Essentials of Group Practice Management - MGMA Boot Camp - Self Study

Self Study

Start any time

Facilitator-led Dates

Sept. 3 - Oct. 15, 2010

 Jan. 7 - Feb. 18, 2011 

 Apr. 8 - May 20, 2011 

Who should participate

Course is designed for those with less than one year experience in medical group practice management
Recent graduates in health care management or administration
Also, serves as an overview for those with more experience
Ideal for those transitioning from other sectors in the health care industry into physician practice who want to understand the breadth of competencies required for success in the field

Prerequisites

None

Credit Hours

15 credit hours as assigned by ACMPE

Course Agenda

Human Resource Management

• Coordinate the recruitment and orientation process of clinical and non-clinical staff.
• Manage the retention of clinical and non-clinical staff.
• Develop and monitor effective staffing strategy.
• Develop, implement and evaluate performance management programs for clinical and non-clinical staff
• Develop and implement staff compensation and benefits plans
• Provide systems, processes and structure for administrative and clinical training for medical providers, employees and students
• Establish systems and processes for awareness, education, and compliance with employment laws and regulatory standards
• Provide personal commitment to enhance knowledge, skills, and abilities in health care administration.

Information Management

• Develop and maintain appropriate internal communication pathways for clinical and non-clinical staff
• Develop a technology plan that establishes the criteria for selection and implementation of information technology, including computer systems, Internet strategies, and telecommunications
• Plan and design a technology security process to protect patient and practice data systems
• Manage medical information systems including medical records, medication administration and health care related document storage
• Develop and implement processes to comply with mandated reports of specified patient issues to regulatory agencies.

Risk Management

• Develop and implement a risk management plan to ensure a safe environment for patients, staff and visitors
• Develop and implement policies and procedures to manage the impact of adverse legal events
• Establish a plan for disaster response and recovery
• Develop and implement a compliance program for federal and state laws and regulations.

Financial Management

• Develop and implement the organization's budget to achieve organizational objectives
• Establish internal controls for cash management
• Implement and maintain a process for external financial audits
• Develop and implement revenue cycle management and accounts receivable management
• Analyze and monitor financial performance and report financial results to stakeholders
• Direct the payroll process
• Establish and maintain the organization's banking, investment and other financial relationships
• Develop relationships with individual insurance carriers to optimize contract negotiations and maintenance of existing contracts

Patient Care Systems

• Establish and monitor business processes to ensure effective and efficient clinical operations
• Provide relevant and accurate resources to enhance patients' knowledge, understanding, and participation in their medical care
• Develop and implement a referral management process
• Design efficient patient flow patterns to maximize physician schedules
• Manage front office operations to maximize patient satisfaction, collection of payments and customer service
• Implement a plan to control pharmaceutical supplies.

Quality Management

• Utilize a quality improvement tool to develop a clinical pathway
• Monitor the peer review process for clinical staff
• Develop and oversee patient satisfaction and customer service programs
• Identify, develop and maintain benchmarks for establishing practice performance standards
• Create internal processes and systems to participate in pay-for-performance programs to enhance health care quality
• Develop and monitor a program for staff, business and equipment credentialing and licensure.

Organizational Governance

• Facilitate the establishment and monitoring of appropriate corporate legal structure for the organization
• Facilitate organizational governance structure and maintain proper corporate record-keeping of strategic decisions
• Lead the integration of the corporate mission statement into all aspects of the organization's culture
• Lead development of the organization's strategic plan and its implementation
• Establish, communicate, implement and monitor production and compensation standards for all physician and mid-level professional staff
• Implement and/or support organization leadership management of clinical staff conduct and performance expectations of programs
• Foster growth and development of physician leaders as knowledgeable, participative stakeholders
• Encourage and lead participation in advocacy endeavors at local, state, and national levels.
  

System Requirements

• A personal computer with a Pentium processor with either speakers or headphones
• Internet connection with a minimum speed of 56K baud dial-up (DSL, cable or T1 connection is recommended for viewing necessary archived lectures), Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox as well as Adobe Flash Player and Adobe Acrobat Reader
• A computer with speakers or headphones is necessary for audio sections
• Note: The MGMA online platform uses “frames” and may not be compatible with software for those who are sight-impaired

What's different about online courses?

Taking a course on the computer can be both different from and similar to a traditional classroom experience. The learning process is the same, but an online course provides immediate resources.

Facilitators and students maintain their traditional roles. The facilitator places lessons and materials online for you to use – you set your own pace. The instructor is available to have a conversation with you, but won’t be online at the same time.

You interact with the course content on the screen, just as though you were in a classroom, and have discussions with classmates on an online discussion board.

You can ask questions or reply to others' questions or responses at any time. You will have exercises to complete on your own. And, as with classroom-based courses, you will have a multiple-choice assessment at the end of each week to gauge your comprehension and progress.

How are the courses formatted?

Generally, online courses follow this weekly format:

• Overview – Learning objectives are explained
• Readings and resources – Read from your textbook and other online materials
• Content – The main topic is presented
• Case studies – Examples illustrating the main topic are provided, based on either small or large group practices
• Practice activities – An assignment related to the main content is given
• Assessment – Complete a multiple-choice exam
• Summary – The week’s content is reviewed, which prepares you for the following week
• Discussion – Participate in a facilitator-led discussion board to get your questions answered and see how your peers apply the information

How does working online add to your education experience?

Online courses provide these convenient features:

• Search – Search for course content
• Notes – Take notes you can save for reference
• Calendar – Review scheduled tasks from the facilitator
• Chat – Talk directly to one or all class participants
• Discussion board – Ask questions and discuss course topics in an open forum with facilitator and classmates
• E-mail – Communicate with the facilitator or any course participant
• Location – View your progress relative to each week’s content
• Assessment – Complete 10-15 multiple-choice questions (not graded) at the end of each week (you can retake the assessment as often as you like)
• Bookmark – Save your place if you need to leave the course and pick up later

How the self-study course works

You will receive textbooks (if applicable) a few days before the start of the course, the course URL and a user name and a password to log in. On the first day, you will be able to log in and proceed through the material week by week or to complete only the weeks most important to you.

There is also a free Webcast recorded by the course facilitator. This recording provides you with important introductory information. If you have questions during this self-study course a facilitator will answer your e-mails once a week. You will have two months to complete the course.

MGMA Online Course - Transfer Policy

If there are unexpected demands on your time or you are not able to complete the course within the six weeks, MGMA strongly recommends you transfer into another course.

Your transfer request must be received within the first two weeks of the course. After that time, you will be charged a $100 administrative fee after two weeks have passed.

Transfer requests by telephone are not valid.

All transfer requests must be submitted in writing to the:
MGMA Learning & Networking Center
Attention: John Crawford
104 Inverness Terrace East
Englewood, CO 80112-5306

Letters may be faxed to 303.784.6099

Cancellation Policy

All registration cancellations must be received by MGMA no later than 48 hours prior to the start of each program and are subject to a $100 processing fee per course.

• No credit or partial or full refund will be made for failure to attend after this date
• Cancellations by telephone will not be accepted
• No credit is available for text materials sent (when applicable)
• All cancellations must be submitted in writing to:
  
  MGMA Service Center
  104 Inverness Terrace East
  Englewood, CO 80112
  
  Cancellation letters may also be faxed to 303.784.6110

If for any reason, MGMA must cancel one of its programs or turn you away due to limited attendance your registration fee will be refunded in full. However, you are responsible for your own airline and hotel reservations. MGMA cannot be held accountable for any cancellation charges caused by program cancellation or attendance limitations.

Please call the MGMA Service Center toll-free at 877.275.6462, ext. 1888, if you need to send someone in your place. If the new attendee has a different MGMA membership status, the registration fee will be adjusted accordingly.