Coach's Corner

MGMA Connexion, Aug 2005 by Jessee, William F

From the president/CEO

The strength of togetherness

Looking into the future can be a dicey proposition. But all organizations need a visionary platform from which to build achievements and to grow. The MGMA Board of Directors, in concert with the American College of Medical Practice Executives (ACMPE), has set a new precedent - a common vision.

In the past, MGMA, the MGMA Center for Research and ACMPE, the certification body of MGMA, have had different vision, mission and value statements. Historically, that may have made sense. But looking into a future where we leverage our strengths together in common strategies, there is now one vision, one mission and one set of values that bond us together (see box).

This feels good. And, operationally, there are many ways that MGMA, ACMPE and the MGMA Center for Research are blending our unique strengths - in a unified manner - to advance our profession. This gives us more visibility, credibility and viability in the marketplace.

Marketing our organization, your Association

Like any organization, MGMA must constantly increase its revenues if it is to survive. Accordingly, marketing is an important topic for your Association.

One of our most important marketing activities, of course, is promoting membership in the Association. We invest significant sums each year in member research, designed to determine what you value most from MGMA, which of our products and services you find most (and least) worthwhile, and what we can do to increase the value of your membership. As a result, we continue to add new benefits to enhance the merit of your annual dues investment.

For example, the new online MGMA Knowledge Center, available in the member area of the MGMA Web site, gives you access to full-text articles from about 120 important health care business publications. Recently, we've also added a number of new free tools to the Web site in direct response to member research. We're listening.

The voice of members

Our most successful membership marketing strategy for many years has been the Member Referral Program. Personal contact from a satisfied MGMA member is a much more effective marketing tool than any direct mail piece or other traditional marketing tactic. Your member voice - bringing others to your "professional home" - is powerful, indeed.

We also know that members who stay with us for three years are likely to be members throughout their careers in professional practice management. Accordingly, we make special efforts to ensure a positive experience for newcomers to MGMA, emphasizing that the Association welcomes and highly values them. By building the size of MGMA, we are also effectively building the "national voice" of MGMA in Washington, D.C., and in the broader health care industry. That makes your membership even more valuable to you and to your practice. If a member does not renew with us, we turn again to other members, such as the leaders of MGMA sections, assemblies and societies, to help recapture that individual. Here again, personal contact works best.

Inviting noncustomers

Since we derive only about 28 percent of our annual revenues from member dues, other MGMA products and services are critical to our financial success and our ability to provide the level of service that members have come to expect.

A key part of our marketing for other products and services involves increasing awareness of MGMA among noncustomers to encourage them to make a first purchase or engage with us the first time. We identify these potential new customers through cooperation with the state MGMA affiliates, by exhibiting at various health care meetings, through partnerships with medical specialty societies and through casual visitors to the MGMA Web site.

We encourage repeat purchasing among first-time customers - and progression to membership - by providing personalized customer service. We've also found that bundling membership with education programs is an excellent way to encourage membership for those having their first MGMA experience at an educational conference.

Our Web site - www.mgma.com - has become an important vehicle to connect with noncustomers. Identifying new prospects on our Web site and using other methods are vital components to enhancing our Association and building the strength of the profession overall.

How can MGMA help?

Even as we have been fortunate to see steady growth in both MGMA membership and product and services sales, it's difficult to maintain growth when members are increasingly constrained by a challenging health care environment. It's tough out there, and we hope to provide answers, assistance and resources to help you navigate.

I would greatly appreciate your ideas on how MGMA can continue to grow. Send me an e-mail and let me know what you think. I'm also interested in your comments about our common mission, vision and values. After all, it's your Association.

By William F. lessee, MD, FACMPE

about the author

William E lessee, MD, FACMPE, president and CEO, Medical Group Management Association (MGMA); the American College of Medical Practice Executives, the certification body of MGMA; and the MGMA Center for Research, wfj@mgma.com