MGMA Podcasts

In this episode of the MGMA Insights Podcast, host Daniel Williams speaks with Jon R. Ewing, Chief Operating Officer at the Women’s Clinic in Jackson, Tennessee, and MGMA’s 2025 Legislative Liaison of the Year. Jon shares how he unexpectedly entered legislative advocacy, the importance of bridging policy and practice, and what medical group leaders need to know about engaging with lawmakers.

From TennCare reimbursement challenges to looming physician shortages, Jon breaks down complex legislative issues into practical takeaways for medical practice leaders. His insights underscore why advocacy isn’t just politics — it’s problem-solving for the future of healthcare.

Key Takeaways

• [02:34] Jon describes the shock of learning he’d been named MGMA’s Legislative Liaison of the Year.
• [04:35] The role of local media in Jackson, Tennessee, and how healthcare organizations connect with their communities.
• [06:08] Jon’s Arkansas roots, trout fishing background, and early exposure to medicine through his father’s small-town practice.
• [09:08] How Jon transitioned from biology graduate to healthcare administration and eventually practice leadership.
• [11:18] The “voluntold” moment that launched his career as a legislative liaison and the importance of mentorship in advocacy.
• [13:33] Why neutrality and bipartisanship are essential when representing healthcare issues to lawmakers.
• [20:35] A real-world example: explaining TennCare’s low reimbursement rates to Tennessee legislators.
• [25:00] Strategies for engaging legislators effectively — finding common ground, leading with empathy, and making issues personal.
• [26:36] The looming physician shortage and Medicare expansion — why leaders must think several “chess moves” ahead.
• [29:07] How MGMA National supports state liaisons with updates, training, and peer collaboration.
• [31:49] Jon’s challenge to future leaders: step into advocacy roles, mentor others, and be an authentic voice for healthcare improvement.

Resources & Links Mentioned in the Episode

• MGMA Leaders Conference (Sept. 28 – Oct. 1, 2025, Orlando, FL)
  Register here
• MGMA Government Affairs – Learn more about how MGMA advocates on behalf of medical group practices and how you can get involved:
  MGMA Government Affairs
• Projected Physician Shortage Data – AAMC Report on the 2030 physician shortage forecast:
  AAMC Physician Workforce Projections

Additional Resources:

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

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 Business Solutions Podcast, host Daniel Williams speaks with Rob Fershtman, Senior Director of Corporate Partnerships at U.S. Career Institute. With more than a decade of experience helping healthcare organizations strengthen their pipelines for Certified Medical Assistants and other essential roles, Fershtman shares strategies for addressing staffing shortages, creating flexible education pathways and building long-term retention in medical practices.

Key Takeaways:

• [05:41] - Identifying workforce gaps: How rural healthcare organizations are struggling to recruit talent and why early-stage career roles, like medical assistants, are critical to closing the gap.
• [08:14] - What US Career Institute offers: An overview of the accredited programs and degrees, with a focus on entry-level healthcare pathways and medical assistant training.
• [10:40] - Real-life success stories: How individuals from diverse backgrounds (oil riggers, hairstylists) transitioned into healthcare careers and thrived with support from their employers.
• [12:15] - Didactic + clinical training model: Why combining online coursework with hands-on clinical instruction creates the most effective outcomes for medical assistant preparation.
• [17:20] - Open-book learning and retention: How cognitive load theory and open-book quizzes improve knowledge retention and prepare students for certification exams.
• [25:20] - Partner-driven customization: How organizations can tailor the learning sequence and clinical checklists to align with their unique needs and workflows.
• [28:08] - MGMA CMA program partnership: How practices can access U.S. Career Institute programs directly through MGMA to build and sustain their CMA pipelines.

Resources:

• Visit the U.S. Career Institute website
• MGMA Clinical Medical Assistant Certification, Powered by U.S. Career Institute - Learn More
• Connect with Rob Fershtman on LinkedIn
• MGMA Membership - Learn More and Register
• 2025 MGMA Leaders Conference: Sept 28-Oct 1 in Orlando, FL - Register Here

Additional Resources:

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

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.

Futurist, author, and Hall of Fame speaker Crystal Washington joins this episode of the MGMA Insights Podcast. Crystal shares her expertise on generative AI and its practical applications for healthcare leaders. As an upcoming keynote speaker at the MGMA Leaders Conference in Orlando (September 28 - October 1), Crystal breaks down the AI landscape, debunks common myths, and provides actionable strategies for medical practice leaders navigating technology adoption without getting overwhelmed.

[02:35] - Becoming a futurist: Crystal explains her path from hospitality management to consulting for global brands, and how she developed her futurist mindset.

[06:25] - Grounding AI in reality: Artificial intelligence has been around since the 1950s; generative AI is simply the newest wave, not an oracle.

[07:49] - Generative AI hype vs. reality: Crystal cautions leaders to separate engineering insights from corporate hype and stock-price-driven narratives.

[10:12] - Healthcare leaders and limited time: Practical advice on dedicating even 10–15 minutes a day to keep informed without feeling overwhelmed.

[11:31] - Problem-first adoption: Why leaders should identify their top three challenges before chasing new technology solutions.

[12:56] - What to expect from her keynote: Leaders Conference attendees can look forward to fun, interactive, and pragmatic ways to use AI in daily life and in healthcare operations.

Resources:

• MGMA Leaders Conference 2025: Learn more and register
• MGMA Membership: Access tools, communities and educational opportunities - Learn more and register
• Crystal Washington — Visit crystalwashington.com

Additional Resources:

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

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.

In this debut episode of the MGMA Early Careerist podcast, host Melinda Mastel speaks with Shay Eskew, Vice President of Sales at Kodiak Solutions, Ironman athlete, and burn survivor. Shay shares his remarkable journey from a childhood accident that changed his life, to building a career in healthcare, writing a bestselling book, and embracing challenges in athletics and leadership. Tune in for insights on resilience, risk-taking, building community, and finding purpose—plus practical advice for early careerists navigating their own paths.

8 Key Moments:

• 00:00 – Introduction & Meet Shay Askew
• 01:10 – Shay’s Unplanned Path into Healthcare
• 03:10 – Childhood Accident & Burn Survivor Story
• 05:15 – Recovery, Shriners Hospital, and Finding Purpose
• 10:00 – Sharing His Story: Speaking, Rotary, and Writing a Book
• 16:00 – Embracing Challenges: Ironman, Global Adventures, and Mindset
• 25:00 – Leadership, Mentorship, and Advice for Early Careerists
• 34:00 – Book Recommendations, Final Advice, and How to Connect with Shay

Resources:

• MGMA for Early Careerists (resources)
• Melinda Mastel (MGMA resource groups)
• Shay Eskew (website)
• Shay Eskew (LinkedIn)
• Book: What the Fire Ignited by Shay Eskew (Barnes & Noble)
• Book: Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing (Amazon)
• Shriners Hospitals for Children (Official Site)
• Rotary International (Official Site)
• The Human Performance Project – Illinois Chapter
• The Human Performance Project – Bird’s Eye View Project

Additional Resources:

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

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.

In this episode of MGMA's Women in Healthcare podcast, host Adrienne Lloyd talks with Hayley Boling, CEO of Bowling Vision Center and Insight Surgery Center, about the realities of leadership, the importance of empathy and accountability, and the everyday moments that shape strong teams. They discuss mentorship, support networks, and the value of authenticity in healthcare and beyond.

• 00:03 — Introduction and Guest Background
• 02:12 — Creating a Culture of Accountability with Empathy
• 17:02 — Being a Woman Leader in Healthcare
• 27:52 — Finding Mentors and Building Support Networks
• 36:31 — Key Leadership Lessons: Progress Over Perfection
• 42:27 — Closing Thoughts and Thank You

Your Host:
Adrienne Palmer Lloyd, MHA, FACHE
CEO/Founder, Optimize Healthcare
MGMA Consultant | Certified John Maxwell Leadership Coach | Lean/Six Sigma Expert

CONNECT WITH Adrienne!
🌐 LinkedIn
🌐 Optimize Healthcare
📧 Email Adrienne
📅 BOOK A CALL

CONNECT WITH Haley!
🌐LinkedIn

MGMA Resources:

• MGMA Leaders Conference 2025: Learn more and register
• MGMA Membership: Access tools, communities and educational opportunities - Learn more and register
• MGMA Podcasts

On this episode of the MGMA Insights Podcast, host Daniel Williams welcomes Carolyn Bruebaker Moore, MBA, FACMPE, Vice President of Operations at PeaceHealth Medical Group in Oregon. Carolyn will be speaking at the upcoming MGMA Leaders Conference in Orlando (Sept. 28 – Oct. 1, 2025), where her session, "Build Your Own Operational Leadership Development Program," will give practice leaders practical tools to strengthen leadership pipelines. 

In this conversation, Carolyn shares her healthcare journey, how she identified a leadership training gap, and how she created an inclusive program that equips supervisors, managers, and directors to grow into stronger, more confident leaders. Listeners will learn about the program’s structure, retreats, challenges, and rewards—and how they can adapt these lessons within their own organizations. 

• [04:50] Carolyn’s healthcare journey: Carolyn discusses her 21 years in leadership, her transition from academic medicine to nonprofit care and how MGMA has supported her growth
• [08:22] Identifying a leadership gap: Why existing resources weren’t enough and how she developed a tailored operational leadership program
• [10:10] Program goals: Helping leaders recognize competency gaps, build confidence, and elevate performance across peer groups
• [11:48] Retreat structure: Quarterly half-day training retreats that blend reflection, bonding activities, and peer-to-peer learning
• [17:37] Inclusive participation: All supervisors, managers, and directors are included in the program to build consistency across leadership levels
• [18:54] Overcoming challenges: Time investment, survey design, and building trust through anonymous feedback
• [22:43] Biggest rewards: Promoting leaders from within and seeing measurable growth in confidence, performance, and advancement
• [25:10] Don’t miss Carolyn’s session: "Build Your Own Operational Leadership Development Program" at the MGMA Leaders Conference in Orlando

Resources:

• MGMA Leaders Conference 2025: Learn more and register
• MGMA Membership: Access tools, communities and educational opportunities - Learn more and register
• Connect with Carolyn Bruebaker Moore on LinkedIn
• Visit the PeaceHealth Medical Group website to learn more

Join host Daniel Williams on the MGMA Insights Podcast as he sits down with Dr. Alpesh Amin, Associate Dean for Clinical Transformation at UCI Health. Dr. Amin previews his upcoming session at the 2025 MGMA Leaders Conference in Orlando while sharing practical strategies for leveraging digital health and virtual care. Learn how to optimize ambulatory space, improve patient access and expand clinical capacity without building new facilities.

[4:07] - Redefining Ambulatory Space Optimization
[6:30] - Implementing E-Consults for Specialist Access
[9:28] - Using Remote Monitoring to Reduce Hospital Length of Stay
[10:45] - Leveraging Parking Lot Check-ins and Virtual Platforms
[13:35] - Treating Healthcare as a Team Sport
[17:11] - Embracing Technology Across All Age Groups
[18:47] - Goal-Setting and Team Building

Resources:

• 2025 MGMA Leaders Conference - September 28 - October 2 in Orlando, FL - Register Here

Leaders Session: "Ambulatory Space Optimization with Digital Health Transformation" Tuesday, Sept. 30 @ 1:00 PM

• UCI Health - University of California, Irvine Health System

Additional Resources:

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

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.

In this episode of the MGMA Insights Podcast, Dr. Michael Neal, a practicing optometrist and founder of Build My Team. Dr. Neal shares his transformative approach to healthcare hiring while addressing critical challenges like staff turnover, burnout and creating a high-performing practice culture. Drawing from lessons learned in his own practice and insights from top service industries, he offers practical strategies for medical practice leaders to enhance their hiring process.

Key Takeaways:

• 03:20 Hiring Paradigm Shift: Move beyond resume-based hiring to assessment-driven candidate selection
• 10:42 Mindset Matters: Prioritize candidates with a genuine desire to serve and find fulfillment in healthcare
• 13:29 Transferable Hiring Strategies: Approach works across different healthcare specialties and practice types
• 17:09 Burnout Prevention: Strategically building the right team can dramatically reduce practice leader stress
• 18:01 Emotional Impact: Reduce Sunday night anxiety and Monday morning dread through strategic hiring
• 21:21 Team Performance: Replace low-performing team members to improve overall practice culture and retain top talent

Resources:
Visit the Build My Team website to learn more
Connect with Dr. Michael Neal on LinkedIn
Read Rocket Fuel: By Gino Wickman and Mark C. Winters - Available on Amazon
Read Mindset: By Carol Dweck - Available on Amazon

Additional Resources:

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

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.

In this episode of the MGMA Insights Podcast, host Daniel Williams joins Mark Noon, a retired US Air Force medical leader and founder of LEADERSHIPTEN to explore leadership challenges amid cultural adaptations in the post-pandemic workplace. With extensive experience coaching healthcare organizations, Mark shares critical leadership strategies for medical practice managers and administrators while offering practical approaches to team development and patient experience.

Key Takeaways:

[04:12] Career Evolution: Mark transitioned from military medical laboratory work to leadership consulting, demonstrating the importance of adaptability in professional growth

[10:00] Leadership Challenges: Four primary leadership challenges identified:

• Communication
• Motivation
• Delegation
• Culture building

[12:11] Workplace Flexibility: Embracing remote work requires trust, understanding individual work styles, and creating flexible communication strategies

[18:21] Cross-Role Understanding: Implement role-playing exercises to help team members understand each other's responsibilities and improve interdepartmental communication

[21:42] Accountability Strategies: 

• Establish two-way accountability
• Practice upward accountability
• Take personal responsibility for commitments

[30:00] Employee Expectations: Employees want leaders who:

• Are personally known
• Demonstrate professional competence
• Genuinely care about team members

Resources:

• Visit the LEADERSHIPTEN website
• Connect with Mark Noon on LinkedIn
• Set Up: Timeless Leadership Skills for Your Success
• Download the 4 Elements of Leadership Economics 

Additional Resources:

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

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.

In this episode of the MGMA Business Solutions Podcast, Dr. Michael Blackman, Chief Medical Officer at Greenway Health, explores how AI and automation can help reduce provider burnout and improve medical practice efficiency. The conversation highlights Greenway's Clinical Assist technology while offering insights for medical practice leaders looking to leverage AI as a supportive tool rather than a replacement for healthcare professionals.

Key Takeaways:

• 05:39 AI as an Assistant, Not a Replacement
• 08:47 Ambient Documentation with Greenway Clinical Assist
• 13:19 Time Pressure Reduction
• 15:27 Staff Adoption Strategy
• 18:49 Enhanced Information Retrieval
• 20:17 Future Trends in Clinical Decision Support, Virtual Care, and Healthcare Interoperability

Resources:
Visit the Greenway Health website
Learn more about Greenway Clinical Assist
Connect with Dr. Michael Blackman on LinkedIn

Additional Resources:

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

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.