88% of MGMA’s physician practice members say that workforce issues are creating financial challenges for them. Add to that high inflation, supply chain problems, as well as personal safety concerns and it’s not surprising to see why some see a bleak future for practices. Dr. Halee Fischer-Wright, sees a reason for hope and is working alongside her MGMA colleagues to push for long-term solutions that will help reduce the industry’s pain in the years ahead.
Healthcare IT Today sat down with Dr. Halee Fischer-Wright, President and CEO of MGMA, at the 2022 annual conference (#MPE22) to get her take on the current state of physician practices.
Healthcare Workforce Challenge
“Practices are not seeing as many people interested in administrative roles,” stated Dr. Fischer-Wright. “This may be due to the fact that many frontline and back-office jobs in healthcare do not have competitive salaries in today’s market.”
According to Dr. Fischer-Wright, there is no “silver bullet” that will solve healthcare’s workforce and financial challenges. Simply paying a better salary, for example, will not solve the problem. She suggests that a multi-pronged approach will be necessary:
- Engaging with talent earlier to showcase some of the amazing jobs in healthcare (ie: colleges, universities and even high schools)
- Shortening the hiring cycle
- Reducing the long work hours
- Paying a competitive salary (not just competitive vs other healthcare roles, but roles in retail, manufacturing, hospitality, etc)
- Changing the healthcare work culture
“We’ve been talking about the culture change for the past 40 years,” said Dr. Fischer-Wright. “Today, people are selecting jobs based on who they will be working with and how they work.”
Opportunity Ahead
Despite the challenges healthcare is facing, or perhaps because of these challenges, Dr. Fischer-Wright sees a real opportunity for change in the years ahead: “For years we have been talking about the need for change in healthcare, but it was just talk. There was no energy or commitment behind it. Now because of everything that is happening, I get the sense that there is real energy to make a change.”
Compensation models that have not changed in decades, for example, are being modified rapidly by organizations looking to remain competitive. Similarly, workplaces are changing as the impact of toxic cultures becomes more clear and as DE&I initiatives take hold.
Technologies like AI, Virtual Reality, and automation also have the potential to transform clinical care and the business of care. AI, when applied properly and judiciously, can reduce the workload on clinical as well as administrative staff, especially when coupled with process automation.
Dr. Fischer-Wright believes all of these forces now have serious momentum behind them now that there is broad recognition that the status quo is not working.
Enjoy the full interview with Dr. Halee Fischer-Wright and learn:
- What she thinks the practices of the future will look like
- The message she has for MGMA members and physician practices everywhere
- How she expertly dropped a Wayne Gretzky reference
Learn more about MGMA at: https://mgma.com/
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