Practice Administrators Update
VOS’s Vision Extends to Medical
Practice Administrative Leadership
Lindsay A. McHone
Practice Administrator
Hess Orthopaedic Center and Sports Medicine, PLC
Karen Simonton, CPA
Chief Administrative Officer
Orthopaedic Center of Central Virginia
For the last several years, Andrew Mann (VOS Association Manager) and Cal Whitehead (Whitehead Consulting, LLC) have worked directly with orthopaedic practice administrators across the Commonwealth to strengthen the lines of communication and to better serve VOS’s physician membership. The inaugural administrators’ meeting was held in November of 2013 and practice leaders from all over Virginia converged in Richmond. Cal provided a legislative update, with Workers' Compensation being an active topic, and we spent time in roundtable sessions gleaning “survival” information from our peers. This meeting was followed by an AAOE/VOS state reception in June, 2014. Two VOS-sponsored administrators’ meetings are planned for 2015, one in Chicago, IL at the annual American Association of Orthopaedic Executives (AAOE) Conference (April 25-29, 2015) and another in Norfolk, VA at the Fall Medical Group Management Association (VMGMA) Conference (September 20-22, 2015). VOS is appropriately leveraging these important organizations and their meetings to establish stronger ties with administrators who serve beside VOS physician members.
VMGMA was established in 1974 as an association of medical practice management and administrative professionals across all medical specialties, representing over 500 physicians in the Commonwealth. The association provides educational opportunities throughout the year, including two two-day conferences (Spring and Fall). Each conference offers a wide variety of educational “tips and tricks” for the healthcare administrator. Topics include human resource management, regulatory compliance, operational hurdles, hospital relations, contracting and marketing. Membership in the VMGMA also gives practice administrators access to peer leaders across the state, regular legislative updates and access to a practice management “toolbox.” The VOS’s administrator group will meet during the Fall 2015 VMGMA conference in Norfolk, VA. We hope that education provided during the conference, coupled with a pre-conference roundtable discussion with the VOS administrators’ group, will provide each administrator participant with helpful tools to strategize and continue to support the provision of quality healthcare in our communities.
AAOE was established in 1991 as an association of musculoskeletal (MSK) executives and administrative professionals covering all MSK medical specialties in the United States of America. AAOE provides educational opportunities throughout the year in the form of its many webinar series’ and annual conference (Spring). The AAOE annual conference offers a wide variety of educational opportunities for members and non-members alike for the MSK executive and administrative staff; topics include quality/risk management, business development, operations, financial management, information technology, regulatory compliance, legislative advocacy and human resources. Membership in the AAOE also gives practice executives access to peer leaders across the United States, regular legislative and regulatory updates, discounted access to the annual conference, and many more valuable tools to prepare MSK executives and administrative staff to successfully lead a 21st century medical practice. This is VOS’ second annual state reception at the national AAOE conference. We are anxious to use this and the VMGMA meetings to strengthen our administrative leadership in Virginia.
As administrators, we recognize the unique burdens placed on our physicians and we are there to support them. VOS’ efforts in this administrative outreach have created a pathway to stronger VOS’s participation by the entire practice. No place has this been made clearer than in our recent struggles with Workers' Compensation legislation currently being proposed in the General Assembly. Together we are stronger.
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AAOE Launches Virginia Listserv
AAOE has launched a Virginia Practice Executive Listserv available to the public.
On February 9, 2015, the American Association of Orthopaedic Executives (AAOE) began offering a Virginia Practice Executive Listserv. The Virginia Listserv was created by a dedicated group of Virginia AAOE members. If you are unsure of what a Listserv is, it’s a private networking tool, which allows individuals to ask questions via email and receive responses from their peers in the orthopaedic industry. For AAOE members, the Listserv is ranked as a top member benefit.
AAOE provides a variety of types of Listservs that members have the opportunity to join. Typically these lists are for AAOE members only. The benefit of the Virginia Listserv is that it’s available to all practice executives in the Commonwealth of Virginia –both AAOE members and non-members.
The Virginia Listserv also provides to its users the benefit of offering information specific to Virginia residents. Particular questions specific to Virginia practice executives can be easily answered by your peers.
To have your practice administrator added to the listserv, simply have them fill out this sign up form.
