General practice operations are defined and guided by policies and procedures that ensure patients are scheduled accurately and quickly, patient wait times and visits are efficient and effective, and patients receive quality health care and accurate communications. Once these processes are in place, it is then important to develop a program to consistently improve them, as needed, to achieve sustainable growth, account for changes in the external environment, and keep up with changes within the business itself. Participants of this three-part session will learn about the common sourcing and uses of benchmarking data, the application of total quality management techniques such as Six Sigma and LEAN, and best practices for policies and procedures for patient scheduling, among other operational programs. Attendees will also gain an understanding of various business ventures and ownership types including sole proprietorship, LLCs, partnerships and corporations.   

This program will provide you with the knowledge to:    

• Manage total quality management techniques such as Six Sigma and LEAN  
• Create and upkeep company policies and procedures  
• Summarize the different types of organizational ownership models     

Assessing and Improving Your Organization

Adrienne Lloyd, MHA, FACHE
CEO/Founder, Optimize Healthcare Consulting
MGMA Consultant

Policies, Procedures and Making It All Work

Katie Lawrence, MHA, CMPE, CMOM
Principal Consultant, Willow Strategy Group
MGMA Consultant

Understanding Organizational Ownership Models

Isabelle Bibet-Kalinyak, JD, MBA
Partner, M&A and Compliance Healthcare Attorney, Pullman & Comley

Strategic planning in today’s chaotic and challenging times has become paramount to a medical practice’s success. It focuses on longer-term goals and the strategy and tactics to reach those goals. This important process allows all stakeholders to have a clear understanding of the direction of the organization. Whether your strategic goals are big or small, project management methodology can help you achieve them. Participants of this four-part session will learn about the importance of strategic planning in healthcare and how that aligns with mission, vision and values. You will also develop the skillset and tools to successfully manage a project from beginning to end. This certificate program will include an interactive case study on project management.  

This program will provide you with the knowledge to:   

• Develop organizational goals and needs  
• Design business plans aligned with strategy  
• Generate a successful project plan and schedule  

How to Project Manage Like a Boss

Ava Cannon, PMP, CSM
IT Project Manager, Northwest Partners

Project Management: A Case Study

Owen Dahl, MBA, LFACHE, CHBC, LSSMBB
Consultant, Owen Dahl Consultant
MGMA Consultant

The Importance of Strategic Planning in Healthcare

Ron Holder, MHA, FACMPE, FACHE, CAE
Chief Administrative Officer, Hendrick Health

Hope is Not a Strategy: Strategic Planning for Medical Groups

Will Latham, MBA
President, Latham Consulting Group

The effective management of physician compensation is complex, requiring sophisticated interpersonal and technical skills. The Healthcare Data Analytics certificate program will provide healthcare leaders with a roadmap to design and implement compensation packages that support the practice’s mission. Benchmarking provides a means to assess the competitiveness of physician compensation. This certificate program will show attendees how to assess which benchmarks are needed for a compensation plan, as well as the practice’s goals and strategies. Through examples of quality management initiatives, attendees will learn best practices to design, implement and measure quality care initiatives that ensure patient safety and the consistent delivery of high-quality care.  

This program will provide you with the knowledge to:   

• Establish a physician compensation plan that aligns with organizational goals   
• Assess physician compensation plans via benchmarking tools  
• Evaluate performance via analytical processes, such as Lean or total quality improvement programs 

Establishing a Physician Compensation Plan That Aligns with Organizational Goals 

Owen Dahl, MBA, LFACHE, CHBC, LSSMBB 
Consultant, Owen Dahl Consulting
MGMA Consultant

Healthcare Analytics and Benchmarking

Lauren Jones
Customer Success Manager, Clinician Nexus

Andrew Hajde, CMPE
Chief Operating Officer, ABW Medical

Using Quality Initiatives in Daily Operations

Dawn Plested, JD, MBA, FACHE, Esq.
MGMA Consultant

Equipment purchasing and inventory control are key components in the operation of any medical practice. Medical groups must procure and distribute the right goods and services in the right place, at the right time, for the right price, and in the most efficient and effective way possible. Participants in the session will learn how effective management of equipment and inventory requires competence in understanding the organizational objectives of the practice, knowing when to lease equipment and when to buy it, leveraging group purchasing options, and implementing an effective inventory control system. Attendees of this two-part section will also develop a mastery of facility management, learning how the role of design, construction, maintenance, and appearance of a practice’s office play a critical role in the quality of patient care and the efficiency of the organization.  

This program will provide you with the knowledge to:    

• Determine effective inventory control systems  
• Evaluate when to lease and when to purchase medical equipment   
• Establish maintenance, safety and security programs  

Keys to Successful Supply Chain Management and Asset Management

Les Jebson, MHA, MBA, FACMPE, FACHE
Regional Market Administrator, Prisma Health
Adjunct Lecturer

The Information Technology (IT) section within the broader Operations Management Certificate Program will cover the main areas required to effectively lead and make decisions about IT structure, governance, oversight and operations. Almost everything we do in healthcare and within physician groups involves or is dependent on computers or Information Technology Systems. In this session, participants will learn about the optimal way to plan and oversee how the IT needs of the group are handled including clinician involvement, strategy, and in-house versus contracted services. The session will also cover IT integration with Electronic Health Records/EMR’s and billing systems as well as the IT security environment, providing a roadmap to measures you should take to address both known and potential cybersecurity threats.  

This program will provide you with the knowledge to:    

• Assess technology needs  
• Select IT to support operations  
• Establish cybersecurity processes and procedures  

Developing an Information Technology and Cybersecurity Plan

Lee Holmes, MHA, MBA, FACMPE, FACHE
Founder and CEO, DiaSante

Marketing for a medical practice involves positioning the practice with consumers, patients, competitors, and others in the market as the practice of choice for the services they provide. Typical marketing tasks may include market research, patient needs analysis, strategic decision making about service design, and promotion of the practice. These marketing tasks can be best accomplished when analyzed through the four A’s of marketing for medical practices: access, availability, accountability, and accommodation. Keeping patients at the forefront of your marketing plan will ensure that a practice’s services best match patients’ needs and expectations. This session will address best practices for marketing the practice, effective use of digital technology in building trust with patients and compliant ways to attract and retain patients at your practice.  

This program will provide you with the knowledge to:    

• Appraise available data to identify key trends, demographic shifts and other economic factors to build an effective marketing plan  
• Decide where to invest in digital channels to improve passive patient acquisition   
• Develop reporting metrics deliver KPIs that matter when determining marketing success  

Communications, Marketing, and Community Relations Plans

Jennifer Thompson
President, Insight Marketing Group