MGMA Podcasts

On this episode of the MGMA Insights Podcast, host and senior editor Daniel Williams sits down with Ranga Bodla, vice president of field and industry marketing at Oracle NetSuite, for a conversation about administrative complexity, workforce pressures, and how healthcare organizations can use AI to create more capacity across both clinical and operational teams.

Previewing his upcoming MGMA Annual Conference keynote with Seema Verma, executive vice president and general manager of Oracle Health and Life Sciences, Bodla shares why many healthcare leaders are struggling with disconnected systems, growing workloads, and mounting operational demands. He also explains how AI is being applied today to streamline documentation, automate repetitive tasks, improve reporting, and reduce the administrative work that takes clinicians and staff away from patient care.

Key Takeaways:

• Administrative burden is consuming organizational capacity. Healthcare leaders continue to face workforce shortages, rising costs, and growing complexity, while clinicians and staff spend significant time navigating fragmented systems and manual workflows.
• The challenge extends beyond the exam room. Operational teams in finance, HR, and supply chain management face many of the same issues as clinical teams: disconnected systems, duplicate work, and limited visibility across the organization.
• AI is delivering value in repetitive workflows. Organizations are using AI to automate reconciliations, streamline reporting, improve forecasting, surface exceptions, and reduce the time employees spend searching for information.
• Documentation remains one of the strongest use cases for AI. Reducing documentation burden continues to be a priority for clinicians, making ambient listening and workflow-integrated documentation tools a practical starting point for adoption.
• Technology adoption depends on workflow integration. Employees are often resistant to learning yet another application. Successful AI tools fit naturally into existing workflows rather than requiring users to change how they work.
• The goal is more than productivity. According to Bodla, healthcare organizations should focus on reducing effort, not simply increasing output. The objective is to create more bandwidth for clinicians and staff by removing unnecessary work.
• Connected systems matter as much as AI capabilities. Organizations need access to the right data, context, and workflows for technology investments to have meaningful operational impact.
• Healthcare leaders should evaluate AI through a simple lens: How can it help people spend less time managing processes and more time making decisions?

Resources:

• MGMA Events 
• Prior Authorization 2025
• Oracle Website
• Netsuite Website
• Nor-Lea Hospital

Email us at [email protected] 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 [email protected]. Don't forget to subscribe to the MGMA Insights Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.

On this episode of the MGMA Insights Podcast, host and senior editor Daniel Williams sits down with Dr. Michael Blackman, Chief Medical Officer at Greenway Health, to explore the evolving role of AI in medical practices — and why the human element remains essential. 

From ambient documentation to clinical decision support, they unpack where AI is delivering real value today, where it still falls short, and how practice leaders can adopt these tools without overwhelming their teams or compromising patient trust.

Key Takeaways:

• AI is an assistant — not a replacement. Human oversight remains critical, especially in clinical decision-making where the stakes are high.
• Not all AI outputs are created equal. Clinicians must evaluate results in three categories: clearly correct, clearly incorrect, and the risky “plausible but uncertain” middle ground.
• Ambient documentation is delivering immediate value by improving patient interaction and reducing time spent on note-taking — while shifting clinicians from authors to editors.
• Critical thinking and “show your work” still matter. AI-generated recommendations should always be backed by verifiable evidence, especially in clinical contexts.
• Adoption starts with the problem — not the technology. Practices should identify specific workflow challenges first, then implement AI tools that integrate seamlessly into those processes.
• AI is reshaping team dynamics. As a “new team member,” it requires adjustments in communication, workflows, and even how clinicians interact with patients during visits.
• Incremental gains add up. From message prioritization to surfacing relevant patient data, small efficiencies across workflows can meaningfully reduce burnout over time.
• Transparency builds patient trust. Explaining how AI is used — especially when it enhances focus on the patient — can improve comfort, engagement, and adherence.

Resources:

• Connect with Dr. Blackman on LinkedIn.
• Greenway’s Novare platform (AI-driven EHR)
• AI by Design in Healthcare: Rethinking the EHR from the Ground Up, with Dr. Michael Blackman (MGMA Insights Podcast)
• "AI is slowly redesigning work in medical practices rather than replacing workers" (MGMA Stat Article)
• "Automatic for the people: AI moves for medical practices to boost the front office and access" (MGMA Stat Article)
• "AI governance in medical group practices: Rules for the humans in the loop" (MGMA Stat Article) 

Email us at [email protected] 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 [email protected]. Don't forget to subscribe to our network wherever you get your podcasts!

On this episode of the MGMA Insights Podcast, host and senior editor Daniel Williams chats with Michelle Skinner, MBA, BSN, RN, chief clinical executive at Teletracking, about the growing complexity of ambulatory care and what it takes to keep patients connected to the right care at the right time. Their conversation explores referral leakage, scheduling inefficiencies, and provider capacity constraints — along with practical ways health systems and practices can improve visibility, streamline operations, and protect both patient access and financial performance.

Key Takeaways

• Ambulatory care now dominates the care landscape
  More than 60% of care is delivered outside hospital walls, forcing organizations to rethink how they coordinate patient movement across distributed networks.
• Referral leakage is a massive, often hidden problem
  An estimated $150 billion is lost annually due to patients leaving the network, while 38% of referrals never fully close the loop — frequently due to lack of visibility and communication gaps.
• The biggest issue isn’t staffing — it’s fragmentation
  Many practices feel “busy and full,” yet system-level data shows inefficiencies. The disconnect stems from siloed information, not necessarily insufficient effort or staffing.
• Referral coordination is overly manual and unsustainable
  Staff often juggle hundreds of referrals, relying on spreadsheets, duplicate reports, and inbox management — creating delays and increasing the risk of errors or patient drop-off.
• AI and automation can eliminate low-value administrative work
  Tools like automated duplicate cleanup and referral tracking can significantly reduce manual workload, allowing teams to focus on complex, high-touch cases.
• Scheduling inefficiencies are often hiding in plain sight
  Mismatches between supply and demand — such as unused appointment slots or rigid scheduling templates — can limit access even when capacity technically exists.
• Data transparency aligns stakeholders and drives change
  When physicians, schedulers, and administrators see the same data, it becomes easier to address bottlenecks, adjust workflows, and improve patient access collaboratively.
• Start with outcomes, not technology
  Successful transformation begins by identifying pain points (e.g., referral delays, duplicate work, lost patients) and aligning stakeholders — technology should support clearly defined goals, not lead them.

Resources

• Connect with Michelle Skinner on LinkedIn
• Teletracking
• MGMA Insights Podcast Network
• "Putting the power of scheduling into patients’ hands" (MGMA Stat Article)
• "Closed-loop referral management: Who owns each step in your practice?" (MGMA Insights Article)
• "Patient access priorities for 2026: Tackling wait times, phones, no-shows and more" (MGMA Stat Article)

Email us at [email protected] 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 [email protected]. Don't forget to subscribe to our network wherever you get your podcasts!

On this episode of the MGMA Insights Podcast, host and senior editor Daniel Williams chats with Carey Goryl, CEO of the Association for Advancing Physician and Provider Recruitment (AAPPR), about physician recruitment, onboarding, and — most critically — retention strategies. 

Carey shares fresh research insights from AAPPR, highlighting where healthcare organizations are making progress, where gaps remain, and what leaders can do now to build more effective, sustainable retention efforts.

Key Takeaways:

• Only about 40% of healthcare organizations report having a formal physician retention strategy, though many are engaging in informal or inconsistent retention activities.
• A major gap is ownership, not effort. Few organizations clearly define who is accountable for retention outcomes across HR, operations, clinical leadership, and recruitment.
• Retention efforts often exist in silos, from compensation and bonuses to mentorship programs and scheduling flexibility, without a cohesive, measurable strategy.
• Foundational metrics — such as days to fill, cost to hire, and one- and five-year retention rates—are often missing, making it difficult to evaluate success or improve outcomes.
• The first week and first three to six months of onboarding are critical — early impressions can strongly influence whether a provider stays long term.
• Organizations can take immediate action by auditing current retention activities, identifying stakeholders, and forming a cross-functional team to align efforts and establish accountability.
• Humanizing the onboarding experience is essential — beyond logistics, organizations should recognize the life transition physicians are making and provide meaningful support.
• Retention maturity exists on a continuum — whether an organization is just starting or more advanced, there is always a next step toward a more structured, strategic approach.

Resources:

• Connect with Carey on LinkedIn
• AAPPR Research Hub
• MGMA Insights Podcast Network

Email us at [email protected] 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 [email protected]. Don't forget to subscribe to our network wherever you get your podcasts!

On this episode of the MGMA Insights Podcast Network, host and senior editor Daniel Williams sits down with Kevin Barron, vice president of payer relations at University Health in San Antonio. The conversation explores the realities of payer contracting, from aligning internal priorities to navigating underpayments and denials, along with how integrated contracting and revenue cycle strategies can drive better outcomes. 

Barron also shares how AI is reshaping contract review workflows and why relationships — not just numbers — define success at the negotiating table ... with a few fun detours into Spurs basketball and Disney along the way.

Key Takeaways:

• Rates aren’t the whole story — While reimbursement rates matter, contract language, policies, and operational requirements often have a greater long-term financial impact.
• Consistency across stakeholders is critical — Successful negotiations begin with internal alignment across finance, physicians, and operations on what truly matters.
• Live the contract after signing — Negotiations may take months, but organizations must manage and monitor performance for years afterward.
• An integrated approach strengthens results — Combining contracting, auditing, and contract management under revenue cycle enables better accountability and performance tracking.
• Underpayments often stem from outdated data — Frequent payer fee schedule updates require constant monitoring and system alignment to prevent payment discrepancies.
• Denials management requires proactive strategy — Grouping, trending, and assigning accountability for denials can help identify root causes and drive improvement.
• Relationships drive negotiation success — Understanding payer constraints and communication styles leads to more productive, balanced agreements.
• AI is a force multiplier — Tools are dramatically reducing contract redlining time and increasing consistency, freeing teams to focus on strategy and relationships.

Resources

• Connect with Kevin on LinkedIn. 
• Never Split the Difference by Christopher Voss
• Epic Resolute Billing System 
• MGMA Payer Contract Playbook
• MGMA Analyzing Payer Contracts Playbook
• MGMA DataDive (Signature benchmarking resource)
• "The race for more revenue in medical groups: What’s your gameplan?" (MGMA Stat article)
• MGMA Annual Conference |  Sept. 27-30 | San Antonio, TX

On this episode of the MGMA Insights Podcast, host and senior editor Daniel Williams sits down with Sarah Waters, PhD, founder of 50 West and a behavioral scientist trained at the London School of Economics. They explore how behavioral science can reshape patient engagement, reduce no-shows, improve medication adherence, and drive meaningful change in clinical outcomes. Sarah shares practical strategies for identifying patient barriers, reframing communication, and designing systems that help both patients and care teams follow through.

Key Takeaways:

• Knowing isn’t enough — design for doing: Patients (and clinicians) often know what they should do, but behavior change requires intentional system design, not just more information or reminders.
• No-shows are predictable — and preventable: Long scheduling lead times increase no-show risk. Practices can reduce this by tightening scheduling windows, analyzing patterns by day/time, and proactively addressing barriers at booking.
• Ask better questions upfront: Instead of asking “When are you available?”, ask “What days don’t work for you?” — this subtle shift prompts patients to consider real-life constraints earlier.
• Move beyond “corporate nagging”: Repetitive reminders without context lead to disengagement. Understanding why a patient isn’t showing up (transportation, fear, misunderstanding) enables more effective, targeted outreach.
• Small barriers become big obstacles: Minor uncertainties — like not knowing what a procedure involves — can feel overwhelming. Address emotional and logistical friction early to prevent dropout.
• Stories outperform statistics: Data may inform, but narratives stick. Sharing relatable patient experiences can help demystify procedures like colonoscopies and mammograms.
• Habit formation drives long-term outcomes: Programs that reduce ER visits and hospitalizations focus upstream — building simple, repeatable behaviors (e.g., daily monitoring) that compound over time.
• Medication adherence needs systems, not willpower: Pair medications with existing routines (like brushing teeth) and create backup plans for disruptions to improve consistency.

Resources:

• Connect with Sarah Waters, PhD, on LinkedIn
• 50 West Consulting
• MGMA Insights Podcast Network 
• "Patient no-shows in 2025: What’s changing and what to do about it" (MGMA Stat article)
• MGMA Events: Conferences and Webinars 
• Register for the MGMA Annual Conference (September 27-30, 2026 | San Antonio, TX)

Email us at [email protected] 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 [email protected]. Don't forget to subscribe to our network wherever you get your podcasts!

On this episode of the MGMA Insights Podcast, host and senior editor Daniel Williams sits down with longtime MGMA leader and senior editor Cristy Good for a wide-ranging conversation about MGMA’s 100th anniversary, the evolution of Ask an Advisor, and how members can better navigate MGMA’s growing library of tools, playbooks, and communities. 

Drawing on her background in lab science, practice management, and hospital operations, Good shares how her real-world experience shapes the resources MGMA builds — and how members can use them to solve everyday operational challenges while also prioritizing professional growth and well-being.

Episode Takeaways

• Good’s career path — from laboratory test development to physician practices and hospitals — informs her hands-on approach to supporting MGMA members with practical, real-world solutions.
• Ask an Advisor remains a key member benefit, often resulting in custom-built tools, checklists, calculators, and even policies when existing resources don’t fully address a question.
• MGMA playbooks are designed to consolidate articles, tools, reports, and guidance into a single, step-by-step roadmap for major topic areas like physician compensation, recruitment, and AI implementation.
• Playbooks help members move from “What do we do next?” to a clearer action plan, with hyperlinks that reduce the need to search across multiple parts of the MGMA website.
• The MGMA member community is a powerful peer-to-peer resource, especially for vendor selection, revenue cycle questions, staffing challenges, and operational benchmarking.
• Ask AI and Ask an Advisor serve different purposes — Ask AI surfaces existing MGMA content, while Ask an Advisor routes more complex or unmet questions directly to subject matter experts.
• Professional development opportunities such as ACMPE, fellowship, and virtual conferences like the MGMA Summit offer flexible ways to earn credits and deepen expertise.
• Wellness matters — from mindfulness and meditation to community-building activities and even fostering rescue animals, sustainable leadership requires attention to life outside of work.

Resources Mentioned

• Connect with Cristy Good on LinkedIn
• Ask an Advisor (MGMA)
• MGMA Playbooks
• MGMA Member Tools and Checklists
• MGMA Member Community
• 2026 MGMA Summit (virtual conference)
• ACMPE Fellowship Information

Mindfulness and Wellness Apps Mentioned

• Headspace
• Insight Timer
• Calm

Email us at [email protected] 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 [email protected]. Don’t forget to subscribe to our network wherever you get your podcasts!

On this episode of the MGMA Insights Podcast, host and senior editor Daniel Williams sits down with Jennifer Sanchez and Liz Gurley, data experts at MGMA, to kick off a limited series focused on MGMA data — how it’s collected, how it’s used, and how medical groups can apply it with confidence.

The conversation starts with one of MGMA’s most widely used — and most frequently misunderstood — datasets: MGMA Provider Compensation. Together, they unpack what DataDive is (and isn’t), how benchmarking really works, why percentiles cause so much confusion, and how leaders can use compensation and productivity data to support providers without turning benchmarks into prescriptions.

Episode Takeaways

• What MGMA DataDive actually is — A national benchmarking platform built from annual survey data across private practices, health systems, and large organizations, designed to help groups compare compensation, productivity, and financial performance against true peers.
• Why provider compensation data is often misunderstood — MGMA does not tell practices what they should pay or produce; the data provides context and comparison, not mandates or targets.
• How organizations really use the data — From contract negotiations and physician recruitment to internal KPI tracking, productivity analysis, and leadership decision-making across multiple roles.
• Why the data lags by a year — and why that matters — Annualized, validated data allows for accuracy, consistency, and meaningful peer comparison, even if it’s not real-time.
• Percentiles explained without the math headache — The 50th percentile is simply the median, not a goalpost. Half of organizations fall above it, half below it, and neither position is inherently good or bad.
• There is no “right” percentile — Compensation philosophy varies by organization, specialty, geography, provider tenure, and strategy. Best practice is starting at the median and asking why you fall where you do.
• Why compensation and productivity must be viewed together — Looking at total compensation without work RVUs, encounters, or collections can lead to misleading conclusions and unproductive conversations.
• Tools that make benchmarking actionable — Features like the Provider Report Card, pay-to-production plotter, and upcoming Procedural Profile Platform help practices move from raw data to informed discussions and strategy.

Resources

• Connect with Liz Gurley on LinkedIn
• Connect with Jennifer Sanchez on LinkedIn 
• MGMA DataDive Collection 
• MGMA Provider Compensation Data 
• MGMA Procedural Profile 
• MGMA Podcast Network

Email us at [email protected] 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 [email protected]. Don’t forget to subscribe to our network wherever you get your podcasts!

On this episode of the MGMA Insights Podcast, host and senior editor Daniel Williams sits down with Tara Ossek, Senior Vice President of Recruiting at Jackson Physician Search, and Matt Phillips, Managing Director at City Capital Advisors to examine the growing pressure points reshaping physician partnership models and private practice ownership.

Drawing from conversations with physicians and practice leaders across the country, Tara and Matt discuss why recruiting and ownership strategy can no longer happen in separate silos. They break down what today’s physician candidates actually want from partnership, why vague promises around buy-ins and governance are falling flat, and how practices that delay succession and ownership planning risk losing both recruits and long-term stability.

Episode takeaways

• Early-career physicians still value partnership, but they evaluate it like a business decision — weighing debt, lifestyle, governance, and risk alongside compensation.
• Vague language like “great partnership track” no longer resonates; candidates expect specific timelines, costs, expectations, and outcomes.
• Ownership conversations often happen too late, triggered by looming retirements or recruiting crises rather than proactive planning.
• Practices can’t maximize retiring partner payouts, keep buy-ins affordable, and reinvest heavily in growth at the same time — trade-offs are unavoidable and must be acknowledged.
• Confusion arises when practices defer ownership discussions or oversell partnership benefits that don’t align with contract language.
• Modern ownership structures — including LLCs, MSOs, and hybrid models — offer far more flexibility than traditional models, if practices are willing to reexamine legacy assumptions.
• A written, transparent FAQ addressing buy-in, timing, economics, governance, and exit scenarios can significantly improve recruiting outcomes.
• Succession planning and physician leadership development are no longer optional — they are foundational to long-term independence and stability.

Resources

• Connect with Tara on LinkedIn
• Connect with Matt on LinkedIn
• Jackson Physician Search 
• City Capital Advisors
• "Is your practice telling the best story it can for physician partner recruitment?" (MGMA Insights Article - RE: Jackson Physician Report) 
• "The significance of the partnership agreement in private practice and trends in medical practice ownership" (MGMA Insights Article)
• MGMA Conferences
• MGMA DataDive

Email us at [email protected] 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 [email protected]. Don’t forget to subscribe to our network wherever you get your podcasts!

On this episode of the MGMA Insights Podcast, host and senior editor Daniel Williams has a wide‑ranging conversation with Pat Kroken — MGMA Fellow, healthcare communications leader, and competitive powerlifter — about resilience, career reinvention, and the unexpected paths that shape leadership in healthcare. 

From books and community learning to recovering from a life‑altering injury and competing on the world stage, Pat shares stories and lessons that resonate far beyond titles or job descriptions.

Episode Takeaways

• A lifelong love of reading can become a professional advantage — especially when paired with community discussion and shared perspectives, as seen in the MGMA Book Club.
• Careers in healthcare don’t always begin with a plan — sometimes they begin with a phone call, transferable skills, and the willingness to say yes.
• MGMA involvement at the state and national levels can accelerate learning, expand professional networks, and open leadership opportunities early in a healthcare career.
• The FACMPE provides structure, credibility, and confidence — particularly for professionals entering healthcare from other industries.
• Resilience is often learned through adversity; trusting the process can be essential when navigating injury, recovery, or major life transitions.
• Strength training and competitive powerlifting taught discipline, risk‑taking, and mental toughness that translated directly into leadership and career growth.
• Community learning — whether through book discussions or professional associations — offers insights and perspectives that individual study alone cannot provide.
• Pushing personal limits, even without a clear end goal, can unlock opportunities and capabilities you never imagined possible.

Related Resources 

• Connect with Pat on LinkedIn
• USA Powerlifting (USAPL) - the organization Pat competed with
• The Resilience Factor by Karen Reivich, PhD, and Andrew Shatté, PhD
• MGMA Book Club
• FACMPE certification  
• MGMA Podcast Network

Email us at [email protected] 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 [email protected]. Don’t forget to subscribe to our network wherever you get your podcasts!