This Episode:
This MGMA Women in Healthcare podcast episode, hosted by Adrienne Lloyd, welcomes Stephanie Mercado to the show. Mercado is the CEO and executive director of the National Association for Healthcare Quality (NAHQ). She joined the NAHQ in 2013 and has helped the organization achieve over 300% revenue growth and almost double its membership since then. In 2023, Modern Healthcare named Mercado one of the "100 Most Influential People in Healthcare".

Highlights:
In the conversation, Mercado emphasizes that quality and safety encompass more than just regulatory compliance - they should be viewed as a business strategy that utilizes standard and reliable problem-solving techniques. When faced with dynamic issues, tools like failure mode effects analysis (FMEA) and the situation-background-assessment-recommendation (SBAR) framework can help structure thinking and planning. Mercado also stresses the importance of resilience among healthcare leaders. Despite the uncertainty, focusing on continuous improvement through patience and small wins can move the quality agenda forward. Professionals can better manage stress and drive positive change by clarifying roles, unpacking concerns, and embracing an iterative mindset.

Main Takeaways:

• Quality improvement methods give healthcare workers a "toolkit" to effectively address opportunities and challenges
• Tools like FMEA and SBAR provide neutral frameworks to identify issues, plan solutions, and bring teams together
• Viewing quality as a long-term business strategy leads to more reliable outcomes than short-term compliance
• Adopting resilience through patience, adaptability, and celebration of incremental progress enhances success
• Roles clarification and unpacking sources of anxiety can help manage stress inherent to healthcare leadership

Episode Sources:

Adrienne Palmer Lloyd

Connect with Adrienne on LinkedIn
Adrienne’s Services & More

Stephanie Mercado

Connect with Stephanie on LinkedIn

MGMA Resources:
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WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU
To see other episodes of the Women in Healthcare Podcast, watch the video versions on YouTube, or apply to be on an upcoming episode, please visit: https://bit.ly/womeninhealthcarepodcast

Walmart Business:
This episode of the MGMA podcast is brought to you by Walmart Business. It’s the Walmart you love, now for your business. Get everything you need for your staff & patients in one place. Enjoy big savings on health & safety products, cleaning supplies, OTC medications & much more. And don’t forget the break room snacks! Create a free account today and start shopping at business.walmart.com. Again, that’s business.walmart.com.

MGMA Analytics:
"The popular buzzword we've been seeing everywhere is AI. But what we all want to know is how we can implement and use it to our advantage. When it comes to improving margins, accelerating cash flow, and optimizing staff performance, there's a one-stop shop using cloud-based predictive analytics. MGMA Analytics is your AI-enabled tool that upscales technology you're already paying for, so you can silo your disparate systems and make data-backed business decisions. Visit mgma.com/analytics and see how AI can revolutionize your finances and operations."

In this episode of the MGMA Week in Review Podcast, hosts Daniel Williams and Colleen Luckett discuss Kaiser Permanente nurses striking over AI concerns, an interview with Dr. Robert Pearl on co-authoring a book with AI, challenges from stricter Medicaid rules, incorporating humor in the workplace, and gaps in medical practices' downtime protocols after a cyberattack.

Sources:

• Kaiser Permanente Nurses and AI
• AI can help with tasks like writing but requires human oversight and fact-checking, says Dr. Robert Pearl
• Changes to Medicaid rules will impact appointment scheduling, finances, reporting, and long-term planning.
• Incorporating humor can help humanize leaders and create a more inclusive environment.
• Regularly updating downtime protocols is critical for cybersecurity preparedness.

MGMA Resources:
MGMA Stat
Ask an Advisor
MGMA Membership
MGMA Consulting

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU
Let us know if there's a topic you want us to cover or an expert you would like us to interview or if you'd like to appear on the member spotlight podcast. Email us at dwilliams@mgma.com. If you have a question for our Sr Advisor Cristy Good, email advisor@mgma.com.

Walmart Business:
This episode of the MGMA podcast is brought to you by Walmart Business. It’s the Walmart you love, now for your business. Get everything you need for your staff & patients in one place. Enjoy big savings on health & safety products, cleaning supplies, OTC medications & much more. And don’t forget the break room snacks! Create a free account today and start shopping at business.walmart.com. Again, that’s business.walmart.com.

MGMA Analytics:
"The popular buzzword we've been seeing everywhere is AI. But what we all want to know is how we can implement and use it to our advantage. When it comes to improving margins, accelerating cash flow, and optimizing staff performance, there's a one-stop shop using cloud-based predictive analytics. MGMA Analytics is your AI-enabled tool that upscales technology you're already paying for, so you can silo your disparate systems and make data-backed business decisions. Visit mgma.com/analytics and see how AI can revolutionize your finances and operations."

In this episode of the MGMA Insights podcast, we have the privilege of speaking with Dr. Robert Pearl, a renowned healthcare leader and the author of the groundbreaking book ChatGPT, MD: How AI-Empowered Patients & Doctors Can Take Back Control of American Medicine. Dr. Pearl shares his unique journey in healthcare leadership and his vision for how AI can transform and improve healthcare outcomes, a perspective that is sure to captivate our audience. He also discusses his collaboration with ChatGPT in writing his book, providing valuable insights into the future of healthcare.

Main Takeaways:
- AI can potentially improve healthcare quality, access, and affordability by empowering patients to manage chronic conditions better.
- Moving to prepaid models like capitation can incentivize value-based care needed to realize AI benefits.
- AI technologies like ChatGPT show promise, but some limitations require oversight and continued development.

Sources:
Robert Pearl on the web
ChatGPT, MD
Fixing Healthcare Podcast

MGMA Resources:

MGMA Stat

Ask an Advisor

MGMA Membership

MGMA Consulting

WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU

Let us know if there's a topic you want us to cover or an expert you would like us to interview, or if you'd like to appear on the member spotlight podcast, email us at dwilliams@mgma.com. If you have a question for our Sr Advisor, Cristy Good, email advisor@mgma.com.

Walmart Business:
This episode of the MGMA podcast is brought to you by Walmart Business. It’s the Walmart you love, now for your business. Get everything you need for your staff & patients in one place. Enjoy big savings on health & safety products, cleaning supplies, OTC medications & much more. And don’t forget the break room snacks! Create a free account today and start shopping at business.walmart.com. Again, that’s business.walmart.com.

MGMA Analytics:
"The popular buzzword we've been seeing everywhere is AI. But what we all want to know is how we can implement and use it to our advantage. When it comes to improving margins, accelerating cash flow, and optimizing staff performance, there's a one-stop shop using cloud-based predictive analytics. MGMA Analytics is your AI-enabled tool that upscales technology you're already paying for, so you can silo your disparate systems and make data-backed business decisions. Visit mgma.com/analytics and see how AI can revolutionize your finances and operations."