Kassouf, CPA and Jerry Callahan, CPA of L. Paul Kassouf & Company led a session on Health Savings Accounts. “The topic was well received,” Callahan said. “Employers are attempting to share more of the health insurance costs with employees. And employees are beginning to look at health insurance as more a catastrophic insurance, rather than something for day-to-day ailments,” which means a continuing interest in alternatives like HSAs. By the time the conference was adjourned, just after noon on Friday, the administrator-attendees had been given a wealth of constructive information, much of which they will hopefully be able to use in their practices. April 2008