MGMA Week in Review: Insights on Disaster Preparedness for Medical Practices with Cristy Good

In this episode of the MGMA Week in Review Podcast, host Daniel Williams is joined by Cristy Good, Senior Advisor at MGMA, for a timely discussion on disaster preparedness and the invaluable resources available to medical practices. This episode addresses questions from MGMA members on navigating the aftermath of hurricanes and other natural disasters. Cristy shares expert advice on relocating medical practices, ensuring continuity of care, and accessing critical MGMA resources that can help practice leaders during challenging times.

Key Takeaways:

• Ask MGMA Resources: MGMA offers a free member benefit through the “Ask MGMA” service, where practice leaders can submit their toughest questions, ranging from daily operations to disaster management. These questions are answered by MGMA subject matter experts, such as Cristy Good.
• Disaster Preparedness: Cristy responds to a member’s query about relocating a medical practice due to hurricane damage. She emphasizes the importance of having a disaster preparedness plan in place, referencing MGMA’s resources such as:
  • A disaster preparedness checklist
  • The article, "Action Steps for Medical Practices Facing Hurricanes and Storm Flooding"
  • Tools for medical practice relocation and continuity of care
• First Steps in Disaster Recovery: Cristy advises practice leaders to focus on:
  • Ensuring safety for staff and patients
  • Assessing the damage and reviewing insurance policies
  • Developing a plan for continuity of care, including patient communication and managing medical records
• Building a Support Network: Cristy shares a story from the MGMA conference, where medical practice leaders impacted by hurricanes connected with each other for support. She highlights the value of peer relationships and leveraging the MGMA community for guidance and advice.
• Important Resources:
  • Disaster Preparedness Checklist
  • Action Steps for Medical Practices Facing Hurricanes and Storm Flooding
  • Emergency Planning
  • Ask MGMA