Considered by locals as the best kept secret around, the Florida panhandle and Alabama Gulf coast beaches are the best in the country. Oops, I guess that secret is out of the bag now… The Alabama Medical Group Management Association (AL MGMA) summer conference attendees get to witness that beauty first hand.

Every year, the AL MGMA hosts a summer conference in Sandestin, Fla. The AL MGMA exists as a forum to allow health care professionals to exchange information and ideas and better network to lead their respective practices and organizations. The AL MGMA did a great job hosting the conference, which was primarily attended by administrators, consultants, and vendors.

I attended the conference earlier this month representing pMD as a health care vendor and supporter of the AL MGMA. We help give back to these communities by supporting their conferences, and it provides an opportunity for us to have face to face interaction to learn what is on the minds of health care professionals and how we may be able to help them with charge capture. While I unfortunately didn't have much of an opportunity to enjoy the beautiful beaches, the conference reminded me of a huge family reunion and the importance of staying in touch with others in the industry. The MGMA network in the state of Alabama is a close, family-oriented group – call it “southern hospitality.”

Over the last ten years, focusing on helping practices improve efficiencies through charge capture has allowed me the privilege to meet a lot of great people. At the conference, I put faces to names that I've worked with for years but have never met in person, and I saw other faces that I hadn't seen in over a decade. I enjoy helping others solve problems, and it was great to witness the community of attendees working together to exchange thoughts and best in class solutions and ideas. As health care continues to change at a rapid pace, it's important to learn from your peers' experiences so that you can help lead your organization to be the best it can be. This conference reminded me of the importance of supporting organizations like the local MGMA so practices can continue operating at a high level of proficiency and focus on delivering better care to patients.

I made a couple of new friends, Dwayne and Michelle, from the AAPC that were exhibiting next to me. The AL MGMA hosted a tailgating “lawn party” one evening as a social gathering. You weren’t allowed into the party without these fantastic glow necklaces!

“Work hard, play hard!” The summer conference at the AL MGMA has a laid back environment that allows attendees to learn a lot while having fun doing it. Picture from an AL MGMA attendee. MGMA Alabama Facebook