“We had a record registration with 285 attendees and 64 exhibitors,” said Marsha Buchanan, Office Manager of Decatur Orthopaedic Clinic and Vice President of the MGMA Board of Directors. "The program committee worked hard to present topics that are timely to the challenges medical practices are facing today. A number of members told me that they are overwhelmed with all the new regulations, compliance issues and healthcare reform, so they were attending to learn best practices from expert speakers.”
The program speakers included many of the leading healthcare professionals in this area, discussing a wide range of relevant topics: Ashley Hattaway of Burr & Forman on the latest developments in employment law; Stephen Dickens, JD, FACMPE of State Volunteer Mutual Insurance analyzed strategies for maintaining an independent practice; George West of WestMed Disposal covered OSHA requirements for medical offices; Curt Mayse, CPC of ECG Management Consultants from St. Louis discussed how practices around the country are approaching the transition to a value-based reimbursement model; Jerry Callahan, CPA of L. Paul Kassouf & Co. on current tax laws affecting physicians; Bill Cockrell of Cockrell & Associates examined the basics of practice management; James Stroud of Warren, Averett, Kimbrough & Marino talked about strategic planning; and Richard Sanders of The Sanders Law Firm on healthcare reform.
Practice Administrators gained valuable information from these speakers. “My attendance is a time commitment since I lose three days in productivity time at the office, but gain a much bigger return on my time investment,” said Debbie West, Practice Administrator of Birmingham Pediatric Associates. “If I were a practicing physician, I would view this time as a must for one of the most valuable people on my staff. When I am deciding which sessions to attend, I choose the topic that will benefit the practice the most.”
West has a unique situation in that she is both a practice administrator attendee and a vendor, as she and her husband, George, own WestMed Disposal. “Owning a medical waste company has allowed me to better understand the benefits offered as an affiliate member,” she said. “This has given me a new perspective. After years of attending conferences, I had reached the point where I saw vendors as just wanting to sell me something, and I tried to avoid them. Now, I view vendors as an asset, and they can often benefit our practice and save us money.”
The vendors found creative ways to deck their booths in cowboy style to match the conference Rodeo theme, but no one went as all-in as Todd Fentress of Medical Equipment Services, who managed to bring a mechanical bull. When Fentress first approached conference director Lisa Beard with the idea, she thought he had half lost his mind. A mechanical bull on the second floor of the Wynfrey Hotel?
“After word spread across the state’s membership that we would be bringing a mechanical bull, the task to find a bull proved incredibly difficult,” Fentress said. “I think I called every rental company in the southeast, and even searched online to try to buy a used bull, but found nothing even remotely within our budget. We probably could have gotten a live bull with less effort.”
Fentress finally found a bull he could rent, and everyone at the conference who was brave enough had a ride.
In the end, from mechanical bulls to expert speakers, the conference proved to be a great value for administrators. “With the speed at which changes are occurring within healthcare, it is extremely important for physician practices to stay abreast of these changes and be educated on how to react to events as they occur,” said Brian Lasker, administrator of Birmingham Surgical, P.C. and President of the Alabama MGMA. “As always, this conference provided us with the tools we need in order to survive and thrive as changes occur.
“We had excellent national healthcare speakers that touched on a myriad of topics. Also, with the large number of managers in attendance, it allowed for increased networking opportunities across like specialties or by practice size. Never has it been more important to stay involved and educated.”
