By Dr. Bill Jessee
In case you hadn't noticed, the economy sucks.
First it was the housing industry. Then banks, insurers and other financial services. Then the auto industry. And now it's all starting to ripple out and affect health care, as well.
Hospitals are reporting a decline in their census; patients are postponing elective procedures; and MGMA members are reporting that patient volumes are down and accounts receivable and bad debts are rising. There was a particularly poignant story in the Dec. 15 Los Angeles Times – which itself is on the verge of bankruptcy – about a primary care physician (solo) in Beverly Hills, Calif. (of all places), whose declining economic fortunes forced her to close her practice, move to Maryland and work for a hospital.
We know that the challenges of running a medical group practice in this day and age were already immense, but the current economic doldrums are making a bad situation even worse. That's one of the reasons why we want to make you even more aware of the value that MGMA membership brings to you and your practice.
Today, it's more important than ever to find every possible dollar of revenue, while trimming unnecessary expenses and maintaining high patient and physician satisfaction. That’s why we've collected MGMA resources and free member tools in one spot to help you lead your practice to economic recovery.
Don't forget about our other MGMA resources such as:
And as an MGMA member, you have access through the MGMA Member Community to a network of 22,000 knowledgeable colleagues who can help you solve the problems you face. Plus, EBSCO's 450 full-text practice management journals for all your research needs. Now more than ever, your MGMA membership can be critical to your practice's ability to survive and thrive.
What else can we do to help you? MGMA wants to be your most-valued resource in getting through this economic morass. Let me know how we can help by leaving a comment.
William F. Jessee, MD, FACMPE, is president and CEO of MGMA.
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