MGMA Podcasts

On this episode of the MGMA Insights Podcast, host and senior editor Daniel Williams sits down with Melanie Stohl, director of pediatrics for the Pediatric Service Line at M Health Fairview and current chair of the Minnesota MGMA board. Melanie shares her leadership journey — from revenue cycle beginnings to executive-level leadership — and reflects on guiding teams through organizational transition, community crisis, and ongoing change while keeping patients, staff, and mission at the center of the work.

Episode takeaways

• Melanie Stohl’s career path highlights the power of lifelong learning, including earning her bachelor’s degree later in life and completing a healthcare-focused MBA while leading large, complex teams.
• Hands-on experience across front desk operations, coding, credentialing, rooming, and leadership roles gave Melanie a system-wide perspective — helping her anticipate downstream impacts and advocate for smarter operational decisions.
• At M Health Fairview, Melanie oversees pediatric specialty care across roughly 27 specialties and multiple clinic entities, balancing hospital-based and freestanding clinic models.
• Melanie discusses leading teams through significant organizational change as University of Minnesota Physicians transitioned employment structures, emphasizing transparency, listening, and anchoring teams to the shared mission.
• During periods of community unrest, daily leadership huddles, open forums, and frequent communication helped create psychological safety — even when leaders didn’t yet have answers.
• Patient safety and access remained a priority, with teams quickly adapting through virtual visits, alternate locations, and flexible workflows when patients felt unsafe traveling to certain sites.
• As chair of Minnesota MGMA, Melanie is focused on growing a small but mighty chapter through monthly “power hours,” in-person engagement, and creating space for candid peer-to-peer learning.
• A consistent theme throughout the conversation is servant leadership — showing up as human first, leader second, and trusting that culture and purpose carry teams through uncertainty.

Resources

• Connect with Melanie on LinkedIn
• MGMA Membership and Communities
• MGMA Education and Events
• 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, host and senior editor Daniel Williams sits down with Dave Gans, longtime MGMA leader and historian, and Akash Madiah, MGMA’s acting CEO, to mark a major milestone — 100 years of MGMA. Together, they reflect on MGMA’s origins in 1926, the enduring role of the medical practice administrator, and how the association is positioning itself to support medical practice leaders through the next century of change.

Episode Takeaways

• MGMA was founded on a simple but powerful idea — medical practice leaders are stronger when they share challenges, data, and solutions rather than operating in isolation.
• Many of today’s administrative challenges — staffing, overhead, collections, physician–administrator alignment — were already being discussed at MGMA’s very first meeting in 1926.
• Despite sweeping clinical and technological change, the core role of the practice administrator has remained remarkably consistent for a century.
• The physician–administrator partnership is central to effective group practice management and remains one of MGMA’s defining principles.
• MGMA’s impact is deeply personal — members routinely credit the organization’s data, education, and community with helping them improve performance, advance careers, and navigate uncertainty.
• Conferences and peer networks remain one of MGMA’s most valuable assets, offering real-world insight that goes beyond sessions and speakers.
• As MGMA enters its second century, the focus is on staying outward-facing — listening to members, evolving content and data, and addressing emerging challenges like AI and administrative burden.
• The centennial is both a celebration and a call to action — honoring what has endured while actively shaping what comes next for medical practice management.

Resources

• Connect with Dave Gans on LinkedIn
• Connect with Akash Madiah on LinkedIn 
• A Century of Progress? - MGMA DataDive article by Dave Gans
• MGMA Annual Conference (Centennial Special)
• MGMA Data Resources
• MGMA Advocacy Efforts
• MGMA Membership 

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 Tawnya Capps, CMPE, ACMPE, practice administrator at Colorado Cardiovascular Surgical Associates.

In this MGMA member spotlight, Tawnya reflects on nearly 30 years in the same practice — starting at the front desk and eventually stepping into executive leadership. The conversation explores servant leadership, building trust through empathy, the value of professional networking, and what it means to model resilience and confidence for the next generation.

Episode takeaways

• There’s power in growing up inside a practice. Having worked in nearly every role — front desk, billing, coding, HR, scheduling, and leadership — Tawnya brings deep operational empathy and credibility to her administrator role.
• Leadership doesn’t mean distancing yourself from the work. Stepping in to check in patients or cover gaps isn’t symbolic — it’s practical, culture‑building, and reinforces that every role in a practice matters.
• Careers don’t always start with a master plan. Tawnya’s path into leadership was shaped by curiosity, timing, and opportunity — not a rigid roadmap — underscoring the value of saying yes to learning.
• Confidence often follows validation. Earning the CMPE and later ACMPE fellowship helped Tawnya recognize that the work she was already doing day in and day out truly mattered and met a national standard.
• Networking reduces isolation. MGMA conferences and chapter involvement created a sense of community — a reminder that most practice leaders are facing similar challenges, especially in today’s hybrid and high‑pressure environment.
• Women’s leadership has evolved — and visibility matters. Seeing more women in senior roles helped Tawnya envision herself as a leader and motivated her to mentor others coming up behind her.
• Family and leadership are deeply connected. As a working mother raising two daughters, Tawnya’s professional resilience and growth were inseparable from her role as a parent and role model.
• Presence builds trust. Whether in the office, at a conference, or on a board, showing up — consistently and authentically — is a through‑line in Tawnya’s approach to leadership.

Related Resources

• Connect with Tawnya Capps on LinkedIn
• Colorado Cardiovascular Surgical Associates
• MGMA Certification 
• MGMA Conferences and Events
• MGMA Membership and Local Chapters
• MGMA Insights Podcast Network

Sponsor:
Capella University helps healthcare professionals earn their MHA on their terms. Their FlexPath MHA program is designed for busy MGMA members who want to advance their leadership skills with a flexible, self‑paced format — often faster and more affordably — without putting their careers on hold. Questions? Visit capella.edu/MHA to learn more.

On this episode of the MGMA Business Insights Podcast, host and senior editor Daniel Williams, sits down with Dr. Michael Blackman, Chief Medical Officer at Greenway Health, to explore how artificial intelligence is moving beyond standalone tools and becoming embedded directly into core healthcare technology platforms. Drawing on his clinical background and health IT leadership experience at organizations like Allscripts, McKesson, and now Greenway, Dr. Blackman shares what an “AI by design” approach really means for medical practices — spanning documentation, operations, revenue cycle performance, and team-based care.

Episode Takeaways

• AI has reached a tipping point in real-world use. While artificial intelligence has existed in healthcare for years, the last 24 months have brought practical, scalable tools — like ambient documentation — that clinicians are actively using in day-to-day practice.
• Ambient documentation is on track to become standard of care. Dr. Blackman likens today’s ambient documentation tools to the early days of e-prescribing: not yet universal, but increasingly inevitable as accuracy improves and costs decline.
• Layering tools on top of tools doesn’t work. Adding AI as yet another bolt-on solution can create fragmented workflows and added burden. True value comes when AI is integrated directly into the core platform and designed around how practices actually work.
• “AI by design” means rethinking the platform, not just the features. Rather than retrofitting legacy EHRs, this approach starts from the ground up — asking what can be automated, where AI adds real value, and how workflows can be simplified end to end.
• Operational strain touches every part of the practice. From staffing shortages and documentation demands to prior authorizations, patient messages, and claim denials, AI can help reduce friction by automating routine tasks and preventing downstream problems.
• Better documentation upstream improves revenue cycle performance downstream. AI-assisted documentation and coding suggestions can reduce errors, lower denial rates, and allow billing teams to focus on more complex cases instead of rework.
• AI is an assistant, not a replacement. Trust-but-verify remains essential. Human oversight ensures safety and accuracy — especially when it comes to orders, medications, and clinical decision-making.
• Success ultimately shows up in people, not technology. The real measure of AI by design is whether clinicians and staff feel the system is working for them — freeing time, reducing frustration, and allowing them to focus on meaningful work and patient care.

Related Resources

• Connect with Dr. Blackman on LinkedIn
• Greenway Health 
• Greenway Health's Novare
• MGMA resources on operations management

Sponsor:
Capella University helps healthcare professionals earn their MHA on their terms. Their FlexPath MHA program is designed for busy MGMA members who want to advance their leadership skills with a flexible, self‑paced format — often faster and more affordably — without putting their careers on hold. Questions? Visit capella.edu/MHA to learn more.

On this episode of the MGMA Insights Podcast, Host and Sr. Editor Daniel Williams,  sits down with Michelle Wright, strategic advisor and board director with more than 30 years of experience across payers and providers.

Michelle shares lessons from her career spanning actuarial science, health plan leadership, provider operations, and board service — offering a candid look at why smart strategies often fail in execution. The conversation explores accountability, governance, and change management in healthcare organizations, emerging compliance and enforcement trends, and Michelle’s deeply personal advocacy work focused on access to care for individuals with profound autism.

Episode Takeaways

• Execution — not strategy — is where organizations struggle most. Even well-designed strategies falter without clear ownership, follow‑through, and ongoing performance monitoring.
• Accountability must be explicit. Projects involving AI, revenue cycle, quality, or operations often touch multiple departments, but success depends on clearly defining who owns outcomes from start to finish.
• Governance is the connective tissue. Effective governance helps organizations document decisions, clarify expectations, and sustain progress beyond individual leaders or initiatives.
• Change management is consistently underestimated. Leaders often acknowledge its importance but fail to invest the time and structure required to truly change behaviors—especially during periods of stress.
• Operators and providers aren’t misaligned — they’re under pressure. Close working relationships can create communication blind spots that surface during change initiatives, making listening and translation critical leadership skills.
• Compliance risk is evolving, not disappearing. Enforcement trends are shifting as regulators increasingly use data analytics and AI to identify patterns, even when underlying rules haven’t changed.
• AI tools introduce new compliance considerations. Documentation, coding, and workflow automation can unintentionally create risk if organizations don’t monitor how these tools affect claims and clinical records.
• Access to care for individuals with profound autism remains a systemic gap. Despite significant research funding for autism overall, those with the most severe needs remain underserved in clinical care, research, and policy.

Resources

• Connect with Michelle on LinkedIn
• Epstein Becker Green
• National Council for Severe Autism
• (Upcoming!) Practice Compliance in 2026: Regulatory Updates, Enforcement Trends, and Leadership Priorities — Join Michelle and attorneys from Epstein Becker Green on April 22 for the first session in MGMA’s member-exclusive, semi‑annual compliance webinar series, covering key HIPAA updates, enforcement trends, AI and Health IT risks, and practical compliance priorities for medical practices.  

Sponsor:
Capella University helps healthcare professionals earn their MHA on their terms. Their FlexPath MHA program is designed for busy MGMA members who want to advance their leadership skills with a flexible, self‑paced format — often faster and more affordably — without putting their careers on hold. Questions? Visit capella.edu/MHA to learn more.

This episode of the MGMA Insights Podcast opens with Jeff Smith, CEO of Piedmont Healthcare and MGMA’s incoming board chair, delivering testimony before the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging. Speaking on behalf of MGMA members, Jeff laid out the real-world consequences of administrative burden — from prior authorization and regulatory pressure to physician burnout, staffing strain, and threats to patient access.

Following the opening testimony, Jeff joins host Daniel Williams, Sr. Editor at MGMA, for a wide-ranging conversation that expands on those themes, exploring what policymakers often miss, how payment and workforce challenges are reshaping independent practice, and what it will take to reduce burnout and let physicians — and their teams — focus on caring for patients again.

Episode Takeaways

• Burnout is no longer theoretical — it’s driving physicians out of practice.
  In MGMA’s 2026 administrative burden survey, more than half of responding practices reported losing a physician to burnout in the past three years, with over 75% citing regulatory burden as a major contributor.
• Prior authorization is compounding workforce and access problems.
  More authorizations and denials increase staff workload, push physicians into unpaid administrative work, and delay or prevent patient care — often leading to higher downstream costs when patients end up sicker in the ER or hospital.
• Payment policy and administrative skepticism are sending mixed signals to physicians.
  While E&M codes have increased, physicians feel continuously second-guessed through audits, measures, and utilization controls — undermining the message that they are truly the “quarterbacks of care.”
• Primary care faces a pipeline problem.
  Medical students increasingly choose higher-paying specialties, leaving fewer physicians entering family medicine and internal medicine. Without incentives and reduced administrative burden, access gaps will continue to widen.
• Front desk staff may have the hardest job in health care.
  Jeff highlights that burnout isn’t limited to clinicians. Front-line staff are expected to be insurance experts, mental health buffers, and patient advocates—all while navigating HIPAA and frequent conflict.
• Congress is listening—but complexity remains a barrier.
  During Senate testimony, burnout resonated clearly across party lines. However, programs like MIPS and the Quality Payment Program are often difficult for policymakers to fully grasp, even as they shape daily practice operations.
• Inadequate Medicare updates threaten independent practice viability.
  Without inflationary payment adjustments — unlike hospitals — physician practices are squeezed financially, fueling consolidation and making it harder for small and mid-sized groups to survive.
• If reform starts anywhere, start with predictable, fair payment updates.
  Jeff argues that a reasonable annual Medicare update would relieve constant financial anxiety, allowing physicians to focus on patient care rather than volume, survival, or selling their practices.

Jeff Smith

• Contact Jeff on LinkedIn 
• Jeff's full U.S. Senate testimony (YouTube video) - U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, Feb. 11 , 2026.

Related Resources

• MGMA member‑exclusive Medical Practice Staffing Solutions Playbook - practical strategies to recruit, onboard, and retain staff across the full employment lifecycle in today’s competitive labor market.
• Managing physician transitions for long-term team building (MGMA Insight article) - how to manage physician departures and coverage‑critical transitions in ways that protect operations, staff morale, and long‑term team stability.
• Rebuilding trust in revenue cycle teams after turnover and burnout in critical access hospitals (MGMA Insight article) - how leadership stability and psychological safety are essential to restoring performance and trust in revenue cycle teams after prolonged turnover and burnout
• Upcoming! How One Organization Connected the Pieces of Workforce Operations (MGMA webinar)- An upcoming fireside chat on reducing administrative burden by streamlining scheduling, time tracking, payroll, and credentialing across a multi‑site practice (April 30, 2026).

Sponsor:
Capella University helps healthcare professionals earn their MHA on their terms. Their FlexPath MHA program is designed for busy MGMA members who want to advance their leadership skills with a flexible, self‑paced format — often faster and more affordably — without putting their careers on hold. Questions? Visit capella.edu/MHA to learn more.

On this episode of the MGMA Insights Podcast, host Daniel Williams, senior editor at MGMA, welcomes Brian Gietzen, MD, medical director at Legacy Medical Group, for a thoughtful conversation on a care philosophy his practice calls benefits‑based medicine.

Dr. Gietzen shares how this approach challenges the limits of rigid guideline‑driven care by reframing clinical conversations around evidence and real‑world relevance. Drawing from his experience in internal medicine and geriatric care across southeast Michigan, he explains how a more contextual, patient‑centered dialogue helps patients better navigate treatment choices, preventive care, and questions around risk — without pressure or assumptions.

Key Takeaways

• Clinical guidelines offer direction, but not always clarity. While they provide a foundation, Dr. Gietzen explains why stopping at guidelines alone can overlook individual priorities, risks and lived realities.
• Outcomes matter more than checkboxes. Conversations shift meaningfully when success is defined by whether an intervention actually prevents harm — not simply whether a lab value or benchmark improves.
• Evidence becomes more useful when put in context. Understanding what an intervention was shown to improve, who was studied and how meaningful the benefit was allows for more honest, productive discussions.
• Screenings land differently when the end goal is explicit. By anchoring decisions in preventing serious outcomes — rather than detecting abnormalities — patients can better weigh options like colonoscopy, stool testing or choosing not to screen.
• Risk conversations work best when frequency and severity are clear. Explaining how often side effects occur, and how serious they typically are, helps counter fear‑based messaging patients encounter elsewhere.
• Vaccination discussions improve without performative persuasion. Dr. Gietzen describes how separating personal beliefs from clinical evidence creates space for trust and more balanced decision‑making.
• This approach scales with curiosity, not complexity. Practices don’t need to overhaul everything at once — starting with areas of genuine interest often yields the greatest early impact.
• Shared decision‑making doesn’t dilute expertise. Instead, it reframes clinicians as guides — combining evidence, experience and patient values to move forward with confidence.

Contact Legacy Medical: 

LinkedIn | Facebook | Website

Sponsor:
Capella University helps healthcare professionals earn their MHA on their terms. Their FlexPath MHA program is designed for busy MGMA members who want to advance their leadership skills with a flexible, self‑paced format — often faster and more affordably — without putting their careers on hold. Questions? Visit capella.edu/MHA to learn more.

In this episode of the MGMA Insights Podcast, host and senior editor Daniel Williams sits down with Bob Bush, a seasoned healthcare executive and MGMA leader, to explore one of the most overlooked — and perhaps most critical — aspects of medical practice management: succession planning.

Drawing from decades of experience, Bob shares practical strategies for identifying future leaders, avoiding operational disruption, and building a sustainable organization. The conversation also touches on leadership development tools, lessons learned from real-world failures, and how proactive planning can prevent chaos when key team members leave.

Whether you're leading a large medical group or a smaller outpatient practice, this episode offers actionable insights to help you future-proof your organization.

Key Takeaways

[05:10] Getting to know Bob Bush

•  Bob shares highlights from his healthcare leadership career, including his role as CEO of a large physician group 
•  Reflections on MGMA involvement, career growth, and lessons learned across leadership roles 

[05:55] Why succession planning is NOT optional

•  Waiting until a crisis hits (retirement, illness, sudden departure) can paralyze operations 
•  Succession planning should start on day one, not during an emergency 

[06:27] Succession planning goes beyond leadership roles

•  Critical roles include HR, payroll, IT, and front desk staff 
•  Every “mission-critical” position needs a backup plan 

[09:03] Lessons from failure: what happens without a plan

•  Real-world example: a physician-led practice collapses operationally when the leader is suddenly absent 
•  No shared access, no cross-training, no backup = total shutdown 

[12:32] The retirement reality check for leaders

•  Retirement is a 5-year transition process, not a switch you flip 
•  Leaders must plan for purpose, identity, and daily structure post-career 

[15:35] Practical tools for succession planning (visit the video version of this interview on YouTube to view Bob's screenshares)

•  Build a simple spreadsheet tracking: 
  •  Key roles 
  •  Potential successors 
  •  Risk level of departure 

[19:46] Identifying future leaders within your organization

•  Use structured tools like the 9-box talent grid
•  Focus development efforts on high-potential, high-performing employees 

[23:55] From recruiter to practice leader

•  A pivotal career moment led Bob from physician recruiting into practice management 
•  Early mentorship sparked his long-term involvement with MGMA

[26:10] Why MGMA certification and continuing education matter

•  Demonstrates commitment to the profession, similar to physician board certification 
•  Requires ongoing continuing education to stay current 
•  Bob shares his role in helping develop certification exam questions and shaping industry standards

[00:33:18] The human side of leadership transitions

•  Loss of daily interaction can lead to isolation 
•  Staying engaged (consulting, volunteering, part-time work) is key to well-being 

Resources 

• MGMA Member Webinar: Is Your Practice Ready for its Next Chapter of Leadership? (on-demand access available through MGMA) 
• Book Recommendation: The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer 
• Podcast Mentioned: Midlife Chrysalis
• MGMA Member Tool: Succession Planning Template 

Sponsor:
Capella University helps healthcare professionals earn their MHA on their terms. Their FlexPath MHA program is designed for busy MGMA members who want to advance their leadership skills with a flexible, self‑paced format — often faster and more affordably — without putting their careers on hold. Questions? Visit capella.edu/MHA to learn more.

In this special MGMA Insights Podcast episode for Women’s History Month, Daniel Williams, senior editor at MGMA and host of the MGMA Podcast Network, speaks with Cheryl Mongillo, Delores McNair and Paola Turchi, facilitators of MGMA’s Women Healthcare Leaders Resource Group. The dynamic conversation explores the realities of being a woman leader in healthcare today, including mentorship gaps, work-life integration, leadership isolation, vulnerability in the workplace, and the importance of creating trusted peer networks.

This episode offers a practical perspective for medical practice leaders looking to strengthen leadership development, build support systems, and create healthier workplace cultures.

Key Takeaways

• [0:52] – Why this conversation matters during Women’s History Month
  Daniel introduces the episode and frames the discussion around MGMA’s Women Healthcare Leaders Resource Group, one of the association’s most active member communities. The episode sets out to examine what women in healthcare leadership are facing right now and how peer connection can help.
• [2:08] – Cheryl Mongillo on the pressure facing independent practices
  Cheryl explains how managing private and independent family practices has become far more complex, requiring leaders to understand population health, care management and regulatory change — not just front-office operations. For practice leaders, this reinforces the need to develop stronger administrative talent pipelines.
• [3:29] – Delores McNair on bridging clinical and administrative leadership
  Delores reflects on moving from the clinical side into management and administration, and why that dual perspective helps her mentor others. Her comments highlight a common challenge in medical groups: helping clinically trained professionals grow into business, operational and strategic leadership roles.
• [5:17] – Paola Turchi on leadership isolation and the need for peer networks
  Paola shares that leadership can become lonelier the further someone advances. She emphasizes the value of having a trusted group outside one’s organization — essentially a personal advisory board — to provide perspective, problem-solving support and honest feedback.
• [8:54] – Women leaders are still struggling with work-life demands and missing mentorship
  Cheryl says one of the biggest recurring themes in the group is the pressure to “do it all” at work and at home. She argues that leaders need to stop treating career and life as an all-or-nothing equation and instead build balance through boundaries, moderation and mentorship.
• [11:31] – Bridging clinical and administrative leadership perspectives
  Daniel asks Delores how her experience on both the clinical and administrative sides informs her leadership. She explains that this dual perspective allows her to translate frontline patient care realities into operational, financial and strategic decisions — helping leaders better advocate for resources, navigate compliance, and align clinical needs with business goals. 
• [14:27] – Protected reflection time is a leadership necessity, not a luxury
  Paola points out that healthcare leaders spend their days putting out fires — provider issues, patient concerns, payer problems, audits and operational disruptions. Her key takeaway for practice leaders: create intentional time to reflect, review root causes and improve processes, or the organization stays stuck in reactive mode.
• [17:56] – Vulnerability and psychological safety help teams grow
  Cheryl discusses how leaders and teams can create space for vulnerability by not taking every question, critique or differing opinion personally. For medical groups, this is a practical reminder that a stronger culture comes from validation, openness, and separating professional feedback from personal offense.
• [20:47] – The resource group works because it is confidential, flexible and member-led
  Delores explains that meetings are not recorded and are designed as a safe space where participants can ask questions, vent, share resources and seek guidance. That structure matters for practice leaders because it models the kind of trust-based professional community many leaders need but often lack inside their own organizations.
• [25:03] – “Work-life balance” may be the wrong goal
  Paola shares a reframing that resonated with her: work-life balance is less about hitting a perfect ratio and more about setting boundaries that fit the day, the season and the demands at hand. That mindset can help healthcare leaders reduce guilt and make more sustainable decisions.
• [27:14] – Women’s advancement still faces structural and internal barriers
  Cheryl notes that progress in women’s leadership representation has been real but slow, and she points to both external expectations and internal hesitation around risk-taking. Her advice: women leaders need support systems that encourage them to step outside their comfort zones and pursue growth opportunities.
• [30:01] – Why women don’t take the space they’re given
  Building on Cheryl’s point about self-prioritization, Paola adds that even when support systems exist at home or work, many women still choose to fill that freed-up space with more responsibilities for others. Cheryl agrees, emphasizing that risk aversion and reluctance to prioritize personal growth often keep women from stepping outside their comfort zones. 
• [32:09] – Loneliness at the top can be addressed intentionally
  Delores encourages leaders to seek three kinds of support: people who comfort, people who challenge and people who model the path ahead. It’s a practical framework for medical practice leaders building mentorship and succession structures inside or outside their organizations.
• [36:37] – Final message: Be seen, be heard, take the risk and lift others up
  The episode closes with each guest sharing what they hope participants gain from the Women Healthcare Leaders Resource Group: confidence, safety, connection, courage and a commitment to elevate other women in healthcare leadership.

Related Resources

• MGMA Member Resource Groups — overview of MGMA’s live member resource groups, including the Women Healthcare Leaders community. 
• MGMA Community — MGMA’s member community hub for peer connection and discussion. 
• MGMA Mentor Program —  Connects experienced healthcare leaders with members seeking guidance, mentorship, and professional growth. 
• MGMA Book Club — monthly MGMA member book discussion led by Daniel Williams. 
•  "Is Your Practice Ready for its Next Chapter of Leadership?" — MGMA on-demand webinar focused on succession planning, leadership transitions and mentoring future leaders. 

Sponsor:
Capella University helps healthcare professionals earn their MHA on their terms. Their FlexPath MHA program is designed for busy MG...

“Google showed me how to innovate. Art taught me how to do it differently.”

On this episode of the MGMA Insights Podcast, Sr. Editor and host Daniel Williams sits down with Tucker Bryant, a former Silicon Valley leader turned poet and keynote speaker, to explore what innovation really means in today’s healthcare environment. As the opening keynote speaker for the MGMA Operations Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina (April 12–14), Bryant brings a fresh and unconventional perspective to leadership — blending lessons from technology, art, and poetry to challenge how organizations think about change.

Together, Williams and Bryant unpack why imitation is often the biggest risk in an era of powerful tools like AI, how constraints can actually fuel creativity, and what medical practice leaders can do to break out of routine thinking — even in highly regulated, bureaucratic environments. The conversation offers practical frameworks leaders can apply immediately, from “refusing the first answer” to running small, low‑risk experiments that build buy‑in and momentum.

Key Takeaways

• [01:56] The path from Silicon Valley to poetry
  Bryant shares how studying at Stanford and working at Google exposed him to Silicon Valley’s innovation mindset, while his parallel immersion in poetry and the arts taught him to think creatively, question assumptions, and approach leadership challenges from entirely different angles.
• [03:27] Why “doing different things differently” matters more than doing the same things better
  With AI and advanced tools now widely available, Bryant argues that competitive advantage no longer comes from optimization alone — it comes from differentiation. When everyone uses the same tools, standing out requires new ways of thinking, not just better execution.
• [04:55] The hidden danger of imitation during times of rapid change 
  Fear of falling behind often drives leaders to copy competitors. Bryant explains why this instinct can lead organizations to look indistinguishable — and why taking “unreasonable” risks may actually be the safest long‑term strategy.
• [09:40] How to break out of habitual thinking by “refusing the first answer” 
  One of Bryant’s core techniques for innovation: pause when a familiar problem arises and deliberately consider a second option — even if you don’t use it. Over time, this simple practice expands creative capacity and disrupts entrenched routines.
• [11:27] Constraints as catalysts, not barriers, to innovation 
  Drawing from both art and business, Bryant explains how limitations — time, resources, bureaucracy — force leaders to find new tools and approaches, often resulting in more focused and compelling ideas.
• [16:22] What poetry teaches leaders about healthcare innovation
  Poetry isn’t dead — it’s evolving. Bryant shares how poetry as an experience mirrors leadership innovation: understanding core ingredients, questioning assumed rules, and reimagining how ideas are delivered and received.
• [21:00] Why micro‑experiments are the key to getting buy‑in in bureaucratic environments 
  Instead of pitching fully formed, high‑risk ideas, Bryant encourages leaders to start small. Micro‑experiments make innovation tangible, reduce resistance, and help decision‑makers see what’s possible without feeling overwhelmed.
• [23:00] What to expect from Bryant’s opening keynote at the MGMA Operations Conference
  Bryant previews a highly interactive session that blends poetry, leadership insights, and creative participation — inviting attendees to engage differently and leave with a new mindset for innovation.

Resources 

• Tucker Bryant's website
• Connect with Tucker on LinkedIn 
• MGMA Operations Conference (April 12–14, Charlotte, NC)

Sponsor:
Capella University helps healthcare professionals earn their MHA on their terms. Their FlexPath MHA program is designed for busy MGMA members who want to advance their leadership skills with a flexible, self‑paced format — often faster and more affordably — without putting their careers on hold. Questions? Visit capella.edu/MHA to learn more.