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      2025 MGMA Summit

      Online Conference

      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 ET   Welcome and Housekeeping


      10:10 – 11:00 AM ET   A Series

      A1: Creating Predictive Models to Improve Patient Experiences
      Traditional | Intermediate | Application
      Content: Transforming Patient Care
      Audience:  Operations Director, COO

      Scott Everitt, 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. 

      1. Employ techniques to quantify and mitigate the impact of no-shows, optimizing appointment scheduling and safeguarding revenue
      2. Discover how aligning physician schedules with patient cycle times can lead to more efficient patient flow and elevated satisfaction levels for patients and staff
      3. Use predictive modeling to benchmark performance and identify key areas for operational enhancement


      A2: The ROAD to Success: Avoiding Potholes During Negotiations
      Interactive | Intermediate | Analysis
      Content: Payer Contracting
      Audience: Practice Administrator/Manager, CFO, CEO

      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.

      1. Outline the steps for current contract evaluation in preparation for negotiations
      2. Prepare strategies of “when” and “how” to discuss key practice goals in the negotiation process
      3. Organize the creation and deployment of an impactful payer contracting strategy


      A3: Driving Profitability: Next-Level Revenue Cycle Management Panel
      Sponsored by Rivet, i3 Healthcare and Thoughtful.ai
      Interactive | Traditional | Intermediate | Analysis
      Audience: All
      Content: Financial Mastery 
      Moderator: Daniel Williams

      Details Coming soon!


      A4:  Creating a Competitive Advantage with Digital Transformation
      Traditional | Basic | Comprehension 
      Operational Excellence

      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 medical 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.

      1. Identify the critical components of a technology ecosystem tailored for medical practices
      2. Explain the benefits of digital transformation in improving patient experience, operational efficiency and financial performance
      3. Review how to overcome common challenges when implementing an integrated technology ecosystem


      11:10 AM – 12:10 PM ET   Mainstage Speaker

      MS1: Transforming Lives: The Heart and Soul of Health Care℠
      Traditional |Basic | Comprehension 
      Transforming Patient Care

      Allison Massari, Keynote speaker, entrepreneur, and interdisciplinary artist

      Prepare to be taken on a journey. With her insightful view inside the patient experience, Allison Massari’s riveting and informed keynote illuminates the immense value that healthcare professionals have upon a patient who is suffering. This dynamic and poignant program offers real solutions to the struggle of how to keep the patient first despite limited time and other practical constraints. By weaving her remarkable journey with potent life-lessons, Allison highlights the integral nature of person-centered care and fortifies audience members, reigniting their passion for why they went into healthcare in the first place. She explains, "The power of what you do goes far beyond the technical part of your job. You are healing the places medicine cannot touch. In fact YOU are the medicine. Hailed as “life-changing”, Allison’s content rich and deeply moving keynote offers a sincere and direct approach to transcending life’s difficulties and always finding a way to be the healer in the room. Audience members are revitalized, with applicable tools for managing change, adversity, and the everyday challenges of being human.

      1. Recognize the profound impact healthcare professionals have on patients' lives
      2. Identify practical solutions to prioritize patient care
      3. Reflect on the core reasons for entering the healthcare field


      12:15 – 12:45 PM ET   LIVE Discussion Groups

      DG1: Financial Discussion Group
      Interactive | Basic | Comprehension 
      Financial Mastery 

      Veronica Bradley, CPC, CPMA, Sr. Industry Advisor, MGMA

      Some of the best ideas and education come from your peers. Join this facilitated interactive session to talk more about the revenue cycle, cost containment trends, and challenges that are important to practice executives. Take advantage of this time with your peers to brainstorm solutions and get a pulse on what other practices are doing to solve some of your most pressing issues.

      1. Discuss new strategies to address revenue issues in your practice
      2. Identify colleagues whom you can contact after the conference to continue problem-solving


      DG2: Operations Discussion Group  
      Interactive | Basic | Comprehension 
      Operational Excellence

      Cristy Good, MBA, MPH, CPC, CMPE, Sr. Industry Advisor, MGMA

      Some of the best ideas and education come from your peers. Join this facilitated interactive session to talk more about the operational issues, trends and challenges that are important to practice executives. Take advantage of this time with your peers to brainstorm solutions and get a pulse on what other practices are doing to solve some of your most pressing issues.

      1. Discuss new strategies to address operations in your practice
      2. Identify colleagues whom you can contact after the conference to continue problem-solving 


      DG3: Tech and AI Discussion Group
      Interactive | Basic | Comprehension 
      Operational Excellence

      Julia Rosen, SVP, Information Technology, Digital Services & IT, MGMA

      Some of the best ideas and education comes from your peers. Join this facilitated interactive session to talk more about new IT technologies and AI, trends and challenges that are important to practice executives. Take advantage of this time with your peers to brainstorm solutions and get a pulse on what other practices are doing to solve some of your most pressing issues.

      1. Discuss new strategies to address how data is collected and used in your practice
      2. Identify colleagues whom you can contact after the conference to continue problem-solving


      DG4: Data Discussion Group
      Interactive | Basic | Comprehension 
      Business Intelligence 

      Liz Gurley, Senior Manager, Sales Enablement and Data, MGMA
      Mike Gracz, Sales Manager, Data Discovery, MGMA

      Some of the best ideas and education come from your peers. Join this facilitated interactive session to talk more about the data needs and challenges to practice executives. Take advantage of this time with your peers to brainstorm solutions and get a pulse on what other practices are doing to solve some of your most pressing issues.

      1. Discuss new strategies to address how data is collected and used in your practice
      2. Identify colleagues whom you can contact after the conference to continue problem-solving


      12:55 PM - 1:25 PM ET   B Series

      B1: ESOPs as a Way to Realize Value in Physician Practices
      Traditional | Intermediate | Analysis  
      Financial Mastery

      Imran Javaid, Managing Director, BMO Bank

      Physician owners work hard to build a successful practice and create a legacy for themselves. As retirement approaches, many physicians seek to ensure their legacy endures while providing stability for the practice and its employees. While selling to a private equity firm offers a quick exit with substantial financial rewards, it may not preserve the practice or safeguard its culture or job security. An alternative, the Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), offers an opportunity to maintain the practice’s legacy, provide financial benefit to the owner(s), and foster wealth generation for employees. This session explores the opportunities, challenges, and preparation steps for implementing an ESOP as a succession strategy.

      1. Examine the benefits and drawbacks of an ESOP
      2. Prepare a succession plan with an ESOP
      3. Outline strategies to prepare your practice for a potential ESOP sale


      B2: Maximizing Operational Excellence: Navigating Practice Challenges to Drive Growth and Results
      Traditional | Intermediate | Analysis
      Operational Excellence

      Lindsey Lanning-Watson, Senior Manager, Consulting Services, DAS Health
      Nancy Wallberg, Senior Managing Consultant, DAS Health

      This session will explore how to evaluate practice operations, leverage strategic partnerships, and implement long-term strategic plans to drive results. Through real-world examples, we’ll delve into strategic planning, vendor partnerships, staffing strategies, and the expansion of practice offerings. Attendees will gain insights into aligning organizational goals with industry best practices, optimizing resources, and fostering innovation, leaving equipped with actionable steps to improve efficiency, control costs, engage patients, retain physicians, and stay competitive in a rapidly evolving market.

      1. Identify key operational challenges
      2. Evaluate and compare operational improvement initiatives
      3. Leverage strategic partnerships for success


      B3: Lifting Revenue by Eliminating Missed Charges: Reliability Science and Charge-Note Reconciliation
      Traditional | Intermediate | Analysis
      Financial Mastery

      Jason Stein, MD, Co-Founder & Chief Medical Officer, Ingenious Med

      Physician practices often lose 1% to 5% of revenue due to missed charges, caused by factors such as non-standardized workflows, manual processes, coding errors, insufficient training, and outdated technology. While solutions like standardization, documentation improvements, staff training, and technology upgrades can mitigate these issues, reliability science provides a framework to address the root causes effectively. Discover a real-world case study on how one hospital-based practice applied the high-reliability principle of “identify-and-mitigate” by combining new technology with new standardized workflow processes to eliminate missed charges.

      1. Distinguish the principles of reliability science and its relevance to eliminating missed charges
      2. Outline how charge-note reconciliation functions as a fail-safe
      3. Breakdown the impact of charge-note reconciliation on reduction of missing charges


      B4: The Pre-Visit Playbook to Prevent Denials and Improve Collections
      Traditional | Intermediate | Analysis
      Financial Mastery

      Taya Gordon, MBA, FACMPE, CMOM, CEO, Atlas & Perpetua Healthcare Consulting; MGMA Consultant
      Shreya Jagarlamudi, Co-Founder & CEO, Pledge Health

      This session will review best practices for pre-visit workflows—including benefits verification, prior authorizations, coordination of benefits, patient cost estimation, and upfront payments. Attendees will leave with practical, advanced strategies to reduce eligibility-related claim denials, streamline staff workflows, and ensure nearly 100% of patient responsibility is collected upfront. We’ll also cut through the AI hype and discuss how to use automation in a way that truly works for your practice and save dozens of staff hours a week on pre-visit workflows.

      1. Identify solutions and strategies to overcome frequent causes of denials
      2. Obtain a proven pre-visit workflow template to proactively prevent claim denials used by practices collecting 95%+ upfront with lean staff
      3. Describe ways to leverage AI and automation for pre-visit workflows in an actionable and results-driven way—without falling for the hype—to save resources and increase margins


      1:35 – 1:45 PM ET  Solution Spotlight sessions:  Details Coming Soon!


      1:55 – 2:45 PM ET C Series

      C1: Partnering with Physician Leaders to Improve Staffing and Operational Stability
      Traditional | Intermediate | Application
      Leading People

      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.

      1. 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
      2. Explore the benefits of physician participation in all facets of decision-making, from patient care to strategic initiatives
      3. 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
      Traditional | Intermediate | Analysis
      Financial Mastery
      Audience: CEO, CFO, Practice Administrator/Manger

      Matt Seefeld, Executive Vice President, MedEvolve
      John Peloquin, PhD, MBA, President & CEO, Discovery Behavioral Health

      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.

      1. Dramatize converging financial challenges impacting healthcare organizations and why staffing models built on lean principles and labor effectiveness will define success going forward
      2. Report zero-touch rates and the types of metrics healthcare organizations should track to understand the health of revenue cycle processes
      3. 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
      Traditional | Intermediate | Analysis  
      Financial Mastery

      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.

      1. Distinguish exposure to risk from E/M coding errors and insufficient documentation, as well as potential time savings from AI-enhanced processes
      2. Organize operational efficiency improvements by helping physician colleagues embrace AI-powered tools to increase compliance and reduce burdens on staff
      3. Breakdown the capabilities and limitations of AI-powered E/M coding solutions


      C4: Elevating Team Performance in a Value-Based Care Landscape
      Traditional | Intermediate | Analysis
      Audience: COO, Operations Director
      Value based Care

      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.

      1. Understand the principles of value-based care teamwork
      2. Develop strategies for enhancing team performance
      3. Identify solutions to common team challenges


      2:55 – 3:45 PM ET  D Series

      D1: How to Ignite Exceptional Effort from Employees
      Traditional | Intermediate | Analysis
      Leading People

      Leaders and managers have a major problem: 77% of employees say they feel uninspired and only do the bare minimum at work. This presentation will address one of the most enduring and elusive management challenges - how to inspire employees to execute. Attendees will learn four proven strategies, , to ignite exceptional effort and realize increased retention, productivity, and profitability. Whether you’re an executive striving to differentiate your organization from the competition or a manager focused on retaining talent, these strategies will prove invaluable.

      1. Discover the four things employees say they need in a workplace to be inspired to work hard
      2. Identify four proven strategies you can implement immediately to ignite exceptional effort from your team
      3. Uncover the one question you can ask your employees to measure engagement


      D2: Expanding Your Practice: Ancillary Services, Coding Optimization, and Revenue Cycle Improvement

      Kem Tolliver, FACMPE, CPC, CMOM, CEO, MGMA Consultant, Medical Revenue Cycle Specialists
      Taya Gordon, MBA, FACMPE, CMOM, CEO, MGMA Consultant, Atlas & Perpetua Healthcare Consulting

      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.

      1. Identify and implement ancillary services that align with your practice’s goals and patient needs
      2. Optimize coding practices to ensure accurate billing and maximize reimbursements
      3. Develop and execute strategies to improve revenue cycle management, enhancing overall financial performance


      D3: Resist the Urge to Check a Box - Optimizing Discipline
      Traditional | Intermediate | Analysis
      Content: Leading People
      Audience: Practice Administrators: Director or Operations, Operations Manager

      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.

      1. Examine current training approaches and the quality and effectiveness of current practices
      2. Prepare the compliance-effectiveness model to optimize competency evaluation and execution
      3. Outline how to deliver feedback based on phases of skill and competency demonstration


      D4: Building Bridges with Employers by Direct Contracting
      Traditional | Intermediate | Application
      Financial Mastery

      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.

      1. Apply principles learned of employer direct contracting for medical practices
      2. Discover the market size and opportunity self-insured employers can represent for your practice
      3. 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 ET  Welcome and Housekeeping


      10:10 AM- 11:00 AM ET   E Series 

      E1: Harnessing AI and Automation for Next-Level Healthcare
      Traditional | Intermediate | Application
      Audience: COO, Practice Administrator
      Content: Operational Excellence

      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: 

      1. Employ generative AI for automated content creation and ad relevancy 
      2. Discover smart workflows to personalize patient communication 
      3. Report campaign ROI through algorithms and analytics


      E2:  Using Payer Negotiated Rate Data to Optimize the Revenue Cycle
      Traditional | Intermediate | Application
      Content: Payer Contracting
      Audience: CFO, CEO

      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 

      1. Overview of Transparency in Coverage Act and the Payer Negotiated Rate Data Set
      2. Applications for payer contracting and revenue cycle management
      3. Understanding limitations of the Payer Negotiated Rate Data Set


      E3: Bridging Gaps: Chronic Care Management and Value-Based Care
      Traditional | Intermediate | Analysis
      Audience: COO, Practice Administrator
      Content: Value-based Care

      Julie Mobley, MBA, CMPE, CPC, Practice Administrator, Cullman Internal Medicine PC

      earn 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 

      1. Outline the basics of a successful CCM program, including billable CPT(r) codes and eligible diagnoses
      2. Organize an entire year’s worth of content to provide timely patient communication topics
      3. Point out which key stakeholders are needed to build a strong team for ensuring patient-centric care that enhances VBC performance


      E4: Creating Career Development Pathways for Your Team
      Traditional | Basic | Comprehension  
      Leading People

      Robyn Hoffman, MSPT, MBA, Director of Physician Operations, Ascension Medical Group
      Tracey Schwartz, Ed.D, FACMPE, Vice President-Operations, Ascension Medical Group Texas

      A strong driver of employee engagement and retention is career growth and development. However, new job titles and promotions are not always readily available to hand out, no matter the size of your organization. Crafting a plan to develop associates’ soft and hard skills will help make them more successful in their current roles, fulfill their growth goals, and prepare them for future promotional opportunities. These career development pathways will enhance your employees’ engagement and can prevent them from looking outside of the organization for growth opportunities. Learn why career development is important and how to create a plan for your teams.

      Learning objectives 

      1. Identify the need to create and sustain a career path development program
      2. Define the three paths to gain career development
      3. Discover how to create a career development plan with your leaders and associates


      11:10 AM- 11:40 AM ET   F Series

      F1: Reduce Complexity and Maximize ROI with a Digital Document Manager
      Traditional | Basic | Comprehension  
      Operational Excellence

      Gregory Barber, Director, Solutions Consulting, Greenway Health

      Approximately 89% of healthcare organizations still rely on fax solutions, leading to inefficiencies and increased administrative burden. Manually managing patient documents can slow operations, strain resources, and inflate costs, especially during critical processes like provider onboarding. In this session, discover how a digital document manager addresses these challenges by improving document workflows through features like cloud-based scanning, electronic faxing, and e-signatures. By automating manual tasks, practices can reduce complexity, improve operational efficiency, and achieve measurable ROI. Join us to learn how to save time, enhance productivity, and optimize your practice’s financial health.

      1. Discuss process improvement strategies that utilize document management solutions
      2. Identify actionable insights for reducing administrative burdens and improving workflows


      F2: Optimizing Medical Practice Operations with Remote Talent
      Traditional | Basic | Comprehension  
      Leading People

      Iffi Wahla, Co-Founder & CEO Edge

      Staffing shortages, high turnover, and administrative burdens are making it harder than ever for medical practices to operate efficiently. This session will share how practices across the country are streamlining operations by integrating remote employees into their workflows. With deep expertise in building and scaling remote teams, the speaker will break down how medical practices can leverage remote talent to handle front-office tasks such as appointment scheduling, patient follow-ups, billing support, and prior authorizations. Through real-world case studies and proven strategies, the session will provide a roadmap for hiring, onboarding, and managing remote employees to reduce costs, increase productivity, and enhance patient experience. Attendees will leave with actionable insights on how to optimize their operations and solve staffing challenges—without the delays and expenses of traditional hiring.

      1. Identify common operational bottlenecks in medical practices
      2. Describe how to successfully incorporate remote talent into front-office workflows
      3. Discover how leveraging a remote workforce can reduce overhead costs, optimize staff workload, and enhance practice profitability while maintaining high-quality patient care


      F3: Maximizing Reimbursements: Digitizing Payer Contracts for Higher Profits
      Traditional | Basic | Comprehension  
      Financial Mastery

      Brett Spark, President & Co-Founder, Aroris

      In today’s challenging healthcare landscape, provider reimbursements are declining while administrative costs continue to soar—accounting for an estimated $735 billion in 2024 alone. For many practices, negotiating fair contracts with payers is time-consuming, complex, and often ineffective. Without the right data and strategies, providers struggle to secure the rates they need to remain financially viable.

      This session will explore how digitizing payer contracts can unlock new revenue opportunities and streamline negotiations. By leveraging comprehensive data analytics, practices can turn payer data into dollars, ensuring they receive competitive reimbursements while reducing administrative burden. Real-world case studies will highlight how healthcare providers have successfully increased contract rates by as much as 22.4%, transforming stagnant agreements into revenue growth opportunities.

      Join us to discover how modern contract management strategies can empower your practice, improve financial outcomes, and help you take control of your payer negotiations.

      1. Identify the key financial challenges in payer reimbursements and understand how administrative costs impact overall practice profitability
      2. Describe how to leverage data analytics and digital contract management to negotiate higher reimbursement rates with payers
      3. Apply real-world strategies and case study insights to optimize payer contracts, increase revenue, and improve financial sustainability for your practice


      11:50 – 12:55 PM ET   Mainstage Speaker

      MS2: Transforming Industries, Safeguarding Trust: The Responsible Use of Generative AI in Healthcare
      Traditional | Intermediate | Application  
      AI and Innovation

      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

      1. Discover how generative AI is reshaping their industry and the opportunities it presents for the future
      2. Outline practical guidelines and approaches for collaborating, communicating, and implementing generative AI
      3. Examine the importance of using generative AI responsibly


      1:00 – 1:30 PM ET   Resource Groups

      RG1: Resource Group: Early and Later Careerist Healthcare Leaders 

      Agnes Edukere, MHA, Director of Performance Improvement and Project Facilitation, Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties
      Melinda Mastel, MBA, MS, FHFMA, CMPE, PMP
      Tori Cordova, BS-HCM, CPPM, CPC, COC, CHONC,       Senior Manager, Practice Administration, Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center
      Jill Berger-Fiffy, MHA, FACMPE,       Consultant- Performance Improvement Coordinator, Coastal Consulting-Independent Consultant

      MGMA Resource Groups offer inclusive networking spaces where members with shared demographics and/or experiences can connect. These meetings foster peer-to-peer support and are designed to address the unique needs of each group, creating a collaborative and supportive environment for everyone involved.

      Join Hosts from both the Early and Later Careerist Resource Groups for a great peer-lead discussion. Topics may include professional development, burnout, advancing technology, leadership skills.

      Who is this resource group for? Individuals with more than 10 years of healthcare experience, mid-senior level leaders, Early careerists and recent graduates.


      RG2: Resource Group: LGBTQIA+ Healthcare Leaders

      Amanda Tufano, MHA, FACHE, FACMPE

      MGMA Resource Groups offer inclusive networking spaces where members with shared demographics and/or experiences can connect. These meetings foster peer-to-peer support and are designed to address the unique needs of each group, creating a collaborative and supportive environment for everyone involved.

      LGBTQIA+ & Allies Healthcare Leaders Network is a network of LGBTQIA+ healthcare leaders and their allies, united by a shared commitment to diversity, mentorship, and advocacy in the healthcare industry. The group provides a forum for exploring LGBTQIA+ topics, sharing resources, and building meaningful connections.


      RG3: Resource Group: Women in Healthcare

      Cheryl Mongillo, MBA, Practice Administrator
      Delores McNair, MHA, Senior Business Manager and Division Administrator, Duke University System
      Paola Turchi, MSHCA, FHFMA, FACMPE, CPC, VP, Client Success, Resolv Health

      MGMA Resource Groups offer inclusive networking spaces where members with shared demographics and/or experiences can connect. These meetings foster peer-to-peer support and are designed to address the unique needs of each group, creating a collaborative and supportive environment for everyone involved.

      Welcome to Women Leaders in Healthcare - a dynamic community dedicated to empowering and elevating women in the healthcare sector. Together, we will build connections, exchange knowledge, and support each other on our paths to leadership.


      RG4: Resource Group: Black Healthcare Leaders

      Hosted by:
      Kem Tolliver, FACMPE, CPC, CMOM, Chief Executive Officer, MGMA Consultant, Medical Revenue Cycle Specialists
      Taya Gordon, MBA, FACMPE, CMOM, CEO, MGMA Consultant, Atlas & Perpetua Healthcare Consulting

      MGMA Resource Groups offer inclusive networking spaces where members with shared demographics and/or experiences can connect. These meetings foster peer-to-peer support and are designed to address the unique needs of each group, creating a collaborative and supportive environment for everyone involved.

      This community of Black and/or African American healthcare leaders focuses on networking, support, and mentorship. 


      1:40 – 1:50 PM ET  Solution Spotlight Sessions: Details Coming Soon!


      2:00 – 2:50 PM ET   G Series


      G1: The Power of Hospitality in Healthcare: Improving Patient Experience and Organizational Success
      Traditional | Intermediate |   Analysis
      Transforming Patient Care

      Emalee Ligon, MBA, President, True North Initiative
      Che Miller, MD, FACS, MHCM, CEO/Founder, True North Initiative

      In today's competitive healthcare environment, patient experience is not just a measure of satisfaction but a critical component of quality care and organizational success. Yet, the art of hospitality—a cornerstone in other service industries—often takes a back seat in medical practices due to stringent CMS regulations, complex reimbursement models, and the financial pressures of escalating inflation. This presentation explores how to successfully reintroduce hospitality into healthcare delivery and enhance patient experiences while adhering to regulatory requirements and maintaining financial health. Drawing upon our combined expertise in business administration and healthcare management, we will present actionable strategies for implementing hospitality-focused initiatives that comply with CMS guidelines and are financially sustainable. Attendees will learn how to navigate the intricate balance between regulatory compliance, cost management, and the imperative of delivering exceptional, patient-centered care. By reinvigorating hospitality in healthcare, organizations can not only improve patient loyalty and outcomes but also strengthen their financial performance in a challenging economic landscape.

      1. Evaluate the role of hospitality in enhancing patient experience and satisfaction within medical practices
      2. Identify effective strategies to implement hospitality-focused initiatives that are compliant with current CMS regulations and reimbursement models
      3. Develop actionable approaches to maintain financial sustainability amid rising inflation while prioritizing patient-centered care


      G2: Valuation Considerations for Healthcare Joint Ventures
      Traditional | Basic | Comprehension  
      Leading People

      David Lo, CFA, ASA, Director, Valuation Advisory, Stout
      Jordan Zoeller, CFA, Senior Vice President, Valuation Advisory, Stout

      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:

      1. Examine between different types of joint ventures and the strategic considerations in pursuing certain joint venture structures
      2. Describe the different valuation approaches that may be utilized to value certain assets contributed to joint ventures
      3. Due diligence considerations when structuring joint ventures


      G3: Diversity & Inclusion in the Workplace
      Traditional | Basic | Comprehension  
      Leading People

      Barbara Faupel, FACMPE, Practice Manager, Allergy Consultants

      It is important to ensure your staff is aware of the practice's expectations concerning their conduct with patients and coworkers. The pandemic shined a bright light on systemic issues. Behind these injustices are unconscious bias, microaggressions, and intersectionality. More than just buzz words, these are important topics that all practice managers need to understand and guide their practices to solutions.

      1. Describe unconscious bias and how does it play a role in diversity, sensitivity, harassment, and respect in the workplace
      2. Identify communication strategies with physicians and staff concerning diversity and unconscious bias and what should be included in your employee handbook
      3. Discuss the most recent changes and upcoming HR decisions that Practice Managers should pay attention to


      G4: The Performance Flywheel: Activating Tactics from Strategy
      Traditional | Intermediate | Analysis
      Audience: Operations Director
      Content: Operational Excellence

      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.

      1. Distinguish strategy development and strategy deployment using traditional healthcare pillars
      2. Outline the process steps to create focused and aligned objectives through strategy deployment in objective-setting and objective monitoring
      3. 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


      3:00 – 3:50 PM ET   H Series

      H1: Seeing Around Corners: Drive Your Practice’s Future with Data
      Interactive | Intermediate | Analysis
      Audience: Practice Administrator
      Content: Operational Excellence

      Nate Moore, MBA, FACMPE, CPA, 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.

      1. Describe innovative data analysis techniques that reveal hidden patterns and drive efficiencies in staffing, scheduling, and patient access
      2. Use appointment data to optimize scheduling for better patient flow and provider productivity
      3. Connect ideas from other practices to opportunities in your practice


      H2: Revenue Cycle Enforcement Trends: What Leaders Need to Know
      Traditional | Intermediate | Analysis
      Content: Financial Mastery
      Audience: Directors, Practice Administrators/Managers

      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 

      1. Examine the current trends in revenue cycle scrutiny and enforcement
      2. Breakdown the financial, legal and reputational consequences of revenue cycle noncompliance through case study examples
      3. Organize strategies and tools that can help healthcare organizations avoid revenue cycle non-compliance


      H3: The Thriving Leader That Promotes Positive Disruption
      Traditional | Basic | Comprehension
      Leading People

      Alvin Payne III, Director of Operations, Ambulatory Care, Kelsey-Seybold Clinic

      As organizational leaders, the creative environment and culture that we establish and allow has the ability to revolutionize our workspaces or bring its vitality to a screeching halt. What if today's best practice isn’t good enough for tomorrow? Through the creation of authentically thriving relationships that challenge today's norms, we can better anticipate the healthcare needs of our patients before the problem exists. Unleash a power within you and others that unlocks doors, breaks down barriers, and enhances the operational efficiency of your organization by bridging the gap between the way it has always been and the way that it could be!

      1. Identify the cost of proactive vs. reactionary change
      2. Describe the difference between distractions and disruptions
      3. Discuss how opening the Circle of Trust can cause you thrive


      H4: Making Safety & Efficiency an Everyday Thing: Daily Huddles
      Traditional | Intermediate | Application
      Operational Excellence

      Eduardo Rodriguez De Varona, Executive Director of Operations, Nicklaus Children's Pediatric Specialists
      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

      On a journey to improve communication among all levels of leadership, we implemented daily huddles across 46 sites of care. These huddles, brief yet focused gatherings at the start of each shift, engage multidisciplinary teams, including clinical and administrative staff and leaders to discuss expectations for the day and any risks. By creating a structured forum for discussing potential operational and safety concerns, organizational updates, and safety best practices, we aim to empower staff to take proactive measures and cultivate a shared responsibility for safety.

      This presentation will outline the structured approach we adopted, highlighting key elements such as huddle format, participation strategies, and integration with existing safety protocols. We will share quantitative and qualitative outcomes, demonstrating significant improvements in safety awareness and incident reporting. Feedback from participants reveals increased engagement and empowerment, as employees feel more invested in their workplace. Additionally, we will discuss the challenges faced during implementation and how we overcame them. Our experience emphasizes the value of regular communication in building a safety-oriented culture.

      1. Implement daily huddles, focusing on structure, key elements including safety and preparedness, and engagement strategies.
      2.  Analyze quantitative and qualitative outcomes from safety huddles, gaining insights into improved safety awareness and enhanced incident reporting.
      3. Explore common challenges faced during implementation and strategies to overcome resistance to change, fostering a culture of safety within their organizations.


      June 5, 2025 – Day 3

      9:45 – 10:00 AM ET  Welcome and Housekeeping


      10:10 – 11:00 AM ET  I Series

      I1: Behavioral Health Integration: A Catalyst for Improving Care
      Traditional | Intermediate | Analysis
      Audience: Practice Administrator, COO
      Content: Transforming Patient 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.

      1. Organize BH care delivery in three ways to fit the primary care environment.
      2. 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.
      3. 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
      Traditional | Intermediate | Application
      Content: Physician Compensation
      Audience: Practice Administrators/Manager, CEO, CFO

      Jessica Minesinger, CMOM, CMPE, FACMPE, BBC, 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.

      1. Discuss the importance of physician compensation planning lifecycle
      2. Identify the return on investment opportunities associated with regularly reviewing and updating physician compensation plans
      3. Describe the value of using compensation benchmarks during the physician compensation planning


      I3: New Medical Equipment: Buy or Not to Buy
      Traditional | Intermediate | Analysis
      Content: Financial Mastery
      Audience: Practice Administrator, Director of Finance, CFO

      Les Jebson, MHA, MBA, FACHE, FACMPE, Regional Administrator – Outpatient Therapies, Ambulatory Surgery Centers, Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Services, 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.

      1. Review and discuss financial models and considerations for new equipment acquisition
      2. Analyze potential financial and compliance risks from vendor collaborations in equipment acquisition
      3. Identify how to create uniform process steps and tools for new medical equipment acquisition


      I4: Using Quality Improvement Tools to Improve OR Efficiency
      Traditional | Intermediate | Analysis
      Operational Excellence

      Stephen P. Sales, DHA, MBA, FACMPE, 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.

      1. Breakdown John Kotter's 8-Step model for change and its uses in process improvement initiatives
      2. Examine operative procedure efficiency through the use of temporal sequencing and spatial analysis techniques
      3. 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 ET   J Series

      J1: Cognitive Diversity- Understanding Different Thinking Styles
      Interactive | Intermediate | Application  
      Strategic Staffing

      Lei Comerford, PCC, CPQC, Executive Coach, Master Facilitator, Speaker, and Consultant, Lei Comerford Consulting, LLC

      What is Cognitive Diversity? How can I utilize this skill to be more effective? Join us for this informative session where we will introduce Herrmann’s Whole Brain Model and four unique thinking styles. You will have the opportunity to identify which is most dominant for you and learn how to pick up on clues that others give off. This session offers you the ability to improve your own self-awareness and begin working more effectively and efficiently with others when you implement these new skills.

      1. Identify how your most pressing HR challenges are impacting you, your team and organization and learn how to solve them
      2. Discover why Cognitive Diversity is the key to successful communication, relationships and change initiatives
      3.  Describe four different thinking styles and discover which is your most dominant


      J2: Transforming Operations Through Workforce Optimization
      Traditional | Intermediate | Application
      Audience: COO, Practice Administrator
      Content: Operational Excellence

      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.

      1. Discover principles, best practices and innovative strategies of workforce optimization for enhanced efficiency 
      2. Produce a culture of excellence and adaptability within your organization 
      3. Use actionable strategies for nurturing employee engagement and managing change to drive your practices to peak performance 


      J3: Connecting Care: Streamlining Patient Communications and Business Operations Panel
      Format: Interactive | Advanced | Evaluation/Create & Analysis
      Operational Excellence

      Moderators: Craig Wiberg
      Panelists:
      Rahul Naidoo, Co-Founder and Co-CEO, Superscript
      Miachel Pendleton, MBA, Senior Vice President, InDXLogic
      Sponsored by: Superscript & InDXLogic

      In an era of staffing shortages and rising patient expectations, practices must evolve both patient communication and operational efficiency to remain competitive. This expert-led panel brings together leaders from across the industry to explore how digital engagement tools and operational technologies are transforming care delivery, streamlining business functions, and enhancing both patient and provider experiences. We’ll cover everything from optimizing digital front door strategies and reducing no-shows, to automating business workflows and improving financial performance. Whether your focus is patient satisfaction, cost reduction, or operational excellence, this session will offer actionable insights and innovative tools to help your practice thrive.

      1. Evaluate your current approach to patient communication, digital engagement, and operational efficiency
      2. Compare emerging technologies and strategies for integrating them into clinical and business workflows
      3. Assess the impact of these tools on patient satisfaction, treatment adherence, financial outcomes, and staff productivity


      J4: Optimizing the Patient Financial Experience, Start to Finish
      Traditional | Intermediate | Application
      Content: Financial Mastery
      Audience: Practice Administrator/Manager

      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.

      1. Manage processes that reveal improvements within scheduling and financial clearance, registration, billing and payment, and billing resolution and support
      2. Employ optimization strategies across technology, training, patient education and payer relations
      3. Produce a continuous feedback loop with patients that continuously evaluates and refines financial processes for streamlined workflows, reduced errors and enhanced patient experience


      12:10 – 1:00 PM ET   K Series

      K1: Noise or Signal? Decoding Messages from Physicians & Coders
      Traditional | Basic | Comprehension  
      Financial Mastery

      Pam D’Apuzzo, CPC, ACS-EM, ACS-MS, CPMA, Managing Director, VMG Health
      Betsy Nicoletti, M.S., CPC, Consultant, Codingintel

      Coders, compliance staff, and practitioners bring questions and concerns about coding and documentation issues to practice leaders. Some of these can be easily resolved. Some concerns require investigation. Medical coding is a high-stakes activity. Protecting revenue integrity is two-fold: ensuring full capture of all reimbursement the group is entitled to receive and ensuring the group is complying with complex and changing regulations. Practice revenue and physician compensation are structured through a blend of fee-for-service and value-based care models, both of which rely on accurate CPT and ICD coding. Penalties for incorrect coding can be substantial.

      Some concerns require immediate attention and some require diplomacy. But how does a manager assess the importance of these concerns? Using a question-and-answer format with case examples, this presentation will provide a framework to guide managers. It will describe the type of messages that require priority action and those that don’t. Each case will include an explanation of the coding principle and coding rule involved and the type of inquiries that are required.

      1. Identify points of miscommunication between practitioners and coders and recognize how these can impact coding accuracy, compliance, and revenue integrity
      2. Describe how to address and clarify ambiguous or unclear documentation from practitioners without compromising coding accuracy
      3. Explore methods for collaboration between coding teams & clinicians to promote compliant coding that maintains the organization’s revenue integrity


      K2: What’s new in Payer Contracting
      Traditional | Intermediate | Analysis
      Content: Payer Contracting
      Audience: Directors, Practice Administrators, CFO, CEO/Presidents

      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. 

      1. Point out new language in payer agreements that attempts to control providers, and get more favorable language to use in your commercial agreements  
      2. Breakdown real-life examples of payer negotiations, problematic contract language, and how to overcome it to preserve the practice’s strategic growth plan
      3. 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: Unlocking Practice Potential: Patient Digital Engagement
      Traditional | Intermediate | Application  
      Transforming Patient Care

      Jennifer Mandelbaum, PhD, MPH, Mixed Methods Research Manager, athenahealth
      Bryan Wall, M.D., Chief Medical Informatics Officer, Healthcare Outcomes Performance Co. (HOPCo)

      As technology continues to advance, the opportunities for patients to digitally engage with healthcare practices have expanded significantly. Patients can take an active role in their own healthcare by accessing and monitoring their health information, managing appointments, making digital payments, and communicating with their providers through messaging platforms – without having to step through their provider’s door. By embracing digital tools and fostering a culture of patient digital engagement, healthcare practices can deliver better care experiences and more effectively conquer the challenges of value-based care with confidence.

      This session will use real-world data from more than 6,000 practices across the U.S. to illustrate how patient digital engagement can improve practice finances and reduce friction in the patient experience, among other benefits. It will also include how to address barriers, such as patients being less willing or able to adopt technology, and how to take advantage of automated management tools.

      1. Discuss practical insights & actionable strategies to leverage the opportunities presented by emerging digital tools
      2. Explore national data trends to learn the benefits of patient digital engagement, identify strategies for assessing and implementing patient digital engagement tools
      3. Use patient digital engagement tools and digital care to deliver top-notch, cost-effective care


      K4: Resilience Rx: Introduction for Healthcare Leaders
      Traditional | Intermediate | Application  
      Leading People

      Gary L. Owens, EdD, BCC, President, Board Certified Coach, The Synergist Group
      Frankie Rodriguez,  MHA, Manager, Strategic Operations, Orlando Health Digestive Health Institute

      In medical practices where stress is high—contributing to over 50% of healthcare professionals reporting burnout—resilience is essential. This session tackles these concerns by providing healthcare leaders with practical tools to improve personal and team resilience. Attendees will explore strategies that enhance stress management, communication, and workplace support, addressing critical issues faced by nearly 60% of healthcare teams. The session includes interactive discussions, exercises, and real-world case studies, actively engaging participants with methods they can implement immediately. By equipping leaders with resilience-building techniques, this session empowers them to lead stronger teams and deliver exceptional patient care, ultimately improving outcomes and reducing the strain on healthcare

      1. Assess current stress management and determine how resilience enhances team dynamics and efficacy
      2. Use resilience strategies for better communication, stress handling, and teamwork in practice
      3. Describe a personal resilience plan to foster a supportive culture combatting burnout for improved care


      1:10 – 1:40 PM ET  Community Live Sessions

      CL1: Member Community Live: Payer Contracting
      Host: Carol Ittig

      Join Carol Ittig in this peer-to-peer discussion group on payer contracting brings together healthcare professionals to share insights, strategies, and experiences related to negotiating and managing contracts with insurance payers. The group fosters collaborative problem-solving, promotes best practices, and supports members in navigating the complexities of reimbursement and compliance.


      CL2: Member Community Live: Front-End Revenue Cycle Management
      Host: Tracy Bird

      Join Tracy Bird in this peer-to-peer discussion group on front-end revenue cycle focuses on sharing practical strategies and solutions for improving patient access, registration, insurance verification, and point-of-service collections. Members collaborate to address common challenges, enhance workflows, and promote best practices that drive revenue integrity from the start of the patient journey.


      CL3: Member Community Live: Managing an Independent Practice
      Host: Jojy Schless

      Join Jojy Schless in this peer-to-peer discussion group on managing independent practice and practice leaders to exchange insights on running successful, autonomous healthcare practices. Topics include operations, staffing, compliance, financial management, and adapting to industry changes while maintaining independence and quality care.


      CL4: Member Community Live: Employee Engagement & Culture
      Host: Jason Raidbard

      Join Jason Raidbard in this peer-to-peer discussion group on Employee Engagement & Culture brings together leaders and professionals to explore strategies for building positive workplace environments, boosting staff morale, and fostering a culture of accountability and inclusion. Participants share real-world experiences and best practices to enhance employee satisfaction and organizational performance.


      1:50 – 2:00 PM ET  MGMA Spotlight Sessions

      Details coming soon!


      2:10 – 3:00 PM ET  L Series

      L1: MGMA Government Affairs – Session Details Coming Soon! 


      3:10 – 3:15 PM ET  Conference Wrap up and GIVEAWAY!


      3:15 – 4:15 PM ET  

      MS3  Leveling Up: 6 Questions for Next-Level Leadership
      Traditional | Intermediate | Application  
      Leading People

      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: 

      1. Apply Self-Leadership Strategies.
      2. Produce Organizational Success through Leadership Development
      3. Utilize Reflective Questions for Personal and Professional Growth
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