What goes around, comes around

MGMA Connexion, Jul 2006 by Redling, Bob

Last fall, the clinic's staff and physicians had ample opportunity to give back to the community. They contributed many hours helping out at clinics and evacuation centers that served the thousands of refugees from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita who poured into Baton Rouge.

"If you can give back something to the community, it makes you feel better about yourself and your practice," Silvey says. "If enough people show that type of behavior (volunteering), this concept of volunteerism, which has been the mainstay of American culture, will continue to thrive."

Silvey encourages mentoring in the practice by matching up senior and midlevel managers to advise each other informally. He says that even as other obligations come along - families and job responsibilities - medical practice administrators should continue to volunteer in their profession's activities: serving on committees, participating in local and national member activities or mentoring other professionals.

"It's important that you get young people to recognize that whether they do it through their organization or on their own, they need to volunteer and give back," says Silvey, who now serves on the MGMA Government Affairs Committee.

Adds Rhoades, "For me, volunteering is a way to pay back all those people who helped me when 1 was starting out. Since I can't thank them all directly, I try to perpetuate what they started, which I do hy helping others and continuing the momentum of professionalism."

By Bob Redling, MS

about the author

Bob Redling, MS, freelance writer, connexion@mgma.com