MGMA's 2020 Medical Practice Excellence Conference Puts Spotlight on Practical Strategies for Medical Practices Amid Challenges in the COVID-19 Era

ENGLEWOOD, Colo., Aug. 19, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) has designed this year's Medical Practice Excellence Conference (MPEC20) to provide medical practices across the United States with critical, actionable guidance about how to navigate the significant challenges that medical practices are facing today. Recent research by MGMA has revealed that 97% of medical practices have experienced negative impacts on their business since the COVID-19 pandemic began, with a 60% average decrease in patient volume and a 55% average decrease in revenue.

"The extraordinary pressures on medical practices have profound implications for the overall healthcare infrastructure of the United States," said Halee Fischer-Wright, MD, MMM, FAAP, FACMPE, president and chief executive officer at MGMA. "Medical practices are the backbone of U.S. healthcare, and the health of our country depends on the ability of our healthcare providers to navigate the exceptionally difficult challenges they are facing right now. That is why and how we have designed the content of the MPEC20 – to survive 2020 and thrive in 2021 and beyond."

The theme of the MPEC20 (formerly known as The Annual Conference) is "Rise Above" in recognition of the critical role that medical practice management professionals will play in how their organizations navigate the multi-faceted challenges this year and in the coming years. The conference will take place online October 19-21, 2020 and will feature an impressive line-up of speakers sharing insights into topics such as ensuring successful financial management in COVID-19 times, strategies for surviving through a pandemic, technology trends practices should consider or implement, best practices for staff and building operations, and delivering solid leadership in difficult circumstances.

MPEC20 will offer three keynote speakers, 36 concurrent sessions and more than 70 sessions total throughout the three days. The virtual convention center will provide opportunities to participate in breakout meetings, small group discussions, networking and will house a virtual exhibit hall with more than 30 participating sponsors and exhibitors including CareCredit, Jackson Physician Search, Audi, Greenway Health, Humana and United Healthcare. The virtual format of MPEC20 provides attendees with the opportunity to attend even more sessions than in the traditional format, participating not only in live sessions but also attending concurrent sessions on a delay by watching the archived versions of other sessions at a later time.

"Our organization knows firsthand the struggles and obstacles medical practices are currently facing, and it's our responsibility to contribute everything we can to ensure their survival through this pandemic," said Andrew Swanson, MBA, CMPE, vice president of industry insights at MGMA. "Every aspect of our conference is designed to foster conversations and share lessons learned through COVID-19, create opportunities for peer-to-peer interactions and provide relevant, high-impact content to help them navigate through these circumstances."

Key speakers on the MPEC20 program include:

• Monday, October 19: "Becoming a Future-Ready Leader" by Tasha Eurich, PhD, organizational psychologist, researcher and New York Times best-selling author
• Tuesday, October 20: "Creating A Great Place to Work for All" by Michael Bush, CEO, Great Place to Work for All®
• Wednesday, October 21: "Balancing the Human Touch with Digital Innovation to Enhance Patient Experience" by Wendy Sue Swanson, MD, MBE, renowned pediatrician, entrepreneur, consultant, author, media contributor and online voice

And MPEC20 will feature sessions on a number of timely topics aligned with critical challenges members are facing:

• Sessions about how practices can successfully address the operational challenges of COVID-19 include: "Optimizing Patient Access in a Post COVID World" by Michael O'Connell, MHA, FACHE, FACMPE, Senior Vice President, Operations, Stanford Health Care; "Optimize Your Clinic Space for a Pandemic and Beyond" by Adrienne Lloyd, MHA, FACHE, Chief Administrative Officer, Ophthalmology, Duke University Medical Center, MGMA Independent Consultant; and other sessions.
• Sessions about effective leadership strategies for the challenges facing medical practices include: "A Steady Captain in a Stormy Sea: 8 Effective Ways to Lead in Crisis" by Aimee Greeter, MPH, FACHE, Senior Vice President, Coker Group, and Alan Vierling, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, FABC, Senior Vice President, Sparrow Hospital; "Effective Leadership Strategies for Medical Practice Executives" by Ronald Menaker, CPA, MBA, EdD, FACMPE, Administrator, Mayo Clinic and Michael O'Connell, MHA, FACHE, FACMPE, Senior Vice President, Operations, Stanford Health Care; and other sessions.
• Sessions about how to navigate the financial challenges of the COVID-19 era include: "Financially Thriving as an Independent Practice Through Better Claims and Collections" by Daniel Pope, Senior Vice President, R1 RCM and Lawrence Jones, MD, One Pediatrics; "Cutting Losses in Hospital-Employed Networks" by Travis Ansel, MBA, Managing Partner, HSG and Eric Andreoli, MBA, Director, HSG; and other sessions.
• And sessions about how to successfully expand and deliver telehealth services include: "Leveraging the Power of Technology for Success in Value-based Care during a Pandemic" by Keith Fernandez, MD, Chief Clinical Officer, Privia Health and Maureen Clancy, MBA, FACHE, CPC, SVP Operations, Privia Health; "RPM and Telehealth: Strategies to Transform Practices to Virtual Care" by Ann Conrath, MSW, LCSW, Business Development Executive, CareSignal; Doral Jacobsen, CEO, Prosper Beyond, VBC Inc; Heather Spillman, Principal, Citrin Cooperman; and Avni Thakore, MD, FACC, Chief Medical Officer, Catholic Health Services of Long Island; and other sessions

For a complete list of speakers and sessions, please visit https://www.mgma.com/events/medical-practice-excellence-conference.

MGMA members and healthcare professionals can register for the conference here. For more information about the conference schedule, click here. (Members of the press receive complimentary access. To register as a press guest, please contact [email protected].) And please follow the Medical Practice Excellence Conference hashtag (#MPEC20) to get more updates about the event as we get closer to October 19-21.

About MGMA

Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) is the premier association for professionals who lead medical practices. Since 1926, through data, people, insights, and advocacy, MGMA empowers medical group practices to innovate and create meaningful change in healthcare. With a membership of more than 58,000 medical practice administrators, executives, and leaders, MGMA represents more than 12,500 organizations of all sizes, types, structures and specialties that deliver almost half of the healthcare in the United States. www.mgma.com 

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