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Episode Overview
LISTEN TO THE EPISODE:
Host:
Daniel J. Marino
Managing Partner, Lumina Health Partners
Guests:
Meghan Heiy
Board Member, Illinois MGMA
Jenny Kovich
Board Member, Illinois MGMA
Daniel Marino:
Welcome to Value-based Care Insights. I am your host, Daniel Marino. National healthcare Associations play a significant role on kind of shaping everything from the legislative impact to providing some insights and data to a lot of its members and so forth. A lot of these associations like Healthcare Financial Management Association, HFMA. Or the American Hospital Association, AHA, or Medical Group Management Association, MGMA, have been around for years and through their national conferences, as well as the information that they share really provide a significant amount of resourcing to a lot of its members. But what I've found over really the last, maybe, you know, 10 years or so in my career is that the state associations also play a significant role, and I found even more of a relevant role as they support healthcare leaders. More so from a from a local perspective. And I've been involved in the Illinois MGMA for some time and recently I was asked to participate on the board of Illinois, MGMA. And been really excited to participate on the board. And although it's only been a few months, it's exciting to see the direction, and I just feel honored that I'm able to kind of share a lot of that information with a lot of my colleagues around the state. So, as I was thinking about this, I thought it would be fascinating to have a conversation around the role of the state associations in support of the local healthcare providers, practice leaders, practice managers, and so forth.
Well, to help me with this conversation today, I've invited 2 of my board members, Meghan Heiy, she's the director of Finance and accounting at cardiothoracic and vascular Surgical association, or associates. Meghan is the current Board President of Illinois, MGMA. And Jenny Kovich is the regional director of managed care for Solaris health, and she serves as the past president of the Board of Directors for Illinois MGMA. Ladies, welcome to the program.
Jennifer Kovich:
Hi Dan, thanks for having us!
Daniel Marino:
So Meghan maybe we can start with you. in your opinion. What do you see as the big difference between a State association like Illinois, MGMA and the National Association, the larger Medical Group Management Association.
Meghan Heiy:
Definitely. So they both offer some really, really good benefits to their members. National I’ll say is obviously much larger national focus. You can interact with members throughout the country people who are experiencing some similar, some different problems than you are. On top of that they do have some additional resources. They obviously have more staff so they can provide some more reporting metrics. They offer professional certifications. That's kind of the goal of national is those larger things. Locally. I think members really benefit from having an Illinois or a local focused association. So, for example, in Illinois, you can network directly with Illinois members who are experiencing the same or similar issues that you are. With Illinois MGMA, we have a certain specific newsletters that are targeted directly towards issues that really affect Illinois members. I think that is truly the benefit of Illinois is that you can interact with people who are experiencing Illinois specific issues and kind of navigate those things together.
Daniel Marino:
Yeah, I can remember a number of years back. There were some changes in some of the payer communities. It goes back 7, 8 years or so. And I was, I was doing a lot of research around what the changes were with one of the large carriers. I just had such a trouble finding it. And then, through some of the message board, through some of the networking with my colleagues that were part of Illinois, MGMA, at the time. I was able to find, you know, the answer to what that question was. I thought that level of resource was outstanding, and without being part of the Illinois MGMA, that would have been difficult for me to really find that answer, because, you know, it's you don't. It's not easily accessible through the National through the National group. Jen. From your perspective, I know you've been participating in Illinois, MGMA, for quite some time. What have you experienced as some of the benefits of membership?
Jennifer Kovich:
Well, like, Meghan said. You know national has a lot more resources than we have on the local level, but their focus has to be more national. And there's so much going on within the nation than within the States that they can't concentrate on those details that would be happening in a State like Illinois. So it's really beneficial that we can have the team on the ground here to look at that information. And 2 of the things that we really see that with is with our legislative newsletter. So we can look at local Illinois specific laws. And also our payer Newsletter, like you mentioned Dan, having that local information for policies that might only be affecting Illinois. Those are probably our 2 biggest drivers for what we see, the benefits for the local folks.
Daniel Marino:
Yeah. And I can see that, too, especially a lot of the legislative changes. You know, I know in Illinois, and really with a lot of the states you know, you have a national carrier perspective and a lot of the requirements and policies, and so forth. But you know, local Medicaid that occurs. I mean, they're constantly changing the rules there, and I can remember, even years back, when Illinois started a lot of their Medicaid ACOs, it was difficult to find information. So just having that ability to aggregate that information and to provide it to a lot of folks within the local setting. I mean that in and of itself is a huge benefit. You don't get that from all arenas.
Jennifer Kovich:
No, for sure. I also think a lot of the opportunity to build community locally, which you don't get as much on a national level. If they're offering their conferences, you go a couple of times a year you might see the same folks, but then here, on the local level, we'll have webinars or manager meetings and our local conferences. So you get to meet the same people over and over again. Kind of catch up with them. See how maybe issues that you were troubleshooting together went for them, and kind of keep in touch on a local level which I think is really valuable.
Daniel Marino:
Yeah, I would agree. I agree, Meghan, when you think about the State associations and the National Associations, is it an either or for members, or do many members participate in both the State and the National Association, you know, such as Illinois, MGMA. And the National MGMA.
Meghan Heiy:
Absolutely. There's such a benefit to being a member of both. Specifically with Illinois MGMA and national MGMA price wise. There is a discount for joining both, but just benefit wise national, as I mentioned, offers those certifications, you know, you can pull data from national MGMA's website and kind of compare it to different practices around the country around your area. And those are resources that you know, local chapters just can't offer. So nationally, that's a huge benefit, and as Jenny mentioned, the national conferences, which are much larger than local conferences, provide a different sort of education than what a local chapter would be able to offer. Locally, you know, as we've talked about, the focus and the ability to be able to interact with people who are experiencing the same issue as you guys were talking about the payer issues. I know I've personally reached out to people in my area and been like, Hey, have you experienced this denial on this code with this payer? What did you do? And using that is just it's so I can't even describe how helpful it is when you're dealing with these insurance companies to be able to say, Hey, you did this for this other practice, I know you can help me with this problem and resolve it this way. I can't even like I've done that more times than I can count.
Daniel Marino:
Yeah, I agree with you. I think that ability to network with your peers and get that answer really does, that provides a tremendous amount of value. How about the overall networking opportunity, I would think, for an up and coming practice leader, or somebody that, let's say, is a few years out of school, and is interested in developing their career, maybe networking with their peers. I would think the State associations have to provide a tremendous amount of value, probably more so than even the National Associations.
Meghan Heiy:
Oh, absolutely you know, as you're talking about our networking opportunities, there's such a huge opportunity for students as well because we do have student members to interact with companies and leaders in healthcare in Illinois, where they are looking for you know, job opportunities or networking opportunities. This it's so much better to be local for that purpose, because you're obviously living in Illinois if you are a local member. And having those local contacts is huge for professional growth as well as just, you know If you're looking for a new job, if you're looking for volunteer opportunities, all that other stuff you can't get at a national level. You'll get national contacts, of course.
Jennifer Kovich:
I would say, not only from a practice administrator or practice leader perspective, but also from a vendor perspective, because we do have affiliate vendors as well that it gives you the opportunity to find someone. It might be a national company, but your rep on a local level that can also assist you with any needs you have, and they're great resources. Just in general. Our affiliate committee is a really strong committee, and they are all very aware of what each other do. So if you're having a conversation with one of them, and that's not a service that they offer, they'll know somebody that they could say, Hey, you can reach out to so and so, and they'll be able to help you with your issue. So that's really valuable, too, to have that access on a local level.
Daniel Marino:
If you're just tuning you're listening to Value-Based Care Insights. I'm here today talking with Meghan Heiy and Jenny Kovich, and we're discussing the role of local associations, such as the Illinois MGMA and the impact on local healthcare leaders. Jen, let's dive into that a little bit. When you when you think about, let's say the funding of the associations right? And obviously, there's membership fees. But you know, it's in my mind the successful meetings. The successful ways of really structuring the Association is through a collaborative arrangement that is, really entails the alignment of the members of the association leaders, but the affiliates or the vendors play a critical part right? And you mentioned that you know the affiliate committee is one that's really successful. How in the past have you engaged vendors or the affiliates in such a way that they feel value out of the association?
Jennifer Kovich:
No, Dan, you're right. So for sure we would not be able to put on the quality programming we can without sponsorship. That kind of funding is not going to come just from member dues, and that alone. So we've had to develop really strong relationships with these affiliates. And part of that is you know what we can help offer them in having access to these members at these events and putting on really strong events to have a lot of folks come out to have conversations with. And then also we did change our sponsorship, offering a few years back to more of an a la carte. A lot of associations will have kind of, you know, gold bronze level of sponsorship, and then you get certain package throughout the year. We've allowed our affiliates to kind of pick and choose different options that might work better for them and what they're trying to offer, so they can have access to members in a way that's appropriate for their needs. So that's been really valuable, I think, to our affiliates as well.
Daniel Marino:
Yeah, I would agree with you. And I'll tell you from a member perspective, not only does it help put on robust programs, but it provides members with so much access to new solutions, right? New applications, new technologies, if you will, or things that they might be able to take back to their organization and say, Hey, you know we have a solution. I can remember years back I went to one of the meetings and it was amazing, all the new technology that was out there around revenue cycle things that were really focused on supporting and really improving the overall performance of practices, and you know those revenue cycle vendors, and one in particular was just phenomenal. It was just exciting to see. So when talk a little bit about the maybe the meetings or the interactions you have with the members. I know, you know, I want to bring up in a few minutes. I do want to talk about maybe the annual meeting you have coming up. But what are the other ways that the networking opportunities or the education events that you have in place for a lot of your members?
Meghan Heiy:
Okay, I was, I was, gonna say, so in addition to the conferences, we also offer webinars. You know, monthly that our members can join and chat to each other about on top of that we do offer in person networking events. You know where you can connect in smaller groups and truly discuss those issues that you're experiencing at a practice level. On top of that our vendors do sponsor a lot of those events. And so the vendors have that opportunity there to interact directly with our members in a more casual environment. I think that's a huge benefit to vendors and members. You know that the more casual interactions is really where those connections come into play. And I think that's a definite benefit for everybody involved.
Daniel Marino:
Yeah, I would agree, I would agree. So, Jen, when you when you focus some of the programs and you're developing the programs are the vendors driving the programs. Do you get input from a lot of the members? How are you structuring some of the topics?
Jennifer Kovich:
We have sent out surveys in the past to see what's going to engage our membership, and that would also go out to those affiliate members, they'd be able to respond to that survey as well. A lot of it we get just from questions or comments that we've received, and we know what topics are of interest of the time. Our annual conference is more operations and leadership focused. And then our fall conference is more financial focused. So we kind of see what we've seen throughout the year, whether it's an affiliate member or a regular active member, and what kind of offering they're looking for, and that's kind of how we tailor our conferences and our webinars as well.
Daniel Marino:
Okay, great. And when is the annual meeting?
Jennifer Kovich:
Our annual conference is going to be may 1st at Chicago, Winery.
Daniel Marino:
Oh, wow! That's a nice event. That's a nice event. Yeah. So do you. So one of the the challenges, I would think that you have to have as a State association is, where do you have the meetings? Right? Do you have them in, you know, in in the Chicago area or in the larger metropolitan area? Or do you have them in the middle of the State, or you have them in the southern part of the state. Do you find it difficult to really determine where to have it? So you end up kind of supporting, or have a strong, you know geographic presence, if you will. How have you worked through that in the past.
Jennifer Kovich:
That is something that's very difficult with a State like Illinois We have tried to have some events farther down south, not very successful with attendance. So we've kind of stayed around the Chicagoland area. For the most part we tend to have more success with getting folks to come out in that area. It is something that's always on our mind and trying to make sure that we are offering in-person events that the whole State can access. So it's something we consider, and we kind of have to weigh things out, depending on where things are going throughout the year, and also just cost of venue and things like that. So we look at all of that.
Daniel Marino:
Well, and I think it's got to be a pretty nice, pretty nice draw you have people coming to Chicago, and you know, although might be a little bit of travel, you know. It's kind of nice to spend the day up there. Meghan, talk a little bit about the annual meeting. What are some of the topics that you're planning for within the meeting? And you know, maybe, is there a networking event as well.
Meghan Heiy:
Absolutely. So, as Jenny mentioned, It's on May 1st at Chicago Winery, and this is a little bit of a pivot in terms of venue for us in the past. We've done you know, banquet halls and different hotels and things. This is much more unique venue. And in that light, we are, you know, offering a little bit of a different content lineup than we've done in the past. So this year we're going to be more leadership operational focused. But adding to that, our sessions are going to be much more interactive than they've been in the past. So we have a few sessions that are going to have breakouts and different activities associated, and then we have a couple panels as well. So it's a little bit different and much more engaging and interactive than we've done in the past. Our keynote is Carrie Burchell, and she's giving a great presentation on, you know, challenges that leaders face in healthcare. And we're really, really excited about that. You know, I think that's going to be a great event this year.
Daniel Marino:
And then how about for affiliates or vendors that are interested in participating? Is there still room for them to participate? Or is it is it kind of filled at this point? And if so, maybe the fall conference might be a good alternative.
Meghan Heiy:
Yeah, so we're definitely filling up in terms of booths that we've sold. But there are always, you know, sponsorship opportunities available. As Jenny mentioned. Those a la carte options are available for our conferences as well. If a booth, if the booths do fill up, we are open for the fall conference as well. Vendors and affiliates have a lot of different opportunities to interact and engage in these conferences. And then one key thing I did want to mention was the networking event where vendors and our members this year we'll be doing a wine tasting together, and, like I mentioned before. It's those casual sort of interactions where you kind of really see the issues that the vendors can see, the issues that the members are facing. And the members can see the ways, the vendors can, you know, help with those issues in in a casual conversation. I think you know, as I mentioned. There's just so many different opportunities for our vendors to benefit from engaging with Illinois MGMA, this year.
Daniel Marino:
Well, I'll tell you. I am a huge proponent, and always have been of networking building, your network, interacting with your network. I could remember years back, when I was in grad school, I had to do an administrative Residency at a hospital, and my mentor at the time one of the pieces of advice he gave me was, build your network, utilize your network, reach out to your network, interact with your network. And it's the state associations in my mind provide just such a great opportunity to do that. How about volunteering? You know I know not all the members have to be, you know part of the board or part of the association. But are there are there volunteer opportunities? If, say, a new member wants to get involved or has an interest in in, let's say, the legislative side, or the payer side, or one of the others. Jen, what are some of the volunteer opportunities?
Jennifer Kovich:
No, Dan, that's perfect. Because when you were talking about networking, I was thinking about the volunteer opportunities, because that's something that I've been involved with the organization for about a decade now, and I still talk to folks that I worked with, you know, when I 1st started the 1st President that I was under, and we still maintain contact. And they're still a great resource. So volunteering, you get to work closely with other leaders and build those relationships, and we have lots of opportunities whether you want to serve on the board. There are positions on the board. You start as a director, and then you can move up to the Executive Committee. And we also have a number of committees, so you can serve as a committee member and then work your way up to committee chair as well. We have a legislative committee, an ACNP certification committee, membership committee, events and education committee and our payer committee, our primary committees. So any interest in that I think it's a great opportunity for the members to volunteer get to know the community, do some community service and also build those relationships.
Daniel Marino:
Well, absolutely, and in my experience, even by volunteering, you get so much more out of volunteering and networking than you put in right.
Jennifer Kovich:
Absolutely.
Daniel Marino:
The time commitment isn't great, but the value that you get out of it is just incredible. So, ladies, this has been fantastic, and, as I mentioned, I've just been over the years a huge proponent of Illinois, MGMA. If any of our listeners, whether you're in the State of Illinois or outside the State of Illinois. If they're interested in learning a little bit more, say, about Illinois, MGMA, or maybe seeing the agenda on the annual conference. That's coming up in May, Meghan, what's the website? Or where can we direct them to?
Meghan Heiy:
Yeah, so you can go to https://www.ilmgma.com/ We also have a Linkedin page where all these resources are available as well to see information about the annual conference there is a tab on our page where you can see the agenda. You know all the event details, hotel information, anything you're looking for. You can find it at
https://www.ilmgma.com/
Daniel Marino:
And all the committee information is on there as well?
Meghan Heiy:
Yep, it's right there on the home page. 1st thing you'll see.
Daniel Marino:
Oh, wonderful! Well, I would strongly encourage a lot of our listeners to look at the Illinois MGMA page. A lot of great information there. If any of our listeners are interested in contacting each of you as we talked about networking is really key. Would you, can you share your Linkedin site? I'm assuming both of you are on Linkedin.
Meghan Heiy:
Yep. So I'm available at Meghan Heiy on Linkedin. You know you can contact me there if you need anything.
Daniel Marino:
Great, and Jen.
Jennifer Kovich:
Yep, you can contact me on Linkedin, or you can email me directly at jkovich@solarishp.com.
Daniel Marino:
Great. Well, thanks, guys, this has been wonderful. And I'm planning to attend the annual meeting. I'm really looking forward to it. So any of our listeners, particularly in Illinois, that are planning to attend. Please stop in and say hello, love to again, you know. Build our networking opportunity. But want to thank both you, Meghan and Jenny, for coming on the program. Really appreciate it.
Jennifer Kovich:
Great thanks, Dan.
Meghan Heiy:
Thank you for having us.
Daniel Marino:
And I want to thank everyone for listening. Until our next insight, I am Daniel Marino, bringing you 30 min of value to your day. Take care.
About Value-Based Care Insights Podcast
Value-Based Care Insights is a podcast that explores how to optimize the performance of programs to meet the demands of an increasingly value-based care payment environment. Hosted by Daniel J. Marino, the VBCI podcast highlights recognized experts in the field and within Lumina Health Partners
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