A Year Later: Revisiting Ochsner Health's Award-Winning Patient Access Innovation with Sean Nguyen

On this episode of the MGMA Insights Podcast, host and senior editor Daniel Williams speaks with Sean Nguyen of Ochsner Health about the evolution of Ochsner's award-winning spine care initiative, the power of clinician collaboration, practical applications of AI in healthcare, and what attendees can expect from his upcoming presentation at the MGMA Annual Conference in San Antonio.

Nguyen first joined the podcast as the recipient of MGMA's Harwick Innovation Award. Now, nearly two years into the implementation of Ochsner's coordinated spine care model, he shares lessons learned, measurable outcomes, and why the framework can extend well beyond spine care to improve access and care navigation across the healthcare continuum. The conversation also explores AI adoption, conference planning, and the importance of maintaining passions outside of work.

Episode Takeaways

• Ochsner's spine care initiative was designed to create a seamless patient experience regardless of where a patient enters the healthcare system, ensuring "right care, right place, right time."
• Nearly two years after implementation, the program continues to demonstrate positive results through improved patient access, strong patient satisfaction scores, and high clinician engagement.
• One of the biggest successes has been increased collaboration among physicians, therapists, pain management teams, and other specialists across the health system.
• Nguyen believes the same care coordination framework can be applied to a wide range of conditions, including diabetes, hypertension, dermatology concerns, and other complex care pathways.
• Technology and process improvement go hand in hand. Effective coordination requires both the right workflows and the right digital tools.
• Ochsner is leveraging AI across multiple areas, including call center operations, decision support, ambient documentation, prior authorization workflows, and administrative burden reduction.
• Nguyen has become a daily user of Microsoft Copilot, using it to prepare for meetings, summarize projects, organize priorities, and enhance communication.
• As a member of MGMA's inaugural Annual Conference Planning Committee, Nguyen offers a behind-the-scenes look at how the conference experience is designed with attendee engagement, education, networking, and logistics in mind.
• Outside of healthcare leadership, Nguyen relies on movies, comics, and superheroes as a way to recharge, combat compassion fatigue, and maintain balance.

Resources

• MGMA Annual Conference 2026 (September 27-30, San Antonio) | Sean Nguyen's session: "Blowing Up the Front Door: Reinventing Access and Redesigning Care" | Tuesday, September 29, 1:30 p.m. CT
• Connect with Sean Nguyen on LinkedIn
• Listen to Sean Nguyen's previous MGMA Insights Podcast episode discussing his Harwick Innovation Award-winning work
• MGMA Podcast Network

Email us at dwilliams@mgma.com if you would like to appear on an episode. If you have a question about your practice that you would like us to answer, send an email to advisor@mgma.com. Don't forget to subscribe to our network wherever you get your podcasts!

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