In this episode of the MGMA Insights podcast, we’re joined by Peter Valenzuela, Chief Medical Officer for Sutter Medical Group of the Redwoods and creator behind Doc-Related (bit.ly/37gYPUU), a comic strip providing satirical perspective on the challenges of practicing medicine in today’s healthcare environment. Valenzuela’s home campus was recently evacuated due to Northern California’s latest encounter with devastating wildfires.

Here are some links and references related to this week’s show: 
* Tragedy at home takes precedence for 2017 Harwick Award winner (bit.ly/2XpTBRV)
* Sutter Hospital in Santa Rosa evacuates amid threat from Kincade fire (bit.ly/2pvpbkX)
* Sutter Santa Rosa Staff Help Save Hospital During 2017 Northern California Wildfires (VIDEO) (bit.ly/340CXL9)
* How Sutter Health, MD Anderson and a stand-alone clinic survived natural disasters (bit.ly/2CQB8Vp)
* Wildfires stressed wine country’s healthcare system, creating a crisis and a warning for future (lat.ms/2CUJWtu)
* Disaster planning crucial for medical practices in path of destruction (bit.ly/2CUVLQ9)

If you like the show, please rate and review it wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts (apple.co/368IdOB), Google Play (bit.ly/2paMqAJ), Spotify (spoti.fi/2Nwu59p), Stitcher (bit.ly/2NmAF1M) or countless other platforms to make sure you never miss an episode. 

We love hearing from listeners about the show. If you have topics you’d like us to cover or experts you’d like us to interview, email us at podcasts@mgma.com or reach out to MGMA Sr. Editor and podcast host Daniel Williams on Twitter at @MGMADaniel (bit.ly/2Onlq9F). 

MGMA Insights is presented by Craig Wiberg, Decklan McGee, Rob Ketcham and Daniel Williams.

Insights: Wildfires, comic strip keep Northern California healthcare executive on his toes

Welcome to the MGMA Podcast Network, your gateway to insightful discussions and expert analysis on key topics in healthcare management. Dive into a diverse array of shows tailored to meet the interests and needs of healthcare professionals like you. 

Explore the experiences and perspectives of trailblazing women in healthcare on "Women in Healthcare," or discover innovative strategies and solutions for your practice on "Business Solutions." Stay updated on the latest industry trends and news with "Week in Review," and gain valuable insights from industry leaders and MGMA members on "Member Spotlight." Don't miss our flagship show, "MGMA Insights," where we delve deep into the most pressing issues facing healthcare organizations today.

Whether you're seeking inspiration, practical advice, or in-depth analysis, the MGMA Podcast Network is your trusted companion on your journey towards excellence in healthcare management. Tune in and join the conversation today!

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Health & Fitness

In this episode, host Daniel Williams sits down with Julie Bouziotis to discuss her career journey from English literature student to healthcare administrator. Listeners will gain insights into Julie's path, from her unexpected start in orthopedics to taking on leadership roles in dermatology. She shares lessons learned along the way about developing skills, empowering teams, and lifelong learning. 
 Key Takeaways:
- Unexpected entry into healthcare administration from a humanities background
- Pursuit of additional credentials like MBA and fellowships for professional development 
- Views leadership as stewardship of the organization and its mission
- Focuses on optimizing teams and customer service through training and feedback
- Finds value in MGMA involvement, including communities, publishing and events
- Participates in the MGMA book club, discussing works that reinforce leadership best practices 
Sources and Resources:
- Stony Brook Dermatology Associates
- Julie on LinkedIn
- Julie's published articles on MGMA.com
- Books discussed in the MGMA book club, including "Leaders Eat Last"

Walmart Business:
This episode of the MGMA podcast is brought to you by Walmart Business. It’s the Walmart you love, now for your business. Get everything you need for your staff & patients in one place. Enjoy big savings on health & safety products, cleaning supplies, OTC medications & much more. And don’t forget the break room snacks! Create a free account today and start shopping at business.walmart.com. Again, that’s business.walmart.com. 1st Call Triage
Introducing 1st Call Triage, your ultimate remote medical staffing solution! With their Office Hours Nurse Triage Line, Front Office Services including appointment scheduling and insurance verification, and Back Office Services managing medication refills and prior authorizations, 1st Call Triage, can streamline your practice's operations. Plus, their Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) and Chronic Care Management (CCM) ensure comprehensive patient care. So Make the right call: 1st Call Triage is the first and only call you need for efficient, cost-effective, and high-quality medical staffing. Visit their website at 1stCallTriage.com to revolutionize your practice! Again, that's 1stCallTriage.com. MGMA Analytics:
"The popular buzzword we've been seeing everywhere is AI. But what we all want to know is how we can implement and use it to our advantage. When it comes to improving margins, accelerating cash flow, and optimizing staff performance, there's a one-stop shop using cloud-based predictive analytics. MGMA Analytics is your AI-enabled tool that upscales technology you're already paying for, so you can silo your disparate systems and make data-backed business decisions. Visit mgma.com/analytics and see how AI can revolutionize your finances and operations."  

MGMA Member Spotlight: One Administrator's Path to Leadership

This Episode:
This MGMA Women in Healthcare podcast episode, hosted by Adrienne Lloyd, welcomes Stephanie Mercado to the show. Mercado is the CEO and executive director of the National Association for Healthcare Quality (NAHQ). She joined the NAHQ in 2013 and has helped the organization achieve over 300% revenue growth and almost double its membership since then. In 2023, Modern Healthcare named Mercado one of the "100 Most Influential People in Healthcare". Highlights:
In the conversation, Mercado emphasizes that quality and safety encompass more than just regulatory compliance - they should be viewed as a business strategy that utilizes standard and reliable problem-solving techniques. When faced with dynamic issues, tools like failure mode effects analysis (FMEA) and the situation-background-assessment-recommendation (SBAR) framework can help structure thinking and planning. Mercado also stresses the importance of resilience among healthcare leaders. Despite the uncertainty, focusing on continuous improvement through patience and small wins can move the quality agenda forward. Professionals can better manage stress and drive positive change by clarifying roles, unpacking concerns, and embracing an iterative mindset. Main Takeaways:Quality improvement methods give healthcare workers a "toolkit" to effectively address opportunities and challengesTools like FMEA and SBAR provide neutral frameworks to identify issues, plan solutions, and bring teams together  Viewing quality as a long-term business strategy leads to more reliable outcomes than short-term compliance Adopting resilience through patience, adaptability, and celebration of incremental progress enhances successRoles clarification and unpacking sources of anxiety can help manage stress inherent to healthcare leadershipEpisode Sources:   Adrienne Palmer Lloyd Connect with Adrienne on LinkedIn
Adrienne’s Services & More  Stephanie Mercado Connect with Stephanie on LinkedIn  MGMA Resources:
MGMA Stat
Ask an Advisor
MGMA Membership
MGMA Consulting WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU
To see other episodes of the Women in Healthcare Podcast, watch the video versions on YouTube, or apply to be on an upcoming episode, please visit: https://bit.ly/womeninhealthcarepodcast

Walmart Business:
This episode of the MGMA podcast is brought to you by Walmart Business. It’s the Walmart you love, now for your business. Get everything you need for your staff & patients in one place. Enjoy big savings on health & safety products, cleaning supplies, OTC medications & much more. And don’t forget the break room snacks! Create a free account today and start shopping at business.walmart.com. Again, that’s business.walmart.com. 1st Call Triage
Introducing 1st Call Triage, your ultimate remote medical staffing solution! With their Office Hours Nurse Triage Line, Front Office Services including appointment scheduling and insurance verification, and Back Office Services managing medication refills and prior authorizations, 1st Call Triage, can streamline your practice's operations. Plus, their Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) and Chronic Care Management (CCM) ensure comprehensive patient care. So Make the right call: 1st Call Triage is the first and only call you need for efficient, cost-effective, and high-quality medical staffing. Visit their website at 1stCallTriage.com to revolutionize your practice! Again, that's 1stCallTriage.com. MGMA Analytics:
"The popular buzzword we've been seeing everywhere is AI. But what we all want to know is how we can implement and use it to our advantage. When it comes to improving margins, accelerating cash flow, and optimizing staff performance, there's a one-stop shop using cloud-based predictive analytics. MGMA Analytics is your AI-enabled tool that upscales technology you're already paying for, so you can silo your disparate systems and make data-backed business decisions. Visit mgma.com/analytics and see how AI can revolutionize your finances and operations."  

Women in Healthcare: Leading with Quality-A Conversation with Stephanie Mercado of NAHQ

In this episode of the MGMA Week in Review Podcast, hosts Daniel Williams and Colleen Luckett discuss Kaiser Permanente nurses striking over AI concerns, an interview with Dr. Robert Pearl on co-authoring a book with AI, challenges from stricter Medicaid rules, incorporating humor in the workplace, and gaps in medical practices' downtime protocols after a cyberattack.  Sources:Kaiser Permanente Nurses and AIAI can help with tasks like writing but requires human oversight and fact-checking, says Dr. Robert Pearl Changes to Medicaid rules will impact appointment scheduling, finances, reporting, and long-term planning.Incorporating humor can help humanize leaders and create a more inclusive environment.Regularly updating downtime protocols is critical for cybersecurity preparedness.MGMA Resources:
MGMA Stat
Ask an Advisor
MGMA Membership
MGMA Consulting WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU
Let us know if there's a topic you want us to cover or an expert you would like us to interview or if you'd like to appear on the member spotlight podcast. Email us at dwilliams@mgma.com. If you have a question for our Sr Advisor Cristy Good, email advisor@mgma.com.


Walmart Business:
This episode of the MGMA podcast is brought to you by Walmart Business. It’s the Walmart you love, now for your business. Get everything you need for your staff & patients in one place. Enjoy big savings on health & safety products, cleaning supplies, OTC medications & much more. And don’t forget the break room snacks! Create a free account today and start shopping at business.walmart.com. Again, that’s business.walmart.com. 1st Call Triage
Introducing 1st Call Triage, your ultimate remote medical staffing solution! With their Office Hours Nurse Triage Line, Front Office Services including appointment scheduling and insurance verification, and Back Office Services managing medication refills and prior authorizations, 1st Call Triage, can streamline your practice's operations. Plus, their Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) and Chronic Care Management (CCM) ensure comprehensive patient care. So Make the right call: 1st Call Triage is the first and only call you need for efficient, cost-effective, and high-quality medical staffing. Visit their website at 1stCallTriage.com to revolutionize your practice! Again, that's 1stCallTriage.com. MGMA Analytics:
"The popular buzzword we've been seeing everywhere is AI. But what we all want to know is how we can implement and use it to our advantage. When it comes to improving margins, accelerating cash flow, and optimizing staff performance, there's a one-stop shop using cloud-based predictive analytics. MGMA Analytics is your AI-enabled tool that upscales technology you're already paying for, so you can silo your disparate systems and make data-backed business decisions. Visit mgma.com/analytics and see how AI can revolutionize your finances and operations."  

Week in Review: AI Integration in Healthcare, Medicaid Rule Changes, and Tips on Workplace Humor

In this episode of the MGMA Insights podcast, we have the privilege of speaking with Dr. Robert Pearl, a renowned healthcare leader and the author of the groundbreaking book ChatGPT, MD: How AI-Empowered Patients & Doctors Can Take Back Control of American Medicine. Dr. Pearl shares his unique journey in healthcare leadership and his vision for how AI can transform and improve healthcare outcomes, a perspective that is sure to captivate our audience. He also discusses his collaboration with ChatGPT in writing his book, providing valuable insights into the future of healthcare. Main Takeaways: 
- AI can potentially improve healthcare quality, access, and affordability by empowering patients to manage chronic conditions better.
- Moving to prepaid models like capitation can incentivize value-based care needed to realize AI benefits.  
- AI technologies like ChatGPT show promise, but some limitations require oversight and continued development. Sources:
Robert Pearl on the web
ChatGPT, MD 
Fixing Healthcare Podcast MGMA Resources: MGMA Stat Ask an Advisor MGMA Membership MGMA Consulting WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU Let us know if there's a topic you want us to cover or an expert you would like us to interview, or if you'd like to appear on the member spotlight podcast, email us at dwilliams@mgma.com. If you have a question for our Sr Advisor, Cristy Good, email advisor@mgma.com.

Walmart Business:
This episode of the MGMA podcast is brought to you by Walmart Business. It’s the Walmart you love, now for your business. Get everything you need for your staff & patients in one place. Enjoy big savings on health & safety products, cleaning supplies, OTC medications & much more. And don’t forget the break room snacks! Create a free account today and start shopping at business.walmart.com. Again, that’s business.walmart.com. 1st Call Triage
Introducing 1st Call Triage, your ultimate remote medical staffing solution! With their Office Hours Nurse Triage Line, Front Office Services including appointment scheduling and insurance verification, and Back Office Services managing medication refills and prior authorizations, 1st Call Triage, can streamline your practice's operations. Plus, their Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) and Chronic Care Management (CCM) ensure comprehensive patient care. So Make the right call: 1st Call Triage is the first and only call you need for efficient, cost-effective, and high-quality medical staffing. Visit their website at 1stCallTriage.com to revolutionize your practice! Again, that's 1stCallTriage.com. MGMA Analytics:
"The popular buzzword we've been seeing everywhere is AI. But what we all want to know is how we can implement and use it to our advantage. When it comes to improving margins, accelerating cash flow, and optimizing staff performance, there's a one-stop shop using cloud-based predictive analytics. MGMA Analytics is your AI-enabled tool that upscales technology you're already paying for, so you can silo your disparate systems and make data-backed business decisions. Visit mgma.com/analytics and see how AI can revolutionize your finances and operations."  

ChatGPT and the Future of Healthcare: A Conversation with Dr. Robert Pearl

Introduction: 
In this MGMA Week In Review podcast episode, hosts Colleen Luckett and Daniel Williams discuss UnitedHealth's recent data breach and ransom payment, Deborah Fine's insights on small talk skills during her keynote address at the MGMA Financial Conference, new medical codes from CMS, opportunities to lead resource groups at the 2024 MGMA conference, and challenges of social media for healthcare workers. 
 Sources/Resources: - NBC News article on UnitedHealth Group cyberattack - UnitedHealth website for identity theft protection - MGMA article on recent medical coding updates from CMS - Link to learn more about opportunities to lead MGMA resource groups at the 2024 conference - HealthIT article on navigating social media use as a healthcare professional

Walmart Business:
This episode of the MGMA podcast is brought to you by Walmart Business. It’s the Walmart you love, now for your business. Get everything you need for your staff & patients in one place. Enjoy big savings on health & safety products, cleaning supplies, OTC medications & much more. And don’t forget the break room snacks! Create a free account today and start shopping at business.walmart.com. Again, that’s business.walmart.com. 1st Call Triage
Introducing 1st Call Triage, your ultimate remote medical staffing solution! With their Office Hours Nurse Triage Line, Front Office Services including appointment scheduling and insurance verification, and Back Office Services managing medication refills and prior authorizations, 1st Call Triage, can streamline your practice's operations. Plus, their Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) and Chronic Care Management (CCM) ensure comprehensive patient care. So Make the right call: 1st Call Triage is the first and only call you need for efficient, cost-effective, and high-quality medical staffing. Visit their website at 1stCallTriage.com to revolutionize your practice! Again, that's 1stCallTriage.com. MGMA Analytics:
"The popular buzzword we've been seeing everywhere is AI. But what we all want to know is how we can implement and use it to our advantage. When it comes to improving margins, accelerating cash flow, and optimizing staff performance, there's a one-stop shop using cloud-based predictive analytics. MGMA Analytics is your AI-enabled tool that upscales technology you're already paying for, so you can silo your disparate systems and make data-backed business decisions. Visit mgma.com/analytics and see how AI can revolutionize your finances and operations."  

Insights: Wildfires, comic strip keep Northern California healthcare executive on his toes

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