This workshop will provide an overview of health information technology (HIT) and how it is transforming medical practice and patient care. Topics will include discussion of the forces driving HIT adoption; transitioning to electronic health records (EHRs); electronic prescribing and claims submission; understanding the health information exchange platforms in the marketplace; and how HIT promotes the goals of patient safety, quality outcomes and health care cost containment. The workshop will feature hands-on demonstrations of EHR systems and offer guidance on selecting a system suitable for the participant’s practice. (Approved for 3 hours of Category 1 CME credit)

Friday, April  9

The recent health system reform effort in Washington, along with more localized initiatives in several states, are just the latest chapter in a century-old story of spotty attempts to expand access to affordable health care in America. Popular author and lecturer Emily Friedman will review 100 years of “reform” efforts, identify the obstacles that historically have prevented or limited meaningful change, and discuss the factors that made the most recent effort possible, if not necessarily successful. She will also assess how any newly enacted reforms might affect physicians, patients, the physician-patient relationship, and the health care system itself.

The German chancellor Otto von Bismark is credited with saying, “There are two things you don’t want to see being made: sausage and legislation.” After months of contentious and – like the process of sausage making – often messy debate, meaningful reform of the American health care system appeared imminent as 2009 drew to a close. In this presentation, a highly respected health care economist will recap the historic process of the recent reform effort, analyze factors contributing to the derailment of the most substantive reform proposals, and assess the prospects for future meaningful reform of the U.S. health care system.

BREAK WITH REFRESHMENTS
Exhibit Hall

1. Health System Reform: In-Depth with Emily Friedman and Paul Torrens

Plenary session speakers Emily Friedman and Paul Torrens will continue discussion and answer questions about health system reform in an interactive small group setting.

2. Federal Funding for HIT: What (It Is) and How (to Get It) (HIT Track)
Lisa Folbert, MPP, Vice President, Medical and Regulatory Policy, California Medical Association; additional faculty TBA

The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, signed into law by President Obama as part of the 2009 federal economic stimulus package, encourages the adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) through direct incentive payments to physicians for “meaningful use” of a certified EHR system. This session provides an overview of HITECH and focuses on the definition of “meaningful use” and how to achieve it. Information will be provided on how to access the services of “regional extension centers” in California that will be funded by the government to assist providers seeking to adopt and become meaningful users of HIT.

3. Qualities and Styles of Effective Leadership (Leadership Track)
Susan Reynolds, MD, PhD, President & CEO, Institute for Medical Leadership

This program will outline key elements of effective leadership and compare and contrast leadership duties and responsibilities with management duties and responsibilities. Attendees will do a self-assessment of their leadership and management strengths as well as their personality styles. They will also learn how physician leaders and practice managers can work most effectively together and what pitfalls to avoid.

4. Minimizing the Financial Hits in Difficult Economic Times* (Practice Management Track) Ron Anderson, Director of Business Development, California Healthcare Medical Billing, Inc.; Irv Barnett, MBA, Senior Manager, Health Care Industry Group, Moss Adams LLP

In an economy where every dollar counts, it is time to focus on each and every step of the revenue cycle from scheduling to collections. Where are the opportunities? What needs to be done now? Why does it seem so difficult to make the changes in your practice to have high accountability and high patient satisfaction, while getting paid for the services rendered? This session will put best practices together, with specific steps that can make a difference in the bottom line. Learn what others are doing today, and how they have measured success.

In this enlightening and entertaining presentation, cases of famous people will illustrate the role of curiosity, history, literature, art, music, philosophy and general fun in the practice of medicine. Participants will learn to interloculate humanities and science in teaching medicine; to stimulate the curiosity that both propels discovery and enriches doctors’ lives; and to center on patients as the source of inquiry and exploration of both the art and science of medicine.

The Physician Shortage and Health Care Disparities
Kevin Grumbach, MD, Director, Center for California Health Workforce Studies and Professor and Chair, Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of California, San Francisco

Concern continues to mount that California and the nation as a whole face a worsening shortage of physicians, particularly in primary care practice. There is evidence that physician shortages, especially shortages of minority physicians, have a disproportionate impact on racial and ethnic minority populations, potentially worsening documented health disparities between racial groups. This presentation will focus on recent research identifying shortage areas in California and will assess their impact on the state’s racial and ethnic populations. Strategies to ameliorate demonstrated disparities will be discussed.

1. Physician Shortages and Health Care Disparities: In-Depth with Kevin Grumbach

Plenary session speaker Kevin Grumbach will continue discussion and answer questions about physician shortages and health care disparities in an interactive small group setting.

2. EHR Lessons Learned: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (HIT Track)
Moderator: Michael Hogarth, MD, Professor, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UC Davis Medical Center

This session will feature a moderated panel discussion of the pros and cons of electronic health record (EHR) adoption. Physicians and practice managers who have implemented EHRs will discuss the benefits and pitfalls of selecting and implementing an EHR system, and share their perspectives regarding the effect of EHRs on patient care, clinical data reporting and workflow in their practices.

3. Successful Organizational Leadership (Leadership Track)
Susan Reynolds, MD, PhD, President & CEO, Institute for Medical Leadership

This program will address how to build a dynamic organization through effective leadership and management. How to motivate others, how to build an effective team, how to engage generation Y, and how to deal with disruptive behavior and resolve conflict will be among the topics discussed in an interactive format.

4. Payer Contracting Panel: Tools to Improve the Bottom Line* (Practice Management Track)
Kim Fenton, MA, President, Coastal Healthcare Consulting Group, Inc.;
Stan Augustine, MA, MBA, Chief Financial Officer, House Ear Clinic;
Melissa Christian, Vice President, Caduesis Medical Groups;
Maryam Kerl, MHA, Senior Consultant, Coastal Healthcare Consulting Group, Inc.

This moderated panel discussion will show you how to Work Smarter, Not Harder by covering various aspects of managed care contracting such as contract evaluation, rate improvement and negotiation skills, so you can build a more efficient and profitable practice by optimizing your health plan contract portfolio.

Saturday, April 10

1. HIT and the Law (HIT Track)
J. Michael Rosenthal, ARM, President & CEO, RGI insurance Services;
Kathleen Stillwell, Patient Safety Representative, The Doctors Company;
Chris George, President, Protelligent, Inc.;
Andrew H. Selesnick, JD, Michelman & Robinson, LLP

The adoption of health information technology (HIT) systems and processes has created new liability risks for users. This primer on HIT risk management will identify areas of potential liability exposure and offer strategies to minimize risk. Topics will include privacy of patient information, data breaches and medical identity theft, HIPAA compliance, the Red Flag rule, Internet and website risks, using technology to communicate with patients, and more.

2. Physician Slowdown Plans* (Practice Management Track)
Michael McCaslin, CPA, Health Care Team, Somerset CPAs

This session will discuss current trends in the development of slow down plans as physicians approach retirement or semi-retirement; formalization of group call plans, including call slow down and dropping off call completely; and other topics related to group practice income distribution.

3. Health Care Leadership: Preparing a Strategy and Vision for the Future (Leadership Track)
Michael E. Harris, MS, Principal, Harris Consulting

This session will address key leadership actions and qualities necessary to prepare a health care organization for the future. The presentation will integrate current health care trends with critical leadership qualities that will stimulate the health care leadership team to develop strategic action plans to improve an organization’s efficiency both in delivering quality patient care and in its business operations.

4. Social Networking in Health Care – Opportunities and Risks (Practice Management Track)
Marion K. Jenkins, PhD, CEO, QSE Technologies

You have a website for your practice, but what about all the buzz about “Web 2.0” tools and social networking? MeetUp, FaceBook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Blogs – are all exploding in popularity. Are you utilizing them to augment your online presence for your practice? If not, should you be? Are you missing out on providing better communication with patients, growing your practice, and being perceived as being technologically up to date? On the other hand, are your employees using social networking at work – and if they are, should they be? Are they potentially putting your practice at risk? Learn what these tools are all about, including the opportunities and the risks – both of which are considerable.

Concurrent with an erosion of the traditional voluntary medical staff model, changes in the structural forms of medical practice are being spurred by hospital competitive pressures, payment incentives, physician workforce needs and other factors. This session will identify forces driving change in the relationship between hospitals and physicians that have resulted in closer alignment and examine models of medical practice, including accountable care organizations and hospital employment of physicians, which have emerged or are evolving in response to these forces. A hospital administrator and a physician advocate will examine the potential positive and negative implications of these models for quality of care, cost of care and both physician and patient satisfaction.

Health Information Technology: The Power of Data Exchange and Collaboration
Patrick Soon-Shiong, MD, Founder, National Coalition for Health Integration

In this presentation, a visionary leader in the field of health information technology discusses the present and the future of HIT connectivity and interoperability; the issues of privacy, security and trust in health information exchanges; and the improvement of health care quality through collaborative data exchange.

1. HIT: In-Depth with Patrick Soon-Shiong (HIT Track)

Luncheon keynote speaker Patrick-Soon Shiong will continue discussion and answer questions about health information technology challenges and opportunities in an interactive small group setting.

2. E-Prescribing: Challenges and Opportunities (HIT Track)
Maria A. Friedman, President, Brookside Consulting Group

One of the nation’s leading authorities on electronic prescribing will discuss government incentives to adopt e-prescribing; the functions and benefits of e-prescribing; and the barriers to adoption, including the inability to electronically submit prescriptions for controlled substances and confusion about standards for data exchange.

3. Physician Leadership Success Factors (Leadership Track)
Susan Reynolds, MD, PhD, President & CEO, Institute for Medical Leadership

The results of the UCLA Physician Leader Success Factor study will be presented in this session. Participants will also discuss the obstacles to effective physician leadership and learn ways in which they can improve their leadership effectiveness. Key leadership skills will be taught including creating buy-in to a vision, building an effective team, meeting management, and financial oversight.

4. How to Effectively Deal with Low Performers (Practice Management Track)
Mykl D. Garrett, Chief Executive Officer, Tri-City Cardiology Consultants

Mykl Garrett is CEO of Tri-City Cardiology located in Mesa, Arizona, which was recently ranked by Press Ganey in the 99 percentile for employee satisfaction and as one of the best places to work in the county. Press Ganey also ranked Tri-City in the 99th percentile for patient satisfaction. In this workshop, Garrett will share Tri-City’s techniques for helping underachieving employees improve their performance and become contributing members of a successful health care team.

A physician executive and leader with extensive experience in strategic and operational development will discuss key elements of health care leadership in a turbulent era of system change. Concepts to be covered include management of multiple changes happening concurrently; plans of attack for dealing with complexity; management of uncertainty; dealing with changes that are occurring at an ever-increasing rate; leader objectivity in today’s world; and the role of intuition in leadership. This presentation will be relevant to leaders of medical practices, medical staffs and all types of health care organizations.

Sunday, April 11

1. If Disney Ran Your Practice (Practice Management Track)
Fred Lee, President, Fred Lee & Associates, Inc.

Fred Lee was recruited by Disney University after considerable success helping hospitals achieve a culture that inspires patient and employee loyalty. In his book If Disney Ran Your Hospital, Lee focused on the similarities between Disney and hospitals – both provide an “experience,” not just a service – and showed how hospitals can emulate the strategies that earn Disney the trust and loyalty of their guests and employees. In this workshop, Lee will apply these principals to medical practice and explain why standard service excellence initiatives in health care do little to achieve patient loyalty. He will provide some key principles that will help gain the advantage that comes from being seen as “the best” by employees, consumers and the community. The assumptions that have defined customer service in health care will be challenged and practical steps leadership teams can take to create a new culture will be presented.

2. Advanced Communication Skills for Health Care Leaders (Leadership Track)
Susan Reynolds, MD, PhD, President & CEO, Institute for Medical Leadership

This interactive workshop will focus on key techniques for connecting effectively with audiences large and small. Topics will include how to give an effective speech; how to persuade others in a small group setting; how to communicate effectively with patients to promote compliance with treatment plans and to avoid being sued; and how to be an effective advocate for patients and the profession.

3. Addressing the Obesity Epidemic: One Physician Can Make a Difference
Faculty TBA

This workshop will focus on the role an individual physician can play in addressing the obesity epidemic, which is now the attributed cause of America’s shortening of life expectancy. Many physicians remain reluctant to address the subject with their overweight patients, perhaps thinking their counseling will be ineffective or ignored – despite studies confirming that, just as with smokers, overweight patients will listen and respond to their personal doctor’s advice and recommendations. This workshop will provide strategies and techniques for effectively communicating with patients to encourage behavioral change. Different strategies for communicating with patients of different ethnic and cultural backgrounds also will be covered.