MGMA18, an annual conference by the Medical Group Management Association, presents learning sessions, compelling speakers, a tradeshow and networking opportunities for medical group practice managers who are interested in learning optimized methodologies. More than 5,000 professionals — including medical practice and hospital executives, physicians and consultants — are expected to attend the trade event Sept. 30 – Oct. 3 at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center in the Seaport District along the South Boston Waterfront.
The Medical Group Management Association (MGMA) is the premier association for professionals who lead medical practices. With a membership of more than 40,000 medical practice administrators, executives and leaders, MGMA represents over 12,500 organizations of all sizes, types, structures and specialties that deliver almost half of the healthcare in the United States.
MGMA promises to deliver “cutting-edge educational content and features dozens of speakers who are medical practice management thought leaders who will share insight with you on the latest strategies, trends and best practices.”
MGMA offers registration options for medical group management members, non-members, full-time college or university faculty, students enrolled in related college or university programs, exhibit-hall-only attendees, spouses and Student 
Ambassadors (one free-day pass for every three-hour shift of volunteer work).
Medical group management who cannot attend are encouraged to enroll in MGMA18 | LIVE. The distance learning tool features three general and seven featured sessions to be streamed live as well as four exclusive online sessions that will be presented live from the conference.
Each day of the conference is summarized below.
Sunday, Sept. 30
Educational opportunities for medical group management begin with pre-conference workshops on Sunday, Sept. 30, including Board Certification Boot Camp; Designing and Building Processes for Value-based Healthcare; Chemistry Tests: Steps for Mistake-free Hiring and Retention; Leading Change: Executive Leadership Tools and Concepts; From Data to Action: Benchmarking for Better Results in Your Practice; and Hacking Healthcare with MIT.
The day continues with the Product Sneak Peek (a special showcase highlighting 250 exhibiting companies with the industry’s premier products and services) and the First-Time Attendee Meetup where new attendees will join peers for an informal networking opportunity.
Next, author Simon Sinek leads the opening general session, The Infinite Game: Leadership for Long-Term Success, from 3:30 to 5:00. Known as a visionary thinker, Sinek has published four best-selling books about leaders and organizations that inspire action. He has three more books pending publication.
The final two offerings of day one include the grand opening of the exhibit hall (a celebration and networking event to officially launch the conference) and Glow in the Park, an opening night celebration in a vibrant outdoor setting with glowing art installations, lawn games and pavilions with live music and colorful cocktails.
Monday, October 1
After a continental breakfast, the second day of the conference begins with a general session by Mel Robbins, author of The 5 Second Rule: Keys To Confidence And Action At Work and Beyond.
Robbins is a “serial entrepreneur, best-selling author, internationally recognized social media influencer and one of the most sought-after motivational speakers in the world. Her digital platform inspires more than 20 million people a month with transformative videos, articles, positive psychology research and inspiring content.”
The exhibit hall is open from 10:00 am to 5:30 pm, but the day is dominated by six consecutive series of concurrent seminar sessions that are categorized by the content areas listed below. Each content area reflects current challenges for today’s health business professional and is informed by MGMA’s Body of Knowledge for Medical Practice Management, 3rd Edition:
- Strategy and Planning
- Best Practices in Operations
- Professional Development and Leadership
- Federal Laws, Regulations and Advocacy
- Patient Centered Care
- Government Affairs
- Financial Management
- Professional Development and Leadership
Learning Levels
Sessions employ a variety of learning formats to deliver educational content that is meaningful and memorable. They are designated by three experience levels to provide attendees with the proper degree of training: Basic/Overview, Intermediate/Update and Advanced.
Traditional sessions feature a speaker sharing their knowledge in a lecture-style presentation or a panel of speakers with a moderator facilitating a discussion. Traditional sessions include limited question-and-answer time with the audience.
Interactive sessions are conducted by expert facilitators who guide participants through interactive learning formats such as hot topic discussions and case study applications, all designed to foster 
the sharing of ideas, solutions and best practices.
Extended sessions (90 to 150 minutes in length and combining traditional and interactive elements) are designed for in-depth education about a variety of important medical group management topics.
The day draws to a close with specialty roundtable discussions followed by a Happy Hour in the exhibit hall followed by the American College of Medical Practice Executives (ACMPE) Recognition Reception and Fellows Convocation, a private ticketed event requiring preregistration. This special event recognizes “program and individual accomplishments, including the induction of the 2018 Fellows class.”
Tuesday, October 2
The third day of programming for medical group management follows day two in terms of seminar session volume and variety.
Robin Farmanfarmaian presents the general session, The Healthcare Revolution Roadmap, from 10:30 to 11:45 am. “Farmanfarmaian believes that technology can empower patients and make a positive impact in the health and medical field,” and provides “education and resources to leaders, entrepreneurs, physicians, healthcare professionals and innovators to positively impact medicine and healthcare.
The day concludes on a light note with the American College of Medical Practice Executives (ACMPE) Fellows Dinner, a private, invitation-only ticketed event requiring preregistration.
Wednesday, October 3
The final day of the conference begins with continental breakfast, followed by MGMA Business Meeting (7:30 – 8:00 am) and MGMA 1:1 Consultations (7:30 am – 12:00 pm).
The action continues with three concurrent session series:
- K Series (8:15 – 9:15 am) — e.g. Heath IT Policy Update
- Extended L Series (9:30 am – 12:00 pm) — e.g. The Next Generation of EHRs
- M Series (11:00 am – 12:00 pm) — e.g. Optimizing Performance and Compliance Through Fair Physician Scheduling
The Specialty Content (8:15 am – 12:00 pm) program engenders interactive exploration into specialty content, developed by practice administrators for peer-to-peer learning in six focus areas with three sessions each:
- Anesthesia Specialty Block
- Pediatrics Specialty Block
- Family Medicine Specialty Block
- OB/GYN Specialty Block
- Gastroenterology Specialty Block
- Orthopedics Specialty Block
Finally, continuing education credit for medical group management is offered in cooperation with several platforms: American College of Medical Practice Executives (ACMPE), AAPC, Continuing Medical Education (CME), Continuing Nursing Education Credit (CNE), Continuing professional education (CPE), and Continuing education units (CEU).
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