Montana Medical Group Management Association (MTMGMA) News

July 25 has been proclaimed Medical Group Managers Day by the Governor of MT

Tue, 16 Jul 2024 16:37:50 GMT

Come Celebrate Medical Group Managers Day 2024 with your Montana Medical Group Management Association (MT MGMA) !

Our community of medical group managers are amazing and work hard to ensure patients and providers have all they need to receive quality care! MT MGMA, the local chapter of the Medical Group Management Association, will be hosting Meet and Eats around the state on July 25 to celebrate this important day! Locations and times are below. Everyone is welcome and RSVP’s are encouraged but not necessary. RSVP at your location here.

New Board Member Highlight - Rob Harding

Thu, 20 Jun 2024 14:53:49 GMT

Meet the Board! Today's New Board Member Highlight is Rob Harding. Rob is the CEO of Billings, OBGYN. He has been working in healthcare management for thirty years.

Tell me a little about you personally: I’m an avid backpacker and professional BBQ’r. I travel around and compete in BBQ and also steak. I was raised in Salt Lake City and lived in Idaho for many years after that.
Tell me a little about your background in healthcare: I graduated from Saint Louis University with my MHA and had some great experiences doing externships in large hospitals in downtown Saint Louis. I did a year residency and a 1 year fellowship at a hospital in Terre Haute, Indiana. It was a fabulous experience. My position was eliminated as part of a large restructuring, so I was off to Idaho where I had my first physician practice gig in Hailey/Sun Valley Idaho. LOVED IT!! We implemented my first EMR in 2000. What a challenge. I have since then had many different roles in large system multispecialty practices to small rural clinics to owning my own consulting business. I seem to keep going back to OBGYN. I love my current job and clinic.
If you had to choose one or two things you feel like others could reach out for advice on, what would those be:I am happy to talk about just about anything. I have had the luxury of participating in lots of things over the years, so my experience is pretty broad. Jack of all trades, master of none.
What is the best piece of advice/insight have you been given during your professional career that you’ll never forget or has stuck with you most: When I was a Resident and a Fellow, I was lucky enough to be a part of the creation and development of a state-wide delivery system with Indiana University and Methodist hospital in Indianapolis. I was able to sit in and participate in very senior level meetings and planning sessions. So I would sit next to different CEOs, Board Chairmen or Consultants and ask their advice for someone starting out in their career like I was. The CEO of Methodist hospital, which at that time was a 1,000 bed hospital, told me that the best thing I could do was to hire people smarter than I was and to get out of their way. He also told me that I didn’t have to know everything. I just needed to know where to go to get the answers.
What is the worst piece of advice you have been given and why: I think the worst advice I received was more of an example, than verbal advice. I learned that micromanaging isn’t the way to motivate your employees and that you had to be the first one in and last one out to be successful. I have found that that isn’t true at all. The work will be there in the morning, but your kids won’t. Go home and spend time with your kids. It was way more important than trying to finish the work that day. There will always be work.

New Board Member Highlight - Shawn Brooks

Tue, 04 Jun 2024 15:22:22 GMT

This month's New Board Member Highlight is Shawn Brooks! Shawn is the Director of Clinic Specialty Medicine, Billings Clinic. She has been working in healthcare management for thirty years.

Tell me a little about you personally: I was born and raised in Tennessee and then joined the Navy where I served 23 years, my last duty station was in Washington state, I moved to Billings in 2019 with my wife and kids. My hobbies are fishing, hunting, and umpiring youth baseball and softball.
Tell me a little about your background in healthcare: I have done many roles in healthcare, I started as a Certified Nursing Assistant, then I was a Navy Corpsman where I was a Lab Tech, X-Ray Tech, Pharmacy Tech, Fleet Marine Force Corpsman, Surgical Assistant and Primary Care Provider before stepping out of clinical roles and moving to Medical Administrative and Leadership roles.
If you had to choose one or two things you feel like others could reach out for advice on, what would those be: Veterans Administration and Tricare benefits navigation. Mentorship programs
What is the best piece of advice/insight have you been given during your professional career that you’ll never forget or has stuck with you most: Achieving a goal is like trying to eat an elephant, you can’t do it in one sitting and be successful. You can reach the goal just remember it takes time for it to be a success.
What is the worst piece of advice you have been given and why: The worst piece of advice I have ever had is the one that I never got. I say this as every piece of advice is a pearl and that can help you with a problem or goal. When you get a piece of advice be it good or bad has a part to play in the decisions one makes.

Welcome - MTMGMA 2024 Board of Directors!

Mon, 20 May 2024 18:22:01 GMT

We are thrilled to announce the newly elected Board of Directors for the Montana Medical Group Management Association (MTMGMA) for 2024! This dynamic group of leaders brings a wealth of experience, dedication, and vision to our organization, and we are excited to see how their guidance will shape our future.

Meet the 2024 Board of Directors

President: Anya Vasquez

President-Elect: Michelle Gibbons

Immediate Past President: Rhonda Tallman

Secretary/Treasurer: Sara Houston

ACMPE Forum Representative: Lacy Bangert

MHA Liaison: Duane Preshinger

Affiliate Liaison: Jennifer Whipple

Trustee-At-Large: Heather Van Dyken

Trustee-At-Large: Samuel Langmo

Trustee-At-Large: Shawn Brooks

Trustee-At-Large: Kayla Altizer

Trustee-At-Large: Caryl Perdaems

Trustee-At-Large: Rob Harding

Looking Ahead

As we continue into 2024, we are confident that our new board will lead us with integrity, enthusiasm, and a clear vision for the future. Their diverse backgrounds and shared commitment to excellence will undoubtedly drive MTMGMA to new heights.

We invite all members to join us in welcoming the 2024 Board of Directors and to get involved in our initiatives. Your participation is crucial to our collective success.

Embracing Continuous Improvement: Lessons from MTMGMA's Annual Conference

Mon, 29 Apr 2024 17:09:25 GMT

David (Dave) Nordel, CMSgt, USAF (ret), RN, BSN, MS

Leadership Coach, Consultant; Keynote Motivational Speaker

Military transition expert

CEO of Max Fab Consulting (A Veteran owned proprietorship)

Leadership is a journey of perpetual learning and evolution. As someone who has led large and small organizations, I've learned that imperfections and mistakes are simply part of the process. They arise not from malice but from gaps in knowledge or experience. This understanding has been crucial in my leadership approach, emphasizing that leadership is not just a role but a practice—continuously striving for improvement through courage, critical conversations, self-evaluation, and an unwavering commitment to growth.

This past week, I had the distinct honor of speaking at the Montana Medical Group Management Association’s (MTMGMA) annual conference, aptly themed "From Surviving to Thriving." This theme alone speaks volumes about the progressive mindset of this gathering of healthcare professionals. It reflects a robust understanding of their challenges and a proactive desire to transcend them by embracing change and new methodologies.

The healthcare sector, particularly management, often operates in modes of survival due to the inherent stresses and high stakes of the industry. However, the MTMGMA has recognized something crucial, which is the need for a transformative shift towards thriving. What struck me most about this conference was these leaders; openness to self-diagnosis and embracing external perspectives that might offer insights or nuggets of wisdom to propel them forward.

It's a rare and commendable trait for organizations to look inward and openly seek improvement. This reflective practice is essential, and many organizations must pay more attention to this introspective opportunity. The willingness to let others provide perspective, question the status quo, and seek a new or better "next" sets good organizations apart from great ones. The MTMGMA is evidently on its path to greatness, evidenced by its enthusiastic reception of new ideas and its eagerness to integrate these insights into its practices.

During my sessions, I shared various anecdotes and lessons learned from my leadership experiences. The engagement and thoughtful responses were not just affirming, but they also played a crucial role in the learning process. If there was a valuable nugget in my stories, I am confident this group of motivated professionals will mine it and use it to forge their next practice.

The courage to allow vulnerability in leadership by admitting there are areas to improve is not just a strength, but a beacon of inspiration. MTMGMA's approach—seeking growth, fostering critical discussions, and adopting a theme that champions transformation, exemplifies leadership at its best. This conference was not just a gathering but it was a vivid demonstration of what it means to evolve from surviving to thriving.

This conference not only rocked but also vividly showcased how leadership, when combined with humility, courage, and openness to change, can lead to exceptional growth and improvement. The journey of leadership continues, and like the MTMGMA, we all should aspire to thrive, not just survive.

Book me to speak at your upcoming conference, where I can share 30+ years of my experience leading all kinds of teams—as a trauma nurse in the Air Force to emergency management.

Register NOW for MTMGMA's Upcoming Events ~ Lunch & Learn | 2024 Conference

Fri, 02 Feb 2024 22:21:00 GMT

Happy Friday - See MTMGMA's Upcoming Events and Register Today!

1. Registration is open for our next Lunch & Learn: Addressing Staffing Shortages on February 22, 2024 at 12 PM MT. https://mtmgma.com/Lunch-&-Learns

2. Don't forget to register for the 2024 Annual Conference and book your room before the room block closes on March 16, 2024 and prices increase! Register and reserve your room: https://mtmgma.com/Annual-Conference

MTMGMA 2024 Annual Conference Meet the Speaker: Bryan Peterson!

Wed, 24 Jan 2024 14:51:01 GMT

We have an exciting line up of speakers at the MTMGMA 2024 Annual Conference April 15-17 in Fairmont, MT!

Meet the speaker: Bryan Peterson PHR, SHRM-CP, Vice President, Human Resource Services at Associated Employers.

Bryan will be speaking on Organization Culture: Creating and Maintaining Your Ideal Workplace and a second session on Employee Recruitment & Retention: A Roundtable Experience. Read an overview of Bryan's sessions below!

Hour One:

Organizational Culture: Creating & Maintaining Your Ideal Workplace

Organizational culture goes a long way in determining whether employees will stay employed with you. It is one thing to have great mission statements, value statements and codes of conduct, but it is another thing to be living them. This session will explore: the different meanings that culture can have in an organization, learning how to recognize what your current culture really is, the aspects of culture and how these aspects relate to the whole, understanding who truly decides what the day-to-day culture of your organization is, and how to make changes for the good of the organization and for your employees.

Hour Two:

Employee Recruitment & Retention: A Roundtable Experience

Recruitment and retention continue to be top priority topics for many organizations. This roundtable event will begin with preliminary discussion regarding: aging workforce concerns, the important role the recruitment process can play in attracting talent, the important role the onboarding process can play in retaining recently hired talent, and how effective leadership and management can increase our odds of retaining talent.

The roundtable event will conclude with most of the session time being spent with participant interaction. Participants will actively engage and share what is working for their organization from a recruitment and retention standpoint. The goal of the roundtable event is for participants to learn from each other and take ideas back to their organization to implement and/or improve processes.

Register Now!

MTMGMA is excited to welcome back Preethi Fernando!

Thu, 18 Jan 2024 14:47:30 GMT

Exciting News! MTMGMA is excited to welcome back PREETHI FERNANDO, a crowd favorite from last year's conference! Get ready for another dose of inspiration and wisdom. Don't miss the chance to learn, connect, and be inspired! See you there!

Watch this video Preethi made introducing her topics for this year's Conference: https://lnkd.in/gEvdxuqy

...and don't forget to REGISTER TODAY: https://lnkd.in/guA8vy-q

REGISTER NOW- MTMGMA Lunch and Learn: Addressing Staffing Shortages

Wed, 17 Jan 2024 15:16:03 GMT

Registration is now open!

Join your fellow MTMGMA members for a Lunch and Learn on February 22nd, 2024 from 12pm to 1pm MT! The webinar will feature speaker, Shannon Mahoney, discussing "Addressing Staffing Shortages. This event is sponsored by Pinion!

This event is FREE for MTMGMA members!

REGISTER HERE

MTMGMA 2024 Conference ~ Registration Open!

Tue, 26 Dec 2023 16:43:05 GMT

Join us at the MTMGMA 2024 Annual Conference April 15-17, 2024 at the Fairmont Hot Springs Resort in Fairmont, MT!

Our 2024 conference theme, Balancing Act – From Surviving to Thriving, speaks to the challenges facing healthcare administrators today. This year’s conference will be interactive and highlight industry knowledge and tools for professional development and growth. Speakers will touch on topics such as Value Based Leadership, Organizational Culture, and Emotional Intelligence.