In an interactive session at Becker's 11th Annual CEO + CFO Roundtable, American Medical Association representatives discussed how policy is made within the organization and how health system leaders and individual physicians can be involved in the process. The panelists emphasized that policy is made by the AMA's House of Delegates, not the board of trustees.
The AMA Integrated Physician Practice Section (IPPS), part of the House of Delegates, was highlighted as a key way for physicians to have their voices heard in policymaking. The panelists discussed some of the concerns they've addressed as part of the IPPS, such as reforming Medicare reimbursement and reducing burnout. The panelists also acknowledged the need to broaden brand awareness to better communicate its work and impact. The discussion was led by Jim Gilligan, vice president of health systems and group partnerships at the AMA. Speakers also included:
- Stephen Parodi, MD, executive vice president of external affairs, communications and brand at the Oakland, Calif.-based Permanente Federation; and associate executive director of the Permanente Medical Group
- Narayana Murali, MD, system chief medical officer of medicine services at Danville, Pa.-based Geisinger
Key takeaways:
1: The AMA's policymaking process involves the House of Delegates, which consists of physician delegates from state medical and specialty societies and AMA sections representing different demographics and practice settings.
Dr. Stephen Parodi: "So there's literally 700 physician delegates that descend on either Washington, D.C., or Chicago twice a year to develop AMA policy. At these meetings, policy is actively debated; it looks like the House of Representatives. So, we've got all these delegates walking around talking to each other, introducing resolutions, passing resolutions, all the sort of parliamentary procedure that, if you’ve ever experienced that, it's all there happening at the AMA. Throughout the rest of the year, AMA staff work to implement House directives and advocate for those particular positions."
2: The integrated physician practice section, one of the sections of the AMA's House of Delegates, is a valuable platform for physicians to have a voice in policymaking and exchange ideas with other stakeholders.
SP: "So the section that we're talking about, integrated physician practice section, was started back in 2013 and it was for physician executives in physician-led health care systems that are focused on value-based care. And I know that we can have a discussion about that in terms of the evolution of what value-based care means, but at the very least, the IPPS is for groups that are interested in something beyond just straight fee-for-service medicine. And all the AMA sections actually get together before the House of Delegates meeting and are able to either debate or discuss policies that are advanced in the form of resolutions much like a piece of legislation in Congress. It's actually a really great way to form relationships with people from across the country."
3: The IPPS focuses on thought leadership, education, communication and engagement to address key policy priorities such as reimbursement strategies, quality health outcomes, and the future of the physician workforce.
Dr. Narayana Murali: "What we do at the IPPS section is thought leadership. So 40% ofour work is committed to thought leadership and networking with leaders such as you either being part of the governing council or part of the IPPS. Second is education that we offer at our two yearly meetings where we feature many of our members as speakers because there is so much expertise in our section. And then engagement in terms of creating awareness of the AMA’s work and growing our members."
4: The IPPS gives physicians an opportunity to get involved in the AMA and make their voices heard on policy decisions.
Jim Gilligan: "You can participate in the IPPS as an individual physician. You don't have to sign up your whole health system to be a part of the IPPS – so while group membership has many benefits, it’s not a requirement. In fact, if you don't know much about the AMA, and you want to learn more, this is a great way to start. So you do have to be an individual member … but that's the only commitment it takes to be a part of this section, and it's not a huge time commitment."
To learn more about the IPPS visit here or sign up for the IPPS monthly newsletter.