Window Into Healthcare: A Snapshot Of The Future For Physicians And hospitals

One month before the anticipated Supreme Court ruling on the future of healthcare reform, physicians and healthcare executives will gather in Dallas to discuss how they can address changes in the field. One of the central issues facing the nation is how to improve quality and reduce costs, and industry leaders meeting at the Forum on Innovation in Healthcare will explore challenging issues associated with the reform of the payment and delivery systems.

MGMA-ACMPE, the American Hospital Association (AHA) and the Polsinelli Shughart law firm will host leaders from hospitals and health systems, physician organizations and payers May 22-23, 2012, at the Dallas Westin Galleria. Attendees will share experiences and examples of how innovation has helped their organizations thrive in today's changing healthcare environment and position them for success.

"We're excited to have the opportunity to learn collaboratively with pioneering healthcare organizations as they describe their successes and challenges in transforming their systems," said Susan Turney, MD, MS, FACP, FACMPE, president and CEO of MGMA-ACMPE."These sessions help us share valuable lessons with our members and provide inspiration and pathways for improving their medical group practices."

"The Dallas program's theme on 'Transparency and Accountability' will showcase delivery systems and provider communities that have developed and implemented innovative strategies to use data and information to help transform cultures and practices in positive ways," said John Combes, MD,AHA senior vice president and president & COO of the Center for Healthcare Governance. The program will provide attendees with an opportunity to dialogue and network with representatives from leading healthcare delivery systems from across the nation using a peer-to-peer learning format, Combes added.

Forum on Innovation in Healthcare sessions include:

• Transparency and Accountability in Healthcare: The keynote presentation and panel discussion will explore the role transparency plays in the transformation of healthcare and the challenges it poses on the organizational and national levels. Stuart Guterman, vice president of Payment and System Reform at The Commonwealth Fund and executive director, Commission on a High Performance Health System, will serve as the keynote speaker on Tuesday, May 22, 8:30-9:30 a.m. Interactive case studies will follow from representatives of Texas-based Scott & White Health Care, and North Mississippi Health Systems
• Focused Case Studies: Blanchard Valley Health System will review how the community's Employer Data Project has linked data across providers to transform the efficiency and effectiveness of healthcare delivery in the Findlay, Ohio, area. In a concurrent session, AtlantiCare Health System, union, employer and community representatives will describe how transparency and communication have helped build healthy communities, manage rising costs and promote other patient, payer and provider goals in the Atlantic City, N.J., area.
• Payer Perspectives: The experience of payers working with providers will be provided in a session focusing on healthcare delivery Initiatives. The panel discussion will involve representatives from Texas Blue Cross Blue Shield, physician organizations and employers who are working together to improve care.
• Regulatory Round Table: Healthcare regulatory issues have an huge impact on the development and operation of innovative delivery and payment systems. Healthcare lawyers from Polsinelli Shughart will conduct a panel discussion to highlight existing and emerging regulatory challenges. Also, all Forum panel discussions will include concise summaries of the legal implications of featured innovation strategies.

The Forum on Innovation in Healthcare is designed for teams of strategy and operations leaders in hospitals and health systems, physician organizations and medical group practices, including senior executives, physician leaders and their compliance counsel.

Additional registration information is can be found at www.mgma.com/innovation.

The keynote speaker and other program panel members are available for media prior to the event. Potential story ideas include:

• Transparency and accountability in healthcare
• Impact of health reform on patients, hospitals and physicians
• Using data to improve the experience of healthcare and drive change
• Healthcare delivery strategies to improve quality and reduce costs
• Business and regulatory challenges to healthcare transformation

While the event is for registered healthcare industry professionals, there is media availability before the sessions. Media may attend the Transparency and Accountability in Healthcare session with keynote speaker Stuart Guterman on Tuesday, May 22, 8:30-9:30 am.

About AHA
The American Hospital Association (AHA) is the national organization that represents and serves all types of hospitals, health care networks, and their patients and communities. More than 5,000 hospitals, health care systems, networks, other providers of care and 42,000 individual members come together to form the AHA. Through its representation and advocacy activities, AHA ensures that members' perspectives and needs are heard and addressed in national health policy development, legislative and regulatory debates, and judicial matters. Advocacy efforts include the legislative and executive branches and include the legislative and regulatory arenas. Founded in 1898, the AHA provides education for health care leaders and is a source of information on health care issues and trends.

About MGMA-ACMPE
MGMA-ACMPE is the premier association for professional administrators and leaders of medical group practices. In 2011, members of the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) and its standard-setting body, the American College of Medical Practice Executives (ACMPE) voted to merge to form a new association. Since 1926, the Association has delivered networking, professional education and resources, political advocacy and certification for medical practice professionals. The Association represents 22,500 members who lead 13,600 organizations nationwide in which some 280,000 physicians provide more than 40 percent of the healthcare services delivered in the United States.

MGMA-ACMPE's mission is to continually improve the performance of medical group practice professionals and the organizations they represent, helping medical practices provide efficient, safe, patient-focused and affordable care. The Association is headquartered in Englewood, Colo., and maintains a government affairs office in Washington, D.C. For more information, visit www.mgma.com.

About Polsinelli Shughart
With 580 attorneys, Polsinelli Shughart is a national law firm that is a recognized leader in the areas of business law, financial services, real estate and business litigation. Polsinelli's health care law practice group comprises the nation's sixth largest health care practice serving hospitals and health systems, academic medical centers, physician organizations, long term care and other non-profit and for-profit health care providers across the United States. Serving corporate, institutional and individual clients, Polsinelli is redefining the business of law by sharing ideas, goals and outcomes with its clients. The firm builds enduring relationships by creating value through our legal services - with passion, ingenuity and a sense of urgency. The firm's major offices are located in Chicago; Dallas; Denver; Kansas City; Los Angeles; New York; Phoenix; St. Louis; Washington, D.C.; and Wilmington, Del. In California, Polsinelli Shughart LLP. For more information, visit www.polsinelli.com.

SOURCE: American Hospital Association