This entertaining and provocative session examines essential skills of innovative leaders, using examples from the great jazz masters. Because improvisation is the heart and soul of their art, jazz musicians are among the most consistently creative professionals of our time, improvising their music night after night, taking calculated risks to produce results. These musicians must be ever-resilient in the moment and over time, inventing and accommodating rapid change, and their experiences contain vital lessons for any leader navigating change while trying to sustain a unified vision.

Drawing on his extensive knowledge of jazz history, Smithsonian curator, author, jazz pianist, and NPR commentator John Edward Hasse shares some of these lessons to inspire leaders to be more creative, collaborative, and disciplined.

AMGA welcomes Dr. Mostashari as our 2012 Saturday Networking Luncheon Guest Speaker. As National Coordinator for HIT, Dr. Mostashari will spend time addressing the audience regarding the goals set by the Office of the National Coordinator to make sure all eligible physicians receive their meaningful use incentive payments.

Any forward-thinking healthcare organization in this age of value-based care is struggling with patient engagement. The conference closes with one particularly engaged patient, who was diagnosed in January 2007 with Stage IV cancer and given the grimmest prognosis. Widely known as e-Patient Dave, he is a cancer patient and blogger who, in 2009, became a noted activist for healthcare transformation through participatory medicine and personal health data rights.

In this presentation, Dave will share how his personal journey to wellness inspired his mission to open healthcare information directly to patients on an unprecedented level, thus creating a new dynamic in how information is delivered, accessed, and used by the patient. He will also discuss how this revolutionizing relationship between patients and providers will impact insurance, careers, quality of life, and the distribution of finances across the entire spectrum of health care.

Growth and expansion within the ambulatory care environment at Vanderbilt Medical Group led to an increasing number of advanced practice nurses and expanded roles. This presentation describes the development, implementation, and evaluation of a structure and process which improved the optimization of these providers.

Upon completion of this activity, participants should be able to describe the challenges in managing large groups of advanced practice nurses and allied health providers in academic faculty practice; identify the functions of the Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s Center for Advanced Practice Nursing and Allied Health; utilize pro forma and other decision-support tools to evaluate a medical group’s need for APRNs; and evaluate the findings and critical success factors for optimizing use of APRNs.

The healthcare landscape is changing and there is a critical need for care providers to change with it. Learn how a physician group and a hospital are collaborating to improve quality, efficiency, and access while retaining their independence. Strategies include expanding and sharing clinical, IT, and administrative infrastructure so that the patient service base can increase without the need to acquire additional physicians.

Upon completion of this activity, participants should be able to describe how two independent healthcare organizations can effectively collaborate to form one healthcare system that benefits patients and delivers cost effective and efficient care, all while retaining their independence; and describe strategies to expand patient base, achieve clinical integration, gain effectiveness in sharing clinical services, and use a shared electronic medical data in care delivery.

In the change environment under healthcare reform, many hospitals and medical groups are more closely integrating themselves to enhance their position for accountable care. What risks do medical groups face as they integrate with hospitals? High-level planning is not a problem. The big challenge is execution. This presentation explains the nuts and bolts of hospital and group integration—clinical, financial, technological, and cultural. A case study of a recent merger illustrates critical moves and practical steps.

Upon completion of this activity, participants should be able to structure a joint planning committee for hospital and medical group integration; design a combined financial structure that maximizes reimbursement and cost efficiency; develop a combined IT platform that supports coordinated care and shared financial accountability; establish governance and management structures that ensure strong physician leadership within an integrated organization; and identify opportunities to integrate clinical process to create patient-centered accountable care.

In today’s environment, organizations must minimize costs while still providing high-quality care. Cleveland Clinic provides a case study in how a physician-led group practice created an integrated delivery network across 10 hospitals in Ohio and Florida, putting patients in the right place at the right time at the right cost.

Upon completion of this activity, participants should be able to describe the efforts in aligning private practice physicians and the Cleveland Clinic group practice model around common standards of quality and performance via Board alignment, engagement of medical staff leadership, and creation of common performance reporting and management tools; provide examples of how business reviews and monthly balanced scorecards powered by automated business intelligence solutions have been used as transparent tools that drive transformational change and improvement throughout the system; demonstrate the leadership strategies and supporting data around decisions to consolidate service lines and make capital allocation decisions across a health system; describe how Cleveland Clinic uses standardized processes facilitated by electronic medical records and other tools to reach higher levels of efficiency and performance; delineate how Cleveland Clinic is creating specialty care centers throughout the system to reflect the needs of the community and ensure patients receive superior levels of care without creating redundant capability; and explain how an effective group practice model in a patient-centered environment can lead to innovation and uncover opportunities for improving quality of care while increasing safety and lowering costs.

Many medical groups are the linchpin for transforming a hospital system into a truly integrated delivery system (and care model). With Scripps Health as one case study, this presentation will examine the requirements for success, using new management, governance, and incentive structures to facilitate change, and mechanisms to remove barriers to change.

Upon completion of this activity, participants should be able to identify critical success factors for performance as a truly integrated delivery system; identify organizational (management and governance) models, leadership techniques, and financial incentives that can facilitate positive transformation into an IDS; and identify techniques for removing barriers to change and redirecting forces of inertia in the organization.

This presentation will demonstrate how group leaders can employ a Blue Ocean strategic framework in their practice setting. The presenter will share how Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital has used this approach to guide annual strategic planning and has helped them to differentiate their practices through the creation of value and innovation designed to transcend traditional competition in the market place.

Upon completion of this activity, participants should be able to explain the fundamental concepts at work in Blue Ocean strategy and how they can apply in a medical practice setting; utilize a number of practical exercises to help them employ the concepts of Blue Ocean strategy; identify innovative strategic opportunities which transcend competition and add value to patients, referral sources, and payers; and employ relevant aspects of Blue Ocean strategy into their own strategic planning framework.

In today’s environment, healthcare organizations must continuously seek ways to deploy new technologies that help control cost while at the same time improving patient access and quality of care. This presentation will highlight how Geisinger’s Center for Telehealth is using telemedicine in the ambulatory setting to meet these and other goals.

Upon completion of this activity, participants should be able to delineate how innovative use of telemedicine technology can be integrated into their practices and improve efficiency and patient care.

Prevea Health will showcase the impact of applying a population health management solution on organizations striving to engage patients for better quality outcomes. This presentation will include a demonstration of automated tools used by care teams to coordinate care across a patient population and discuss specific improvement outcomes resulting from the implementation and use of the population health system at the group.

Upon completion of this activity, participants should be able to identify strategies for successful population health management; identify gaps in care and opportunities to implement care interventions and treatment plans; and apply automated tools and resources to engage patients and drive better care coordination across a patient population.

The Advocate Medical Group was created through the consolidation and/or merger of six individual medical groups representing over 83 physician practices, ranging in size and structure. Geographically, many of these sites were located in close proximity to one another and even competed for the same patients. The presentation will explore Advocate’s strategic facility plan that evaluated each of the physician practices and resulted in decisions to close, consolidate, maintain, or expand each practice site. Presenters will share strategies to create a medical group facility configuration that is appropriately sized and geographically distributed to support the growth agenda for Advocate Health Care.

Upon completion of this activity the participants will be able to identify the financial imperative to manage the medical group’s real estate portfolio in a cost-effective manner; strategically configure the medical groups practice sites that will facilitate the effective management of patient populations; develop a practice site assessment methodology that will allow both a qualitative and quantitative ranking of the of facility value to the medical group; use high-level assumptions to translate the facility plan into a multiyear capital plan; and describe the importance of practice site location in promoting the growth agenda for the medical group and health system.

HealthTexas Provider Network’s success is driven by physician involvement and participation in the management of the practice. This presentation will share examples of communication strategies that have enabled them to become a robust primary care enterprise capable of supporting a comprehensive care delivery system, including their committee structure and communication vehicles.

Upon completion of this activity, the participant should be able to build physician confidence, trust, and partnership through communication to improve their organization’s ability to initiate quality, safety, and service excellence efforts; establish two-way communication between leaders and physicians that creates a participatory environment, motivating physicians to collaborate with leaders and align themselves to organizational goals; describe examples of internal communication tools proven to be successful in fostering communication between physicians and leaders; detail examples of external communication tools to assist physicians in building a successful practice; and discuss HTPN’s Physician Specialist Affairs committee efforts to enhance awareness of specialty services available within its network of physicians.

In 2008, Mount Kisco Medical Group undertook a review of the practice and its services, with an eye towards developing programs that would provide new sources of revenue while enhancing the quality of care and improving patient satisfaction. This presentation will detail the development of an anatomic pathology program in the multispecialty medical group. It will describe the conceptualization process, the design process, hurdles faced, and decisions made on equipment and software selections―good and bad. It will also review quality improvements and financial gains, as well as plans for future expansion.

Upon completion of this activity, participants should be able to describe the rationale for developing an anatomical pathology laboratory within the framework of a multispecialty medical group; describe the potential enhancement to patient satisfaction and quality of care achieved by having anatomic pathology services within a multispecialty group; identify likely challenges faced in developing an anatomic pathology program; and identify the potential medical and financial benefits of adding such a service.

As medical groups grow through acquisition, it is important that the organization’s billing model is easily scalable, improves revenue cycle performance, and supports the organization’s mission, vision, and goals. This session will detail the key steps and tools for designing, implementing, and managing a contemporary revenue cycle model. It will also review the framework used to assess the revenue cycle model, contemporary models considered, the action plan used to reorganize more than 80 FTEs without disrupting cash flow or performance, and tools employed to monitor and manage effectiveness.

Upon completion of this activity, participants should be able to describe how the regulatory environment (HITECH/ARRA, ICD-10/5010, and health reform) is creating new imperatives for the professional revenue cycle; detail contemporary models to organize the revenue cycle for best performance, given technological (e.g., EHR and other emerging systems implementations) and strategic (e.g., physician alignment, acquisition) initiatives; detail the benefits and challenges of higher degrees of centralized billing activities; and list the key steps for designing and reorganizing to a more effective model without negatively impacting current performance and the tools to ensure ongoing success.

Changing patient behaviors is challenging, yet will be required if physician organizations want to achieve better health outcomes. Sharp Rees-Stealy has improved critical communications skills, recruited patient advisors onto the care team, and strengthened connections with community resources–resulting in measurable improvements in patient self management support and clinical care. This presentation will highlight the group’s Team Up for Health project to improve patient self-management support.

Upon completion of this activity, participants should be able to define patient self-management and barriers to its achievement; identify the reasons why improving patient self-management is critical to achieving better clinical, patient experience, and cost of care outcomes; identify what strategies can be successfully incorporated into office practice to improve patient self-management; and create successful tactics at their organizations to engage and motivate the entire care team (including patient advisors) in improving patient self-management.

This presentation will provide a case study of the experience, resources needed, pitfalls and lessons learned, and ideas about the optimal preparation of staff for a comprehensive care coordination program in the primary care practices at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. It will also explore the impact of the introduction of RN Care Coordinators in a primary care practice, technology that supports care management processes, and moving from a disease-centric to a patient-centric model of care.

Upon completion of this activity, participants should be able to identify resources needed to implement successful care coordination models; describe some of the pitfalls and lessons learned from implementation of care coordination; and describe the optimal preparation of a Care Coordinator.

In 2009, the Cleveland Clinic formed a collaborative team to explore NCQA Medical Home Recognition. This presentation will discuss the application process and promote thought-provoking discussion on the value of Medical Home recognition for ambulatory practices and whether it is worth the effort. It will give the rationale for a medical home relative to improving quality, establishing quality improvement initiatives, improved patient safety, potential for reimbursement, and efficiency in the practices. Presenters will also share samples of work submitted that will help aid organizations contemplating this huge undertaking.

Upon completion of this session, participants will be able to assess their capacity to apply for PCMH recognition; analyze its benefit for their organization; and identify opportunities for practice redesign resulting from the application process.

As more organizations implement health IT and more data is produced, there is potential to transform this data into actionable information that engages patients, connects stakeholders and enhances care quality. This case study will describe how Orlando Internal Medicine’s collaborative care model utilizes technology (mobile, online, and kiosk applications) to improve outcomes and quality reporting, as well as enable providers to enhance care coordination with a holistic view of a patient’s history.

Upon completion of this activity, participants should be able to outline best practices for implementing a patient-centered care model and meeting accountable care organization objectives; identify strategies for enhancing patient engagement within an ambulatory care setting; explain how technology can be leveraged to streamline data collection for participation in pay-for-performance programs and quality-based incentives; and establish metrics to gauge the impact of technology on clinical outcomes.

Learn the trends, results, and lessons experienced from a 600+ physician IPA organization that uses clinical and business intelligence quality reporting tools populated by HIE data to enhance care coordination and quality management and improve care delivery in a community of disparate EHRs across the continuum of patient care. This presentation will describe the governance and leadership structure of NTSP, as well as the benefits and results of NTSP’s journey to implement a clinical and business intelligence tool that assists its physicians in their accountable care coordination and quality management activities. This presentation will also show clinical results and trends experienced by NTSP physicians after the deployment of the HIE-integrated quality measures and reporting application.

Upon completion of the presentation, the participant will be able to describe NTSP’s advanced care model that includes strong physician governance and leadership, an integrated delivery system with HIE and quality reporting, and patient centeredness initiatives; describe the benefits realized by patients and physicians over a 36 month period from the use of an interoperable HIE platform; indentify clinical examples and results of physicians using the clinical decision support application supported by integrated HIE data at the point of care to track care quality measures, providing patients with more efficient and accountable care; discuss the benefits and trends realized by deploying quality reports (e.g., PQRS, Meaningful Use, HEDIS, Five-Star) produced by the HIE retrospectively, at the point of care, and prospectively; and explain the pivotal role of data analytics supported by HIE data in allowing physicians and patients to adhere to care guidelines and improve quality of care.

When St. John’s Health System (SJHS) was selected as one of ten sites in the nation to participate in the Physician Group Practice (PGP) Demonstration Project, they accepted the goals of the project to promote efficiency and improve quality of health care provided to the patients they serve across the full continuum of care. SJHS identified heart failure patients as the population on which to focus strategies to improve coordination of care and reduce hospital readmissions. An integrated approach to collaboration and coordination of hospital and ambulatory heart failure services resulted in a reduction in heart failure admission and readmissions, and served as a model for managing patients with other chronic conditions.

Upon completion of this activity, participants should be able to identify issues which contribute to readmission of patients with heart failure; recognize interventions that improve quality of care of patients with heart failure; and identify interventions that reduce the likelihood of readmission for heart failure.

The epidemic rise in obesity presents clinical, operational, and financial challenges for healthcare institutions. The proposed changes under healthcare reform offer an increased impetus to implement effective treatments. This presentation reviews how AMGA member facilities are delivering evidence-based treatments with medically significant outcomes including reductions in comorbidities and medications.

Healthcare conflicts of interest stories continue to be a daily occurrence in the media―especially the disclosures of physician business ties to industry. This session will provide an overview of the rapidly changing regulatory landscape and provide guidance to physicians on how to effectively manage industry conflicts of interests.

Upon completion of this activity, participants should be able to identify and manage the legal and regulatory landscape regarding potential physician conflicts of interest with industry.