In this inspiring bonus episode of the MGMA Podcast, recorded live at the 2025 MGMA Leaders Conference in Orlando, Senior Editor Daniel Williams sits down with Delores McNair—speaker, mentor, and longtime MGMA leader—who brings her trademark energy and authenticity to a conversation about leadership, mentorship, and human connection in healthcare.
Delores McNair shares what fuels her continued engagement with MGMA, from mentoring and speaking to leading the MGMA Book Club community. She reflects on the power of authentic leadership, the importance of diversity and inclusion, and why MGMA conferences offer more than education—they build connection.
Highlights from this episode:
How mentorship through MGMA helps leaders grow and give back
The value of authentic leadership and building a personal brand
Lessons from the MGMA Book Club and continuous learning
Networking vs. connecting: why real relationships matter
Reflections on MGMA’s 1920s-themed gala and the joy of community
If you’re passionate about healthcare leadership, professional development, and authentic connection, this conversation will leave you inspired.
Subscribe to the MGMA Podcast for more interviews with healthcare innovators and leaders shaping the future of medical practice management.
#MGMA #HealthcareLeadership #LeadersConference #Mentorship #AuthenticLeadership #MedicalPracticeManagement
Episode Transcript
Well, everyone. I'm Daniel Williams, Senior
Editor at MGMA, and we are herein Orlando for the MGMA twenty
twenty five Leaders Conference.It's the last day, but we've
saved the best for last. We'vegot Dolores McNair here with us.
She is an attendee.
She's also a speaker. She'sgonna speak twice today. Well,
it's now three times becauseshe's gonna talk with us too.
(00:27):
Dolores, it is so good to seeyou.
Delores McNair (00:29):
Well, Daniel, you know, each time I'm in the
space of MGMA, each time I'm inyour space, there's so much
positivity. And that's one ofthe reasons I attend MGMA
conferences every year, everychance I get. And next is now.
And my now needs to be next inmy chapter. And my now needs to
be what I need now to go to thenext level.
(00:50):
And the conference has notfailed. It has not failed. I am
feeling rejuvenated, buteducated, girded up, networked,
and I don't just have a name. Ihave the personal cell number.
Now that's what you want to havehappen at a conference.
Daniel Williams (01:04):
I love that. You and I have connected in so
many different ways because youdo so much for MGMA. I first met
you because you're a mentor Oh,with look at the
Delores McNair (01:13):
platform MGMA I could not turn it down. I
mentored and I continue tomentor outside of it, but it is
great to have the structure. Andyou know, the structure's
evolving. That's the nice thing.MGMA keeps us at our top
healthcare by keeping themselvesat the top.
So I've watched the platformcontinue to grow and innovate
(01:34):
and look for best practices andthen be the standard in some
ways in setting new bestpractices. So happy to be a
part.
Daniel Williams (01:40):
Oh, that's wonderful. So I'm gonna make a
plug for somewhere else that wemeet once a month, the MGMA Book
Club. What can you tell me aboutthis? Because you and I have had
so much fun and learned so muchfrom other people in the book
club.
Delores McNair (01:55):
You know, I want everyone to know, don't think of
it as the traditional book club.You're not told which book to
read, and you're not even toldyou have to read it. You can
listen to it. You can discuss itone on one with the group, but
the books are decided upon as agroup, suggested as a group. But
there's so much more thandemocracy in how we do it.
Yeah. Because when we realize asa book club team that things are
(02:17):
evolving
Daniel Williams (02:18):
Yeah.
Delores McNair (02:18):
We can come back. And, Daniel, you do a
phenomenal job of helping uswith not just the technology,
but you're engaged. You know, alot of people wouldn't know that
you read these books. And so youkeep us digging a little deeper.
So we're not just reading a bookto chitchat.
We're reading a book to chitchatabout what was in the book and a
chat about what we got out thebook.
Daniel Williams (02:39):
I love it. Love I love We've got to trademark
that, the chit and the chat. Ithink that's so cool. I can't
have this interview withoutbringing up last night. So, MGMA
put on their signature event.
It was a 1920s style event. It'slike the Great Gatsby meets I
don't know what, but it wasBumped into you there. Explain
(03:03):
the outfit because it wasstraight out of the twenties. It
was so cool. And you look likeyou're having the time of your
life there.
Tell me about that.
Delores McNair (03:10):
I'm biased. I was having the time of my life.
One, because MGMA, I was havingthe time of my life to watch the
people who give us all of thesetools. You know, data dive is
one of my favorite. A lot ofpeople didn't know about it.
They told me before, you know,four or five years ago, some
people in my circle and theywere going, where'd you get that
data? And I went data dive.Well, I went bourbon twenties,
(03:32):
jazz dive, and I didn't evenhave to have a bourbon. And so
last night, I did get to dressup, have a little tassels, have
a little feather in my hair, butI watched all of my peers.
Daniel Williams (03:43):
Yeah.
Delores McNair (03:44):
And even though we were all dressed up, and as
you know, some of us really wentout there, we really went out
there, what I saw stillhappening again, it was a new
way for us to connect, notnetwork. So people weren't
running around giving outbusiness cards. And that's
what's kind of sweet about ourconferences. People were
talking, offering to takepictures with each other and
(04:06):
doing the new technology thing,connect on LinkedIn just by
scanning a QR code. So it wasgreat.
By the way, there was no way Icould have imagined when you all
said we could go from venue tovenue.
Daniel Williams (04:18):
Yeah.
Delores McNair (04:19):
It did remind me of a twenties thing.
Daniel Williams (04:20):
It
Delores McNair (04:21):
did. It did. I mean, you could just walk right
Daniel Williams (04:23):
Like a speakeasy or doing a pub crawl,
whatever And it
Delores McNair (04:26):
people providing for those who might have said,
you know, I couldn't find myfull costume. We had our
headpieces and our hats. It wasawesome. Just totally awesome.
Daniel Williams (04:33):
Yeah. And every time I talk to you, whether it's
on a podcast, whether it's inthe book club, whether it's
hanging out here, it reminds methat we hear the headlines often
scream the complexities ofhealthcare, the staffing
shortages, all the challenges.But at the end of the day, what
we're talking about is humanbeings. We're talking And about
(04:55):
when we're here live face toface at an event like the
Leaders Conference, we get tohang with other people and we
get to hear their stories. Andso I just wanna thank you for
being such a great ambassador ofMGMA and just bringing your
spirit and your energy towhatever you do here.
Delores McNair (05:13):
Well, you know, authenticity, as you've heard me
say, whether it's in mentorshipand leadership is so important.
And we learned that as GwenDooley was talking to us about
that and your leadership brand.So MGMA sticks with something,
you know, I said when we firstmet on a podcast and you said,
what? And I said, I tell people,it's not about you and it's not
about me. It's all about the we.
And we are stronger together.MGMA, I thought it was my own
(05:37):
original little saying. MGMA wasalready living it.
Daniel Williams (05:41):
Yeah.
Delores McNair (05:41):
They were thinking of me, and they were
thinking of you, and they werethinking of them, and they were
thinking of we, and how can wemake health care, how can we
make our leaders strongertogether? So next is now, and
now I'm already walking into mynext. So I'm hoping this last
session as women come together,but I even told a few men, hey,
I complain. Peek your ear inthere.
Daniel Williams (06:01):
Yeah.
Delores McNair (06:01):
Because MGMA embraces diversity, they embrace
it, voices, and we all need tobe heard.
Daniel Williams (06:07):
All right. Well, Dolores McNair, thank for
being here.
Delores McNair (06:10):
Oh, thank you, Daniel. And you know, I'm
looking forward to the next bookclub, but every chance we can
connect, I know I'm going
Daniel Williams (06:16):
to get a boost. You got it. All right. Well,
everyone, we've been talkingwith Dolores McNair live from
the Orlando twenty twenty fiveMGMA Leaders Conference. We miss
you.
Y'all come on here next year.We're gonna be in San Antonio
for our one hundredthAnniversary Leaders Conference.
Thank you so much. Signing offhere.
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