Megan Ashby, Practice Administrator, Spine Institute of Arizona		Crystal Miner, FACMPE, Practice Administrator, Denali OB/GYN Clinic
	Michael Brohawn, FACMPE, Practice Administrator, Orthopedics East and Sports Medicine		Melissa Odom, CMPE, Director of Strategic Innovations, Wilmington Health PLLC
	Justin Burk, CPA, Director of Development, HCA Healthcare		Greg Pawson, CPA CMA CMPE, Chief Financial Officer, Women's Healthcare Associates LLC

What do you find most rewarding about volunteering for MGMA?

Crystal: I enjoy volunteering for MGMA because I know that the little things that I do really do help. As a member of my state board I know that just an hour here and there is a big deal in the grand scheme of things. Even just sending out a "did you know" email blast can sometimes be a big help. I like to try to connect folks if I can. 
Michael: You always get back and learn as much as you give and its helpful to support the organizations that support your profession.
Melissa: It is rewarding to provide feedback about data and resources we wish we had  to the MGMA Team and watch the process unfold as they strive to develop meaningful solutions. I also enjoy being able to work with folks from around the country and hear their perspective on what information is important to them.
Justin: Providing and having access to intelligent insights from a broad community of administrators.
Greg: My favorite things about volunteering for MGMA are the collaboration, collegiality, and the learning.
 

Why did you decide to volunteer on the Data Solutions Advisory Group?

Crystal: I picked the Data Solutions Advisory Group because I'm a data fan. I just wish I could figure out how to convince others that the surveys aren't scary anymore. The MGMA Data Solutions team has made the spreadsheets really easy and it doesn't take near as long as it did 2 years ago!
Michael:  I'm an engineer by training and like using data to help guide decisions.
Melissa: MGMA has been a great resource for me personally throughout my career. When I saw the opportunity to participate, I thought it would be fun to raise my hand and give back to MGMA.
Justin: To support and provide perspective on the evolving nature of how MGMA data is gathered and used in the industry.
 

As a team of volunteers, how do you reach consensus?

Michael: By listening and understanding the views of others.
Justin: Discussion and collegiality.
 

What have you gained from working/learning with others in the advisory group?

Michael: We have some pretty awesome volunteers and staff who care about the work we do.
Justin: Interesting perspectives from a diverse group of leaders from around the country.
 

What has been the advisory group’s biggest accomplishment?

Michael: Working on MGMA Stat and helping to refine our Survey Tools.
Melissa: The biggest accomplishments are a result of the amazing MGMA staff. I am most impressed with how the Practice Operations report was designed and implemented. The staff did a wonderful job and they engaged the group at every step of the way for feedback.
Justin: STAT and providing insight into better data definitions.
 

If your group had a mascot, what would the mascot be?

Michael: A Dolphin.
Melissa: Our mascot would be a Transformer (one of the good ones of course). The data and benchmarking solutions prepared by MGMA helps us all make better decisions to transform our practices in today’s ever changing healthcare landscape.
 

How do you manage to add volunteer work to your already busy schedule?

Crystal: This year adding volunteering to my schedule was quite hard. I moved my office to a brand new building while finishing out my time on my local MGMA executive board. It's all about juggling. Some balls I tossed a little high to give myself some time and the others I just made sure they were the bouncy kind-so if they got dropped, I could catch them on the rebound.
Michael: Commitment to the purpose
Melissa: It’s not easy but I decided when I raised my hand to help that I would make it a priority. The MGMA team is very cognizant of our busy schedules. They are flexible and make it easy to carve out time to meet.