UnityPoint Health invests in administrators’ professional development with Practice Management Academy

The process of continuing education for career and leadership development can be daunting on the individual level, not to mention for a group of employees.

For the past two years, MGMA has worked with UnityPoint Health, a nondenominational health system of about 280 integrated multispecialty clinics across Iowa, to develop and implement a specialized course for their top-performing practice administrators and operational leaders.

The Practice Management Academy involves a year of training, education and studying to help prepare a practice leader to sit for the certified medical practice executive (CMPE) credentialing exam through the American College of Medical Practice Executives (ACMPE).

Jessica Meisner, MGMA member, vice president, human resources, UnityPoint Health, Des Moines, Iowa, served as an executive sponsor for the academy by guiding content, introducing concepts and facilitating learning. Training and Development Department staff also worked to align content areas to the speakers and learning while managing the program.

“Practice management is multifaceted and continually evolving, and we felt it was critical to allow our managers the opportunity to have dedicated time to further their understanding of the ambulatory space,” Meisner said.

Initial planning for the academy began in early 2015, as clinic administrators took a personal inventory assessment of where they were in their careers and how their roles at UnityPoint aligned to the areas that the academy focuses on:

• Patient experience
• Financial performance
• Provider engagement
• Quality metrics
• Employee engagement

Once selected, the academy participants began a 12-month process that involved in-person courses, MGMA online courses, reviewing journal articles and attending webinars to cover the six domains of the Body of Knowledge (BOK) for Medical Practice Management under the direction of a mix of internal UnityPoint Health and MGMA subject matter experts.

In addition to studying the BOK domains, academy participants also attended in-person courses on using data to optimize performance and on physician/administrator leader dyads. In December 2016, the first 20 practice administrators who enrolled in the academy wrapped up their studies with the certification exam.   

“As a direct result of the Practice Management Academy, UnityPoint Clinic has seen a great impact on provider engagement and satisfaction,” Meisner said. “Our practice managers have a deeper knowledge of this complex environment and now have the tools and skills to help our team members, physicians and advanced practitioners navigate this complexity.”

Jody Miller, CMPE, MGMA member, clinic administrator, UnityPoint Health, Des Moines, Iowa, was one of the 20 academy participants and said that using a program designed for professional development was personally helpful.

“The Practice Management Academy was valuable both professionally and personally by enhancing decision-making processes and overall knowledge gained in the main aspects of practice management,” Miller said. “The networking opportunities and knowledge-sharing were invaluable.”

Board certification through ACMPE is the only board certification in medical practice management. Individuals with two or more years of experience in healthcare management, including at least six months in a supervisory role, are qualified to apply.

Starting Jan. 1, 2019, applicants for board certification will need a bachelor’s degree or 120 college credit hours – in addition to the current requirements – to qualify for the program.

To learn more about the Practice Management Academy and how other medical groups are instituting similar programs for practice administrators, contact MGMA Organizational Membership at 303.799.1111, ext. 1801, or email orgmem@mgma.com.