MGMA Week in Review: Summit Insights, Compensation Strategy, and the Future of Patient Tech

In this episode of the MGMA Week in Review podcast, hosts Daniel Williams and Colleen Luckett share timely insights on the most pressing issues in healthcare. They cover key takeaways from the MGMA Summit, explore the latest compensation strategies, and highlight innovative trends shaping the connected patient experience. You'll also hear discussion on CMS policy changes, violence in healthcare settings, and how practices can improve engagement and workplace safety.

00:51 Introduction and Podcast Overview

02:01 MGMA Stat Poll: Compensation Strategy Insights (MGMA Stat)

03:44 Highlights from the MGMA Summit Digital Conference (MGMA Summit)

09:42 CMS Rescinds Emergency Abortion Guidance (Fierce HealthCare)

11:44 Violence Against Healthcare Workers: A Growing Concern (Chief Healthcare Executive)

15:07 The Connected Patient Experience: Embracing Innovation (Med City News)

16:38 Conclusion and Upcoming Content

Additional Resources:

• MGMA Playbooks
• MGMA Events
• MGMA Consulting
• MGMA DataDive
• MGMA Stat
• MGMA Podcasts

Email us at [e-mail] if you would like to appear on an episode. If you have a question about your practice that you would like us to answer, send an email to [e-mail]. Don't forget to subscribe to our network wherever you get your podcasts.

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Episode Transcript

Daniel Williams (00:55):
Well, hi, everyone. Welcome to the MGMA
weekend review podcast. I'm yourhost, Daniel Williams, senior
editor at MGMA, along withcohost Colleen Luckett, editor
and writer here at MGMA. Andjust as a note, with each of
these week in review podcasts,what we intend to do is bring
you the latest health careindustry news. Maybe if there's

(01:16):
a policy update, some expertinsights, and quite frankly,
just stories that Colleen and Ifind interesting out there.
Colleen, how are things goingwith you?

Colleen Luckett (01:25):
Hello. We are busy over here with the, the
MGMA Summit and MGMA Connection.Quarterly is coming out soon.
So, yeah, we're busy. How aboutyou?

Daniel Williams (01:35):
Oh my goodness. Yeah. I am recovering. I'm
trying to hope my voice is notgone. We have just concluded the
summit here this week, and,we'll talk about that some more
in one of our articles today.
But it's been a really fun,energizing week, and I'm ready
for some r and r now as we'reheading into the weekend. So
just bring us up to speed.What's your article out of the

(01:58):
gate today?

Colleen Luckett (01:59):
Alright. Hello, everyone, and happy June. So if
your practice compensationstrategy still says, we'll
figure it out later, this week'sMGMA stat poll is your sign from
the universe or at least from usto get on it. So in our June 3
poll, we asked medical practiceleaders how often they review
compensation benchmarks forstaff, and 64% said they do it

(02:23):
annually. Another 13% take aneven closer look twice a year or
more, while 19% said they do itevery two years, and 4% gave us
an other.
So digging into the comments, wesaw that many practices
benchmark all staff positionsannually, with mid cycle reviews
for roles that are high turnoveror tough to fill like medical

(02:45):
assistants, nurses, front deskstaff, and clinical techs. Smart
move. Right? Strategiccompensation reviews can be a
major boost for retention andmorale. And if you're not
already doing this, now's a goodtime to get on board.
Benchmarking not only helps keeppay competitive, it directly
supports practice performance,patient satisfaction, and your

(03:05):
financial health. Do you wantthe full breakdown and the tools
to do it right? Check out thearticle and also check out MGMA
Data Dive Management and StaffCompensation, our report for
industry benchmarks thatactually fit your practice. And
hey, if you're not already partof our weekly text polls, be
sure to sign up for MGMA stat bytexting s t a t or stat to

(03:29):
33550. Or you can visit ourwebsite, mgma.com/mgma-stat.
Your insights help us shape thedata we share, so it's super
important to have your input.Okay, Daniel. Over to you.

Daniel Williams (03:44):
Alright. So for our next article, let's turn our
attention to something we werediscussing earlier, and that's
MGMA's Summit DigitalConference. That was held June
this week. I'm recovering fromit. That I don't get as worn out
as I am if it's a face to faceevent and fly across the country

(04:04):
and all that, but still, it'sreally interesting.
In total, we had my last count,3,700 attendees registered and
took part in this. That's justan incredible turnout. And if
you were there and I got to chatwith you or if you were there
and I didn't, just wanna saythank you so much for being part

(04:25):
of that, if you participated, ifyou presented, if you
contributed to theconversations, anything else,
really neat. It's just a greatway to really bring people
together virtually, and that'sthe preferred way to come
together for some people,sometimes myself. But it was
just a really cool event.
If you did register and youweren't able to attend every

(04:48):
session, you missed some thatyou really cared about. Just as
a reminder, I'm sure you heardthis from myself and other
people who were there. These areavailable on demand throughout
the month of June. You can alsogo out to mgma.com/events to
access more information. But Iwill say any additional

(05:08):
information either I or Colleencome up with, we'll drop that in
the episode show notes as well.
So the reason I bring that up isI really wanted to put a
spotlight on one particularsession. It was one that I was
part of, and I was actually justa fly on the wall. Not
literally. I was just me, ahuman being. I was not

(05:29):
participating in it.
I was actually just takingnotes, and that was an
operations discussion group thatwas facilitated by our senior
adviser, Christie Good, whoy'all have heard on our ask MGMA
podcast. This sort of originatedfrom those MGMA community live
sessions. If that soundsunfamiliar to you, again, we'll

(05:51):
put direct links to ourcommunity live sessions in the
episode show notes. I'll justsay one thing about those. Think
of it as a webinar, but it's notone of those you're registering
for in the sense where you havea presenter presenting to you.
These community live gatherings,it's a way for your voice to be
heard. You can unmute. You canhave your camera on. You can be

(06:15):
part of the discussion. You candrive the discussion.
They're really cool. Let's justtalk about the one that we did.
So let's just walk through somethings that came up, starting
with pain points, workingthrough some of the creative
solutions that people sharedthere. So up was employee
engagement. A lot of practicessaid they struggle to keep staff

(06:36):
engaged beyond onboarding inthose annual surveys.
The answer, several folks sharedthey're doing monthly one on one
check ins, they're rotatingpulse surveys, and importantly,
building action plans with thestaff, not just about them. One
participant put it well, we letthe team own the changes. They

(06:59):
even learn to fail and to pivot.And that's how you build buy in.
Then they talked aboutrecognition.
We heard loud and clear thatsurface level praise doesn't cut
it. The old participation trophywhen it just feels a little bit
hollow, everybody getsrecognized, nobody gets
recognized. So people want itreal. They want personalized

(07:22):
appreciation. One person from aWashington medical practice
shared that she has every newhire fill out a survey on how
they want to be recognized andwhat small things they love.
So when it's time to givethanks, it actually means
something. Next, providers needlove too. Another standout topic

(07:44):
providers often get overlookedin the engagement game. Some
groups are blocking time weeklyfor providers to chart or catch
up on admin without eating intolunch or evenings. Others are
including them in wellnessevents and even running friendly
goal based competitions withrewards like gift cards.
Or in one case, I'm not kiddingabout this, a cruise. Wow.

(08:08):
That's a cool place. I mightwanna work there but not go on a
cruise. Let's do a couple morehere because there was so much
information here y'all, and Ijust wanna share some of it with
you.
What if you have budgetconstraints? These folks got
creative. From Five Below thankyous to Spirit Week hot dogs and
$10 per person pooled Nespressomachines, the emphasis was on

(08:31):
low cost, high impactappreciation. As one person
said, if it makes them happy,let's do it. So last one here,
productivity matters as well.
Leaders shared that fun andrecognition doesn't have to
derail patient care. Many areweaving morale into existing

(08:52):
routines that looks like dailyhuddles, lunch hour shout outs,
and team led pilot rolloutsbefore launching new workflows
practice wide. I'll say this,these weren't just ideas, they
were battle tested. And thespirit of sharing, adapting, and
celebrating your people reallycame through. So, if you're

(09:14):
feeling stuck in your ownpractice, there's a lot to
borrow here.
And if you want to revisit thissession or others from the
summit again, all sessions areavailable on demand through the
month of June. Just head over toMGMA Summit Event site or hit
the link in our show notes.Colleen, that was so much. I'm
gonna take a sip of water now.So what's next with you?

Colleen Luckett (09:36):
That was a lot of good information, though. So
we're getting a little moreserious here. This next article
comes from Fierce Healthcare,and it was published on June 3.
It's titled CMS RescendsGuidance, Letter on Hospitals
Obligation to Provide EmergencyAbortions. And the Centers for
Medicare and Medicaid Serviceshas now officially withdrawn

(09:57):
twenty twenty two guidance thatdirected hospitals to provide
abortion as stabilizing careunder the EMTALA laws, even in
states with abortion bans.
So the original guidance issuedunder the Biden administration
after the Dobbs decision thatoverturned Roe v Wade clarified
that emergency abortion care wasprotected under federal law in

(10:19):
situations involving lifethreatening pregnancy
complications. But as of May 29,that guidance and a related
provider letter had beenrescinded. The Trump
administration now says thosedocuments, quote, do not reflect
the policy of thisadministration. The move has
already reshaped the legallandscape. Conservative legal

(10:39):
groups like Alliance DefendingFreedom are dropping lawsuits
they had filed to block theBiden era guidance, and the
Department of Justice previouslywithdrew from a major case
involving Idaho's abortion ban.
The legal landscape is shifting,and the practical effects may be
chilling. Without clear federaldirection, hospitals may
hesitate to provide stabilizingcare out of fear of violating

(11:01):
state laws even in criticalemergencies. This rollback also
raises serious questions aboutthe rights of physicians to
provide evidence based care. Instates with restrictive abortion
laws, clinicians may findthemselves caught between legal
risk and their ethicalobligations to protect a
patient's health or life. Forour practice leaders, this

(11:22):
development would meanrevisiting emergency care
protocols and legal guidance,not just for patient safety, but
to protect the clinical judgmentand professional integrity of
your care teams.
Okay, Danielle, over to you.

Daniel Williams (11:36):
Alright. Thanks, Colleen. And for our
next article, I wanna bringattention to something that's
impacting hospitals in a bigway, and that's violence against
health care workers. This storycomes from chief health care
executive. It was written by RonSouthwick and published on June
2.
And the headline says it all.Hospital violence cost more than

(11:57):
$18,000,000,000 last year, andthat's probably a low estimate.
This report released by theAmerican Hospital Association
and researchers at theUniversity of Washington's
Harborview Injury and PreventionResearch Center puts the 2023
cost at $18,270,000,000 Most ofthat, over $14,000,000,000, was

(12:22):
money spent after the violencehappened. Think treating
injuries, repairing property,and covering the cost of lost
productivity when someone getshurt or needs time off. What's
sobering is that the reportdoesn't even factor in the cost
of replacing staff who leavebecause they no longer feel
safe.

(12:43):
And let's be real, that'shappening. Hospital leaders say
they're losing good people whoare just tired of being
assaulted while trying to carefor patients. Erin Wazelowski
from the said, it really justrecognizes the reality that
hospital leaders have beenfacing for a few years, and that
reality has only gotten worsesince the pandemic. Here's a

(13:07):
stat that really stuck with me.In 2022, nearly seventeen
thousand hospital workerssuffered injuries or illnesses
from violence that were seriousenough to require days off.
And according to a recentEmergency Nurses Association
survey, more than half of allemergency nurses say they've

(13:28):
been assaulted, threatened, orharassed just in the past thirty
days. Ryan Oglesby, president ofthe ENA, said it bluntly, if
anything, it's getting worse.This kind of environment doesn't
just drive people away. It sendsa message to future health care
workers that they may not wantto step into this profession at

(13:51):
all. Claire Zangerle, CEO of theAmerican Organization for
Nursing Leadership, put it thisway.
They see what others have gonethrough, and they're like, yeah,
I don't think I want to do that.There's bipartisan support in
congress for legislation thatwould increase penalties for
assaulting health care workerssimilar to protections flight

(14:12):
attendants already have, butthose bills have been stalled in
the past. Advocates are pushingagain. But that doesn't have to
be a federal issue. As JenniferMinsick Kennedy, president of
the ANA said, I've I'd encouragepeople to look at wellness and
well-being and workplaceviolence in their own

(14:33):
organizations.
So here's your takeaway. Talk toyour staff. Find out where the
weak spots are in your security.Make violence prevention part of
your culture, not just part ofcompliance. And invest in your
people's safety with the sameenergy you invest in their
productivity.
It's not just about cost. It'sabout trust, retention, and

(14:55):
whether people feel safe doingthe work they've signed up to
do. Wow. Colleen, I'm gonna turnit over to you now.

Colleen Luckett (15:02):
That is those are some scary stats. Thank you
for sharing. Okay. To wrapthings up this week, let's talk
about what your patients expectbefore they even walk through
the door. According to a MedCityNews article published June 4
entitled The Connected ThreeTips to Empower Healthcare
Delivery Through Innovation,more than 1 US adults are now

(15:25):
using wearables or health appsto monitor everything from heart
rate to sleep patterns.
In other words, the quoteconnected patient isn't a future
trend. It's actually alreadyhere. So for practice leaders,
this shift means moving beyondepisodic care. Today's patients
want convenience, personalizedinsights, and the ability to
engage with their health datacontinuously, not just during a

(15:48):
once a year visit. The articlehighlights three key strategies
for staying ahead.
So number one, align with risingexpectations by recognizing that
patients now see themselves asactive participants in their
care. Two, address roadblockslike data privacy concerns and
tech accessibility, especiallyfor less tech savvy populations.

(16:10):
And three, build trust andintegration through secure, user
friendly platforms that turn rawdata into meaningful, actionable
insights. As generative AI andremote monitoring tools continue
to evolve, medical groups thatembrace this shift will be
better positioned to engagepatients, improve outcomes, and
remain competitive in a rapidlychanging health care world. And

(16:34):
that's a wrap for me, Daniel.
Back to you.

Daniel Williams (16:36):
Thanks so much, Colleen. And that's a wrap for
this week in review podcast. Sogood to interact with so many of
y'all this week at the summitconference. Be on the lookout
because as Colleen said, there'sgonna be content coming out
based on many of thosediscussions at the conference
this week. So until then, thankyou all for being podcast
listeners.

Colleen Luckett (16:57):
Thanks, everyone. See you next time.